Policies and Procedures

Course equivalency

Policy on entering transfer credit in Pathway

Credit by examination

In some situations, it is important that records or holds preventing certain actions be maintained in student records across the four campuses in the University of Missouri System.  For instance, if a student is sanctioned with University Dismissal, University Suspension, University Expulsion or other sanctions/agreements that extend beyond a given campus, a mechanism to enforce such agreements or sanctions is needed.  More information can be found in the UM System Collected Rules and Regulations.

A university/system-wide service indicator or hold may be placed within the student information system (e.g. PeopleSoft) that will enforce the policy.  These are placed and removed by authorized individuals on each campus and will automatically be added or removed from impacting students on all campuses.

Beginning Summer 2014, graduate students who wish to enroll in undergraduate courses, regardless of how these courses count towards a graduate degree program, will be required to complete the Undergraduate Course Authorization Form. 

Undergraduate Course Authorization Form for Graduate Students

These changes are necessary to ensure UMKC's Financial Aid and Scholarships Office is administering financial aid correctly in relationship to degree applicable coursework and eligible coursework for financial aid. This enrollment procedural change is required for all graduate level students.

Here is a quick summary for how the undergraduate course authorization form will work:

1. Courses that are not part of the approved plan of study cannot be completed at the graduate level.
2. Course levels:
   • 300 and 400 level courses that are approved for the plan of study will apply to the graduate career
   • 300 and 400 courses that are not approved for the plan of study cannot count as degree applicable work towards the graduate GPA or degree
   • 100 and 200 level courses cannot apply to the graduate career and cannot count as degree applicable work towards the graduate GPA or degree
3. All courses regardless of level will be assessed the graduate rate of tuition.

UM System Collected Rules and Regulations: Records Management: Student Records

Student Records

FERPA

Certifications and Loan Deferments

Transcripts 

Process for applying to graduate

Petition for graduation exception (PDF)

Commencement

Dean's List and Latin Honors

Diplomas

The Office of Admissions processes all non-degree applications which are commonly referred to as visiting students.  Visiting students apply to take classes as undergraduate or graduate students. The level of the students (undergraduate or graduate) determines the fees associated with the class and the type of credit that will be awarded.

Visiting student will have until the university census date of each semester to make a request to change their enrollment degree level status.  Changes requested after the university census date will not be approved.  Students who request a degree level change after the start of the term and prior to the university census date will be charged a $250 late registration fee.

Depending on where you live, you may qualify for tuition discounts from UMKC. Learn more about residency discounts at the Cashiers Office.

View our residency requirements and learn how to petition for a change in residency.

If you believe there is a discrepancy with your tuition and/or fees, follow these steps to resolve it:

1. Verify with the Cashiers Office that you are being assessed correctly based on the information they have on record
2. If you still believe there is an issue, you should then verify with Registration and Records that you are officially registered in the correct classes and that your major is correctly listed.
3. If either of these items is incorrect, you may have to work with your academic advisor to correct the information.

Missouri House Bill 390 (HB390) statute section 173.1110 requires the university to verify "covered students" who are receiving financial aid are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or are lawfully present in the United States. 

Who are "covered students?"

Covered students are defined as those students who are:

• High school graduates
• 18 or older
• Attending classes on campus during regularly scheduled academic sessions

What are acceptable documents for verification?

The statute provides that the following documents may be used to document a "covered student" receiving financial aid is a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or is lawfully present in the United States:

• The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Institutional Student Information Record
• A state-issued driver’s license
• A state issued non-driver’s identification card
• Documentary evidence recognized by the department of revenue when processing an application for a driver’s license or non-driver’s identification card
• A United States birth certificate
• A United States military identification card
• Any document issued by the federal government that confirms an alien’s lawful presence in the United States

Directions for submitting documentation

Email

Scan the document and attach it to an email from your UMKC email account.

Send the email to the Registrar's Office at umkcregistrar@umkc.edu. 

Fax

Fax the document to (816) 235-5513.

Make sure to include your full name and student ID number on the Fax.

Hand delivery

Bring the original document or a photocopy to UMKC Central in room 120 of the Administrative Center.

Mail

Mail a photocopy of the document to:

Registrar's Office
UMKC Administrative Center, room 115
5115 Oak Street
Kansas City, MO 64112 

If you believe there is a discrepancy with the financial aid you have been awarded, follow these steps to resolve the issue:

1. Verify with Financial Aid and Scholarships that they are awarding you correctly based on the information they have on record
2. If you still believe there is an issue, you should verify with Registration and Records that you are officially registered in the correct classes and that your major is listed correctly.
3. If you are an undergraduate transfer student, you should also make sure that you have had final, official transcripts from all previous institutions sent to UMKC so we can post your transfer credit to your academic record.
4. If any of these items is incorrect, you may have to work with your academic advisor to correct the information.

Classes are not automatically canceled for nonpayment. It is the responsibility of all students to withdraw from classes if they will not be attending the semester. If a student withdraws from classes, he or she may still owe the university full or partial fees in accordance with the UMKC fee refund policy. 

The UMKC refund policy is based on the date of official withdrawal from classes for each semester, listed in the academic calendar.

Refunds for courses that do not meet during the regular session (weekend courses, abbreviated courses) are prorated based on the length of the course and the date of withdrawal.

When a student totally withdraws from all of his or her classes, there is a certain percentage of aid that UMKC is required to return due to federal regulations regarding the return of Title IV funds. The amount UMKC is required to return may exceed the student’s credit balance for withdrawing from classes making the student owe a balance to UMKC.

If you receive a refund that you believe you should not have received, check your class schedule or contact the Cashiers Office.

Refund Exceptions

We are authorized to make exceptions in the application of the refund policy in unusual and extreme circumstances.

Official Exceptions to the Refund Policy

Requests for exceptions must be submitted online through the Petition for Exception to the Fee Refund Policy.  

MD Program students unable to complete an entire semester of coursework due to leave of absence, withdrawal, or separation from the School of Medicine may request an adjustment of the education fee through Registration and Records.  The amount of the education fee adjustment is based upon the date of course withdrawal and how the coursework coincides with the University semester schedule.

• Students withdrawing from coursework coinciding with the UMKC semester schedule follow the UMKC policy for refunds for semester-based courses.  More can be found on the Cashiers Office website.
• Students withdrawing from coursework not coinciding with the UMKC semester schedule, such as four-week and eight-week courses, may request an education fee adjustment for any courses not attended due to leave of absence, withdrawal, or separation.  The UMKC Registration and Records Office will review the request for an adjustment and prorate the education fee at one-thirteenth (1/13) of the annual School of Medicine education fee for each four-week block of non-attendance.  Students enrolled for more than 5 business days of a four-week block or 10 business days of an eight-week block will be charged for the full block. 

An education fee adjustment can impact a student's financial aid and loan status.  For instance, UMKC may be required to return a portion or all of the federal financial aid received, which could cause the student to have a balance with the University.  The student is strongly encouraged to meet with the UMKC Financial Aid Office and the School of Medicine Financial Literacy Counselor to review the impact of a request for an education fee adjustment prior to submitting the request. 

Students may only request an education fee adjustment in cases of approved leave of absence, withdrawal, or separation as determined by the School of Medicine.  The request for educational fee adjustment must initially be submitted by the student to the School of Medicine Council on Evaluation for review and approval.  The Council of Evaluation will then submit the education fee adjustment request to the Registration and Records Office in conjunction with the Council on Evaluation approved leave of absence, withdrawal, or separation documentation.

School of Medicine fee adjustment petition (PDF)

Students may appeal a decision rendered by the Registration and Records Office on a requested tuition adjustment by writing to the Committee on Fee Assessment and Residence. Such a request, including details and supporting documentation, should be addressed to:

Committee on Fee Assessment and Residence
5115 Oak St.
Administrative Center, Room 336
Kansas City, MO 64110-2499.

Students who are called to active military duty when their activation conflicts with the current academic semester dates will be refunded full educational fees if they completely withdraw from all courses.

Adjusted refunds will be given if you are awarded for some courses and not others.

Students must present a copy of their military orders to Registration and Records.

Depending on the time of the student’s activation, the student is advised to consult with their faculty members in regards to academic issues and grading for completed work.

When a student dies prior to completing the current academic semester, the designated official in the Registration and Records Office will authorize a full refund of educational fees for the current semester.

Any refund will be made payable to the administrator or executor of the estate of the deceased student.

Documentation of student death should be submitted to:

Division of Student Affairs
5100 Cherry Street
Student Union, Room 310
Kansas City, MO 64110

For questions, call 816-235-1141.

Registration and Records and the Committee on Fee Assessment and Residence are charged with the responsibility of considering and approving exceptions to the published educational fees refund policy. Any change in assessment can only be adjusted to a rate already established. The deadline for submitting a petition for refund exception is 30 days past the end of the term for which the exception is sought. 

A petition and all pertinent documentation must be submitted within 30 days of the end of the term. In cases of incapacitation, exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.

Petition Criteria

All petitions must be submitted to the Registration and Records Office and must meet one or more of the following criteria to be considered and approved:

• Written documentation of an illness, accident, injury, or situation which could not be influenced, planned for, or prevented by the student and which subsequently caused a change in the class schedule, thus changing the assessment. This provision specifically excludes conditions or chronic illnesses that remain static and are known to the student at the time of registration as well as situations that involve a student's employment.
• Written documentation of substantiated circumstances involving deadlines where a student has in good faith relied on information provided by a named University official, or the official’s interpretations of the text of a University document or publication, and was consequently misled or mistaken about its terms.
• In individual cases and when it is in the best interest of the student and the institution, the designated official in the Registration and Records Office may grant an exception that is not stated in the criteria elsewhere.
• Generally, failure to complete a registration transaction via Pathway will not be grounds for consideration of an appeal. Students are ultimately responsible to verify that registration transactions are completed.

Refund Petition Form

Minimally, each petition must include the student’s name, student ID number, birthdate, UMKC email address, petition term and year, course name and numbers, and a statement describing specifically what is being requested, statement of any extenuating circumstances, why the request should be honored, and supporting documentation of the events described.

Decisions are rendered by the designated official in the Registration and Records Office and will be based solely upon any and all pertinent documentation.

Decisions will only address whether an adjustment of charges will be made. Grade assignments and other academic issues are not within the scope of the procedures and should be addressed to the dean of the school.

Notification of a decision will be sent via email.

Faculty who require students to register at third-party sites, especially if grades are stored on the third-party server are only allowed for students to register and utilize these services if they are an approved vendor listed below. If a publisher has not signed a FERPA-compliance agreement with UMKC any instructor who requires a student to sign up for a non-approved site is placing the students and the institution at risk for a possible FERPA violation. The following third party vendors have appropriate security clearance and agreements with UMKC.

• Cengage
• MasteringBiology -- Pearson/Benjamin Cummings
• McGraw-Hill Education
• Pearson

The following is a list of approved third party software vendors that have been approved and cleared by UMKC’s security administrator. The approved software vendors are used to provide online solutions for the various offices and or schools listed below.

• AdAstra – Registration & Records
• ActiveNetwork – eCommerce and event registration
• Akcia – School of Medicine and School of Nursing
• Canvas – UM System
• CourseLeaf - UM System
• DecisionDesk – Conservatory of Music and Dance
• Foliotek – Academic Affairs
• GradeFirst – Student Athletics
• iModules – Alumni Affairs
• Intelliworks – School of Education
• LiveText – School of Education
• Moodle – Run by UMKC but hosted at MoreNet
• MyLabsPlus – Provost's Office
• NaceLink (RooCareer Network) – Career Services
• Point & Click – Student Health Center
• Slate – UM System
• Starfish – Provost's Office
• TerraDotta – Study Abroad
• TutorTrac – Center for Academic Development
• TurnIt IN – Provost’s Office
• RecTrack – Swinney Recreation Center
• uAchieve – UM System
• WeaveOnline – Provost's Office

 
Any Academic Units or campus support office wanting to purchase and use third party software must be approved by the Chief Information Officer and meet all security requirements required by UMKC. For additional information contact Amy Cole, Registrar, or Andy Goodenow, CIO.

UMKC acknowledges that many students use names other than their legal name to identify themselves.  Student can update their preferred name in Pathway 

Adding a preferred name does not change a student’s official name as a part of their educational record.  Your official name is your legal name. Your official name is used for financial aid, transcripts, international student I-20’s and other documents required by the university.

Preferred names will be displayed in the Pathway student center, Pathway class roster, and Pathway grade roster.  Additionally, a preferred name may be displayed in other university maintained software applications such as Blackboard or Moodle.

Students who choose to take advantage of this preferred name policy are subject to the University Collected Rules and Regulations as well as the Acceptable Use Policy for technology.

Official name change policies

How to change your legal name in Missouri