1. SCOPE AND PURPOSE

In accordance with federal regulations, 34 C.F.R. § 668.18 and the Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Montana State University will promptly readmit service members who seek readmission to a program that was interrupted due to a uniformed service obligation.

2. ELIGIBILITY

The following applies to:

  1. Service members who are unable to attend classes for more than 30 consecutive days; and
  2. Service members who are unable to attend classes for less than 30 days when such an absence results in a withdrawal from the college.

A student is eligible if, during an absence, the student performs uniformed service, voluntary or involuntary, in the Armed Forces, including the National Guard or Reserve, active duty, active duty for training or full-time National Guard (under federal authority). The cumulative length of all absences for uniformed service (service time only) must not exceed three years.

A student must provide orders, or written notice by Commanding Officer, of a Uniformed Service Obligation, such as Temporary Duty (TDY), etc., to the Office of the Registrar or designee as far in advance as possible, unless precluded by military necessity. Such notice does not need to indicate when the student will return to the institution.

3. READMISSION REQUIREMENTS

A returning student will be permitted to reenroll in the curriculum in the same academic program, unless the student requests a later catalog for reenrollment. A returning student will be readmitted into the same academic program the student was enrolled in prior to the military service obligation. If the exact program no longer exists, the student must be admitted to the program that is most similar, unless the student requests or agrees to admission to a different program. Returning students will be reenrolled with the same enrollment status, number of completed credit hours, and academic standing as the last academic year of attendance.

In accordance with federal regulations, returning students who receive a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge from the Armed Forces (including the National Guard and Reserves) are not eligible for readmission under this program. However, service members who receive dishonorable or bad conduct discharge may remain eligible for readmission even though they will not be entitled to the benefits outlined in this policy

4. READMISSION Process

When the student is prepared to re-enroll at Montana State University they should follow the process for other returning students outlined on the MSU Returning Students Website. If there are any questions or issues with the process they should contact the Office of the Registrar immediately registrar@montana.edu and explain their situation