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COVID-19 Extension Petition

The Graduate School is establishing a limited-term initiative to provide TBP extensions to support graduate students whose completion during the 2021-2022 time frame has been delayed due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible graduate students must have reached the end of their TBP eligible semesters during the Fall 2021, Spring 2022, or Summer 2022 semesters. Students may request an extension of TBP for an additional 1-2 semesters by providing the requested documentation. Students receiving the COVID-TBP extension must meet all other standard TBP requirements.

Eligibility Requirements and Term

  1. Petitions should be submitted by directors of graduate studies or department TBP coordinators.
  2. The student must be a current graduate student receiving TBP whose TBP allocation has been exhausted between Fall 2021, Spring 2022, and Summer 2022, inclusive.
  3. All other terms of the TBP program will apply. The student must receive the minimum stipend support level during the extension semesters. They must maintain the required minimum GPA and must register for the minimum number of credit hours required for TBP. Students on the COVID TBP extension will be eligible for medical/vision/dental insurance subsidy. Students are responsible for costs not covered under the standard TBP program, including differential tuition, non-resident tuition for RAs exceeding 84 credit hours, and 20% of the subsidized insurance premium billed through Income Accounting.
  4. Students must have all records in Graduate Tracking up to date. Students without an approved supervisory committee, approved program of study or required thesis proposal, and qualifying exam will not be eligible for the COVID-19 TBP extension.
  5. The student’s department or Primary investigator is responsible for providing the minimum stipend and medical/vision/dental insurance subsidy.
  6. The Graduate School will charge RA COVID TBP extensions to the relevant College’s F&A allocation. TA/GT/GR/GF COVID TBP extensions will count against departmental allocations.
  7. Departments can always provide xTBP extensions to a student without filing a COVID-19 petition with the Graduate School Dean.

Submission deadline for COVID extension petitions is Tuesday, September 12, 2022. We encourage early submission of petitions; the sooner completed petitions are submitted, the sooner they will be reviewed and decided.

Procedure to apply

  1. Login and submit a new petition request

  2. Upload the following documents to the petition request

    Completion Plan

    Attach a “Completion Plan” that documents a meeting between the student and the supervisory committee. This “Completion Plan” needs to include the agreed-upon graduation requirements and graduation milestones. The COVID-19 TBP extension will extend the TBP eligibility for 1 or 2 semesters to support the student’s tuition through the thesis defense milestone. COVID-19 TBP petitions needing more than a two-semester extension to meet the thesis defense milestone will be returned without approval. 

    Petition Extension Form 

    Complete, sign, and attach the Petition Extension Form. The research supervisor or faculty chair must certify their intent to provide minimum stipend support and health/vision/dental insurance subsidy for the COVID-19 TBP extension duration. 

Important

The petition for TBP in a given semester must be submitted before the TBP deadline for that semester. (Tuition Benefit portal closes on the semester’s census date.)

Only one COVID-19 TBP extension petition is allowed per student. A single petition can request up to two additional semesters.

Questions? Contact Us

headshot of Matthew Plooster

Matthew Plooster, EdD

Fellowships & Benefits Manager

801.581.6020

tuitionbenefit@gradschool.utah.edu 

headshot of LoGan Gowers

LoGan Gowers

Tuition Benefit Program Administrator

801.585.1372

l.gowers@utah.edu 

Last Updated: 3/17/23