What is Early for?
Early for is designed for students who miss intended semester filing deadlines. If a student misses one of the deadlines in the TAD Process: Graduation Application Deadline, Oral Defense Deadline, Post-defense Review Deadline, and/or Final Clearance Deadline: TAD Process Complete Deadline, the student may choose to file Early for.
For example, if a student misses a deadline for Spring * semester, they might be eligible to file Early for Summer * .
Graduation Application
The Graduation Application Deadline is the same for students filing Early for Summer * and Summer * .
We recommend students apply for graduation in the earliest semester they might be able to finish. The rationale is if a student meets all other deadlines and has not applied for graduation (by the deadline) in that semester, they would not be able to graduate in that current semester.
If they have applied for graduation and are unable to meet all deadlines, they can reapply for graduation in the next semester. The graduation application fee is $50, the reapplication fee is $5. If, for example, a student plans to graduate Spring semester and applies for graduation for Spring, but misses a deadline, they can reapply for Summer graduation for only $5.
Degree Conferral
The degree conferral (graduation) date is the same for students filing Early for Summer * and Summer * .
* We use Spring and Summer semesters only as examples. Requirements and protocols are the same for “Early for” in any given semester.