Stage 7: Mission Accomplished: Graduation and Beyond

You chose a degree, planned your courses, invested countless hours, worked hard to maximize your educational benefits, and you believe you are ready to graduate. Despite the challenges, you did it!

Graduation: The Process
Before applying for graduation, it is a good idea to first confirm that you have the requirements of your degree through an academic advisor, as there are several factors that may affect your eligibility for graduation:

• Credits
  This is the most-apparent indicator of degree progress, and since you can easily gage your progress within your academic evaluation as you complete courses. Regardless, it is still a good idea to double-check with an academic advisor to ensure that your evaluation is error-free before moving forward with a request for graduation.
• Residency
  Thomas Edison State University offers our Veterans and Sevicemembers programs that a simplified tuition schedule. Instead of having to worry about a recurring yearly tuition, or miscellaneous fees, our “per-credit” programs offer the convenience of only tuition, and possibly a registration fee, making easier to calculate the cost of an education at Thomas Edison State University.
  
  Most of these programs do have a minimum residency requirement; meaning, you must complete a minimum number of credits with Thomas Edison State University under these programs in order to graduate. While the courses you take at Thomas Edison State University will often count towards your degree, you may be degree-complete, and still not have met the residency, especially if a great number of credits were initially transferred into your degree.
  
  Therefore it is always a good idea to consult with an academic advisorto ensure this requirement has been met.
• Grade Point Average
  It is essential that a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher be achieved before requesting graduation, as anything below this minimum will unfortunately be denied. It is important to note that only letter grades (A-F) affect cumulative GPA; therefore withdrawals and methods of learning that do not award a letter grade (such as TECEP exams) do not count towards GPA.

Once you have confirmed the above items as satisfied, you are ready to request graduation. It is important to note that the Post-9/11 GI Bill^® and Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) Program both cover the graduation audit fee; however it is critical that you notify us of your intent on requesting graduation by sending a notification to va@tesu.edu, as we will then be able to amend the cost of graduation within our certifications to the VA.

GI Bill^® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Congratulations!

Alumni: Giving Back
You may have an ideal career in mind to maximize the use of your new degree, or you may already be employed in that ideal career field; regardless, we recommend that you check out our veteran resources, as they may be able to help make the most of your achievement.

Finally as you contemplate your journey in arriving here, you may want to you consider giving back to Thomas Edison State University. While we would most-certainly appreciate it, as your help enables us to develop new programs, future students will also thank you, as the Thomas Edison State University Foundation plays a pivotal role in the creation of new scholarships.

Regardless of where the future may take you, we thank you for choosing Thomas Edison State University as your partner in furthering your educational goals, and we hope that our contribution has enriched your life in a meaningful way!