Change of Level (COL)
Eligibility Criteria:
To be eligible for a Change of Level (COL) you must meet certain eligibility criteria.
- Graduated or applied to graduate from your current ISU degree program
- Pathway Students: You must officially progress from pathway to degree
- Officially admitted to a new ISU degree program
- Must apply for COL before the expiration of your 60-day grace period:
- Current students have a 60-day grace period after their I-20 end date
- Students on Post-Completion OPT or STEM Extension OPT have a 60-day grace period following the end date on their EAD card
- NOTE: If your Post-Completion OPT application is PENDING, you have not been authorized for OPT. Therefore, you must begin your new program in the next available term or within 5 months of your last day of attendance in your previous program (whichever is sooner).
Reasons to Request a COL:
There are three main reasons you may need to submit a Change of Level request.
- You are going to complete your current degree program and begin a new degree at another level. For example, you are completing a Bachelor’s degree and beginning a Master’s degree, or completing a Master’s degree and beginning a PhD.
- You are going to complete your current degree program and begin a new degree at the same level. For example, you are completing an MBA and beginning a Master’s in Technology.
- You are a Pathway student, and you will progress from your pathway program into your degree program. You will be notified via email that you must also attend a Progression Meeting. During the meeting, ISSS will explain the Change of Level process and how to submit the request.
If any of the three scenarios above apply to you, you will need to submit a Change of Level Request.
Submitting Your Change of Level Request
Log in to the ISSS Portal and go to the Control Center tab to find the Change of Level Request . It looks like this.
Read through the request carefully and fill out the questionnaire with your current program information and your new program information.
In the Approver section at the bottom of the request, enter the name and email address of the Academic Advisor/Graduate Coordinator for your current program (the program you will be completing).
Once you have submitted your Change of Level Request , please move on to the Secondary Advisor Approval Request .
Submitting Your Secondary Advisor Approval Request
The request icon looks like this. It is used to confirm academic information about your new program.
Indicate in the dropdown in the request that you have submitted a Change of Level and fill in the appropriate fields.
In the Approver section at the bottom of the request, enter the name and email address of the Academic Advisor/Graduate Coordinator for your new program.
Once you have submitted your Secondary Advisor Approval Request , please move on to the Financial Information Update .
Submitting Your Financial Information Update
The request looks like this. It is used to confirm the funding for your new program.
Indicate in the dropdown in the request that you are starting a new program at ISU. Read through the request carefully to avoid errors which will likely cause the request to be rejected.
If you have outside funding such as support from a relative or sponsor, you must then submit a Funding Sponsor Request.
Submitting Your Funding Sponsor Request
The request looks like this, and can be found with the others in your Control Center. It is used to confirm that an outside sponsor (e.g. parent, relative, friend) will be financially supporting your studies at the next level.
Please read the request carefully, fill in the questionnaire with the information about your outside funding sponsor, and upload your sponsor's funding documents (such as their bank statement) to the request. All funding documents must be dated within the last three months as of the date of your submission. If you have more than one document, you may use the Additional Documents field to upload another document.
In the Approver section at the bottom of the request, enter the name and email address of your outside funding sponsor. Submit the request and follow up with your funding sponsor to make sure they received the email.