All active students in The Graduate School must be registered at Northwestern University in each of the fall, winter and spring terms until all degree requirements have been completed, including dissertation submission to The Graduate School. Students in the following categories are in compliance with this requirement for continuous registration:

• Students who are registered for at least one Graduate School course, including courses for zero credit and courses numbered 590.
• Students who are registered for TGS 500.
• Students who are registered as CIC Traveling Scholars.

Any student not satisfying one of these conditions during a fall, winter or spring quarter must register for TGS 512 if the student has not reached his/her degree deadline.  Any student beyond his/her degree deadline must register for TGS 513.  This policy applies to all students who are continuing in their degree programs, including students away from campus or on leave for any reason (medical, family, research, etc.) and students who are unfunded (without any stipend or tuition scholarship).  Students in terminal master's degree programs and PhD students who have not yet reached candidacy must meet with their advisor or DGS before registering for TGS 512.

Registration in TGS 512 confers the following benefits:

• Continuation of the student’s Net ID and email account,
• access to university facilities such as libraries, labs, and sports facilities,
• maintenance of one's visa status,
• the ability to defer student loans,
• the right to take additional cost-of-living loans (federal and alternative) as determined by their financial state, and
  
• the right to buy into the Northwestern health insurance policy (but not to qualify for the subsidy).

All doctoral students receiving any form of financial aid from or through the University must register full time for eight quarters of registration within their programs.  Once the eight-quarter residency requirement has been met, students must register for TGS 500 while receiving aid.  Students in TGS 512 will not be allowed to register for any additional courses.

Students who miss one or more quarters of registration (excluding summer) will be withdrawn from the University.  Students who fall into this category and who wish to return to the university must submit the Application for Readmission form to TGS, and will be retroactively registered for TGS 512 in each quarter (excluding summer) that the student was not registered.  Any missed tuition for a given quarter and retroactive registration fees must be paid to the University in order to gain readmission and restore good academic standing.  Students will be notified via E-News of the above policy requirements and thus be reminded of the need to maintain this continuing student status.  The tuition cost for 512 will rise in alignment with university-wide tuition increases.