Incomplete Grade Request

What is an incomplete grade?

An Incomplete (I) grade can be granted by professors in order to provide a student extra time, after the end of the given term, to complete outstanding coursework. Incomplete grades are granted in extenuating circumstances or emergencies that prevented the student from completing the course on schedule. Grading policy, including the Incomplete (I) grade policy, is held by the Office of the Provost. This can be found under UNC Charlotte Academic Policy and Procedure: Grading. Related to Incompletes, the policy states:

“The grade of I is assigned at the discretion of the instructor when a student who is otherwise passing has not, due to circumstances beyond their control, completed all the work in the course. The missing work must be completed by the deadline specified by the instructor, and no later than 12 months. If the I is not removed during the specified time, a grade of F, U, or N, as appropriate is automatically assigned. The grade of I cannot be removed by enrolling again in the same course, and students should not re-enroll in a course in which they have been assigned the grade of I.”

How can sass help?

The Office of Student Assistance and Support Services (SASS) provides advocacy and assistance for students who experience a documented medical, psychological, or personal crisis, as well as military obligations that negatively impact academic coursework for the current term. We can speak with students to discuss their specific situation and whether it may be appropriate for a student to request an Incomplete. SASS may provide a letter of verification of specific dates of impact during the current semester due to such documented concerns in order to assist students in asking their faculty members to grant them an Incomplete (I) grade.

can sass grant me an incomplete grade?

SASS does not approve or input Incomplete (I) grades to a student’s transcript, nor do we oversee grading policy related to Incomplete grades. Assigning an Incomplete is solely at the discretion of the instructor, with or without a verification letter from SASS. Verification letters from SASS are intended to provide faculty with additional information as they consider a student’s request. While SASS may provide support through verification of official documentation, students are still responsible for speaking to faculty members directly regarding the possibility of an Incomplete grade. 

If you are considering requesting that a faculty member assign an Incomplete for a particular course, here are some important things to keep in mind:

  • Assigning an Incomplete is at the discretion of the instructor, regardless of SASS verification.
  • Incompletes are typically utilized when a student has not completed all the work in a course due to circumstances beyond their control.
  • Requests for Incompletes are not considered prior to the self-withdrawal deadline in a given term. Therefore, our request form is closed during this time frame.
  • The student must be in good standing (passing) in the course at the time of the request.
  • If an Incomplete is assigned, missing work must be completed by the deadline specified by the instructor, and cannot exceed a period of 12 months.
  • The agreed terms of an Incomplete should be recorded via a written contract (i.e., email correspondence or other written documentation) between the student and instructor and both parties should retain a copy for their records.

Submitting Your Request for Assistance

While a student should work directly with their instructor(s) to request an Incomplete, the Office of Student Assistance and Support Services can assist in advocating on a student’s behalf by verifying the circumstances at hand. If a student chooses to request this assistance, documentation must be submitted to the office in order to verify the circumstance, take action, and advocate on behalf of a student. Our office may take steps to call medical providers or other entities to validate any documentation submitted. Submission of falsified documentation by a student may result in charges under the Code of Student Responsibility.

Examples of Supporting Documentation: doctor’s notes (for personal or family medical emergencies), obituaries, police reports, military orders, court documentation, etc. 

The documentation must come from an official third party and include the student’s name as well as specific date(s) of impact during the current term. 

In order to process your request for assistance, please complete the online Incomplete Assistance Request Form. You only need to submit ONE form in a given term, as you can indicate on the form if you are requesting Incompletes in more than one course for that term. Incomplete Assistance Request Forms submitted to the Office of Student Assistance and Support Services will not be accepted prior to the self-withdraw deadline OR after 5pm on the last day of final exams for a given term. Students are encouraged to review the University’s academic calendar for relevant date information.

  1. Contact your faculty members as a first step. Incomplete grades are granted directly by faculty, who have full authority to work with students with or without verification by the SASS office.
    1. If your faculty have agreed to assign an Incomplete grade, SASS verification is unnecessary.
  2. Review relevant grading policy to understand both student and faculty responsibilities. 
  3. Collect your documentation. Official supporting documentation of the circumstance, including the student’s name and relevant dates of impact, is required.
  4. Submit your request and documentation using the form below. The deadline to submit your request AND documentation for SASS assistance is 5:00pm on the last day of final exams for the relevant term. Students who do not meet this deadline for SASS assistance should communicate with their faculty as soon as possible to further discuss your request for an Incomplete.
incomplete Assistance request form

*Note: The online request form is currently inactive, as the deadline for Summer 2026 requests has passed and we are still within the self-withdrawal period for Fall 2026 classes. SASS will begin taking requests for Fall 2026 classes at 9:00 am on October 9, 2026, at which point this button will be live again.

Original documentation must be provided for formal verification and can be submitted in the following ways:

Attached to your request form as a PDF (preferred method)

Fax: 704-687-1969

Email:

studentsupport@charlotte.edu

Mail/Hand Deliver:  

Office of Student Assistance and Support Services

349 Cone University Center

9201 University City Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28223