Students who enter Grinnell as first-semester first-year students may develop degree programs of six, seven, or eight semesters of full-time enrollment. The major advisor and the Committee on Academic Standing must approve the student's plan for accelerated graduation. In completing the application, students should consult the "Elements of a Liberal Education" of the college catalog. A completed application must be submitted no later than Friday of the first full week of classes of the semester proposed for graduation. However, it is in a student's interest to apply for accelerated graduation no later than the time of registration two semester prior to the expected date of accelerated graduation, so that the student has two semesters in which to address any academic deficiencies identified by the Committee on Academic Standing. Students may graduate after six or seven semesters if they have satisfied requirements for the degree, including the requirements for major, residence, and total credits, and if they have demonstrated a commitment to a strong program of liberal education, normally including three four-credit courses in each of the three major divisions of the College. The last full semester of work before graduation must be completed at Grinnell, except for students participating in cooperative programs leading to professional degrees (see Cooperative Programs).

A student who is attempting to follow an approved accelerated program to graduate in fewer than eight semesters is not reclassified forward on the basis of credits earned until his or her final semester. The credits necessary to remain in good academic standing are determined by a student's actual class status, not by the accelerated program he or she is attempting.

All students are expected to complete their academic programs within eight full-time semesters. Some students may be permitted to take more time. Examples would include students with disabilities that prevent them from carrying a full course load; students who have fallen behind normal progress as determined by the Committee on Academic Standing; or students whose comprehensive academic program would be substantially enhanced by another semester of work. In all cases of extended study, the student must secure prior approval from the Committee on Academic Standing. The Committee on Academic Standing will review such requests in consultation with appropriate administrative offices. The College reserves the right to refuse college housing to students beyond eight semesters, and the College will not provide its own aid funds to students who exceed eight semesters of college residence.