Give non-administrator users acces to node-class
Here is a framework for a module to add that permission:

In your contrib module folder, add the folder node_class_perms and add these files within that folder:

node_class_perms.info
node_class_perms.module


in node_class_perms.info add this:

name = Node Class Perms
description = Alters permissions for Node Class.
core = 7.x
dependencies[] = node_class


in node_class_perms.module add this:

&lt;?php

function node_class_perms_permission(){
  return array(
    'administer node classes' =&gt; array(
      'title' =&gt; t('Administer Node Classes'),
      'description' =&gt; t('Allows node classes to be added to nodes.'),
    ),
  );
}

function node_class_perms_form_alter(&amp;$form, &amp;$form_state, $form_id) {
  // Check form type &amp;&amp; if user_access is ok
  if (isset($form['#node']) &amp;&amp; ($form_id == $form['#node']-&gt;type . '_node_form') &amp;&amp;
    user_access('administer node classes')) {
    // Add form elements in vertical tab to node settings.
    if (!isset($form['node_class'])) {
      $form['node_class'] = array(
        '#type' =&gt; 'fieldset',
        '#title' =&gt; t('Node Class settings'),
        '#description' =&gt; t('Assign CSS classes to the node.'),
        '#collapsible' =&gt; TRUE,
        '#collapsed' =&gt; TRUE,
        '#access' =&gt; user_access('administer node classes'),
        '#weight' =&gt; 80,
        '#tree' =&gt; TRUE,
        '#group' =&gt; 'additional_settings',
        '#tree' =&gt; TRUE,
        '#attributes' =&gt; array('class' =&gt; array('node-class-form'))
      );
    }

    // Get css attribute information
    $attributes = node_class_attributes($form['#node']);

    // Check CSS exists in DB to prepare SQL update
    if ($attributes) {
      $form['node_class']['existing_css'] = array(
        '#type' =&gt; 'hidden',
        '#value' =&gt; '1');
    }

    $form['node_class']['css_class'] = array(
      '#type' =&gt; 'textfield',
      '#title' =&gt; t('CSS class(es)'),
      '#default_value' =&gt; $attributes,
      '#description' =&gt; t('Separate classes with a space.'));
  }
}


Now install the module, then add the permission 'Administer Node Classes' to the role you want.

You can tighten the permissions if you want, but as the node edit form has already gone through a basic node-edit permission it really is not necessary.