Excused Withdrawal from all Courses

The University grants students a time frame to withdrawal from classes with no academic penalty. Withdrawing after this published deadline is not permitted except in proven, extraordinary circumstances for which a student will have to submit a petition. 

The following are examples of reasons for which exceptions to the University policy are NOT granted:

• A student’s forgetting or missing the deadline or completing the excused withdrawal petition in a timely manner.
• A student’s not knowing the deadline or that they need to withdraw
• A student’s failure to process a withdrawal correctly online
• A student wished to take more time in the course to see how it would go
• A student wishes to avoid a poor or failing grade in the course or preserve a GPA
• A student wishes to avoid loss of scholarship or financial aid
• A student has stopped attending the course for an unapproved reason
• A student's dissatisfaction with the course or instructor
• A student is missing assignments, exams, etc.
• A student’s decision to stay in a course past the published deadline to try to improve a grade
• A student’s decision to stay in a course past the published deadline to determine whether or not to withdraw from the course
• A student’s having a hold on their account (Exception: the hold was placed in error)
• A student’s ceasing to attend the class, even if the instructor is informed
• An instructor’s simply “approving” the withdrawal or "recommending" the withdrawal
• A student's change of major
• A student has no documentation of sudden, extreme circumstances 

Account Holds: Students with a registration hold must contact the office that issued the hold to resolve it before they can withdraw from a course.

In the rare event that a student has serious documented extenuating circumstances that might permit an exception to the University policy on course withdrawals, the student may submit a petition and attach recommended/required documentation by clicking on the blue button on the bottom of this web page.

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Withdrawal Deadline Information

Requests for an excused withdrawal  must be submitted by the last day of the term as outlined on the Academic Calendar.

Please refer to the dates below for upcoming deadlines for late and medical withdrawal academic requests:

Documentation Required:

Procedure 2027 outlines what an "excused withdrawal" is and what documentation is needed. An excused withdrawal will apply to all courses taken during a semester. Please review Procedure 2027 for more information. 

 

Important to note:

The Office of the Provost may confer with the Wellness Center for a review of the appeal and documentation. 

The Office of the Provost may request additional information or documentation before considering a student’s request for an exception to University policy. In no case will an appeal be considered without submission of a detailed appeal and documentation. Decisions made by the Office of the Provost concerning exceptions to the established withdrawal policy are final. 

A medical visit summary and/or photographs of a student appellant in a medical facility will not be accepted as supporting documentation for an appeal. Incomplete requests that do not include all required documentation will not be processed.

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Financial Implication of an Excused Withdrawal

An excused withdrawal is intended for academic purposes, not financial purposes. It allows students facing serious, documented extenuating circumstances that prevent continued enrollment in all courses for the term with an opportunity to protect their academic standing by avoiding failing grades for the semester.

There is no automatic tuition refund associated with an excused withdrawal.  Refer to Procedure 6400:  Refunds upon Withdrawal for refund eligibility criteria.

 If an excused withdrawal petition is approved, tuition charges and financial aid eligibilty will be adjusted according to the refund timeline published in the academic calendar and will be based on the student's last date of attendance.

 

 

What happens after I submit my excused withdrawal request? 

Once your form is submitted, allow 30 days for the petition process to be completed. You will receive the final petition decision via email.

Other things to note:

• Students are financially responsible for all charges associated with any withdrawn courses after refund eligibility dates on the academic calendar. 
• Withdrawal grades do NOT affect GPA.
• Students receiving financial aid should meet with the Office of Financial Aid to determine how the course(s) withdrawal will affect their financial aid eligibility that term and/or result in a return of funds.
• Students are strongly urged to meet with their Instructor and/or Preceptor, to seek advising, before withdrawing to discuss any other options that may be available.
• Students withdrawing from all of their courses could impact the student's campus housing assignment. Please contact the Office of Residence Life prior to submitting a petition.