Academic Withdrawal

A student who finds it necessary to withdraw completely from the University should visit the Office of the Registrar for instructions regarding the withdrawal process. Failure to complete the term does not cancel the student's obligation to pay tuition and all other charges in full. For details concerning refunds, see the Federal Refund Requirements sections of the University Catalog.

The last day a student can withdraw from the University and receive W (withdrawal) grades is the Friday of the eighth week of the quarter. For summer quarter, the deadline to withdraw is the Friday of the sixth week of the quarter. If a student withdraws between the ninth and twelfth weeks of the quarter (weeks seven and eight in summer quarter), they will receive failing grades. The only exception is when the student can document a family or medical emergency; in this case the student will receive AW (administrative withdrawal) grades. 

In a situation where a student is unable to submit paperwork to withdraw from term-based classes within the appropriate time frame, the registrar has the authority to award the student grades of AW. This is the equivalent of administrative withdrawal of the student from all courses, and the status of the grade of AW will apply to all courses in the quarter.

In the case of a student who is no longer attending classes but has not notified the Office of the Registrar of such, the registrar will determine the actual date of last attendance. This date may be used to determine which refund policy applies (i.e., regular refund policy or medical emergency refund policy).

  • The Office of the Registrar will notify the financial aid office with the date of last attendance.
  • The Office of the Registrar will also notify the student of their change of status, grade(s), and possible refund or credit.

Students who would like to be readmitted, should initiate the process by submitting an online admissions application. This will lead to a review of previous course work by the academic program. In some cases, previous course content may be considered incomplete or outdated to current standards.

  • If the student has been withdrawn for seven years or less, then the academic department will determine whether competency exams are required for some courses.
  • If the student has been withdrawn for more than seven years, and they have worked in a related field, then the academic department will analyze the situation and determine whether repeating courses is necessary or whether competency exams are adequate.
  • If the student has been withdrawn for more than seven years, and they have not worked in a related field, then they will need to restart the program under the curriculum offered at the year of re-entry.

In all cases the student should consult with the financial aid office concerning the availability of financial aid.