Appealing to Withdraw from a Course after Withdrawal Period Ends

The standard withdrawal period ends once the last week of a student's course has started. If a student has special, unforeseen circumstances that require them to withdraw from the course after the last week has started, they should contact the Office of the Registrar at [email protected] with an explanation of their circumstances in an email. The Registrar’s office will let the student know if they will need any documentation before approving their late withdrawal from the course. Students must submit this request before the official end of their course.

If a student is already on an extension or has waited until their course has already ended, they will need to appeal for a Special Circumstance Withdrawal; there is no refund associated with a Special Circumstance Withdrawal.

Special Circumstance Withdrawal Policy

• Students are normally only allowed one instance of a Special Circumstance Withdrawal. One instance may involve more than one course if the courses were in session at the time of their special circumstance. Additional appeals may not be considered but will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis depending on the nature of the circumstances.
• If a student is approved for a special circumstance withdrawal, a grade of W will be posted for the course.
• If a student paid for their course with military TA and the appeal is approved, they should contact their Education Service Officer (ESO). The student's ESO or ACES Counselor must be informed of the withdrawal and is solely able to determine if a student is eligible for a waiver of indebtedness for tuition assistance. Students will be responsible for the non-refunded tuition amount if the military does not agree to waive the debt.
• If a student paid for their course with federal student aid, the withdrawal could impact their financial aid award, as well as their potential eligibility for federal student aid. For more information, students should review the financial aid pages on withdrawals and on Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Eligibility

This type of withdrawal may be requested if a student experiences a demonstrated prohibitive circumstance beyond their control that prevented them from completing or withdrawing from their course(s) by the deadline to do so. This type of request should be made infrequently throughout a student's academic career, and each request will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This withdrawal type is only applicable if a student is in the last week of their course, the course has ended, or an extension has started.

The Appeal Process:

• Submit an official appeal using the Academic Appeal Request form in the ecampus. It is located in the University Forms section.
• Documentation for an appeal must be attached to the appeal form. If it is too large to send, students should contact [email protected]. 
• Appeals may not be submitted over the phone.
• Students can only petition to appeal within 12 months of the original course end date, not including previously approved extensions.
• All withdrawal requests will be decided within 30 days of receipt of all required appeal documentation.

The decision for an appeal will be sent to the primary email address on the student record.