Class Withdrawal

What Are the Consequences of Withdrawing?

If a student opts to withdraw from a class it can impact their ability to enroll in subsequent classes and graduate on schedule, as well as affect financial aid.

• If the class is a prerequisite to successive classes or to the students major, withdrawing can prevent the student from registering for the next series of classes or from progressing in their major.
• Some classes are only offered specific semesters or years; withdrawing can delay progress toward graduation if the class is required and not offered again for some time.
• Withdrawing from classes, leaving a student enrolled below full-time status, can have a negative effect on financial aid and satisfactory progress requirements. Students should contact their financial aid advisor before opting to withdraw.
• Tuition and fees remain charged for withdrawn classes; if the total number of enrolled credits over a semester exceeds 20 overload fees may be charged. Contact Student Accounts for further information regarding fees.
• While grades of W are not punitive to a student's GPA, a pattern of withdrawals each semester may be viewed negatively by future employers, graduate schools, or professional programs.
• Students may not withdraw from a class after a final grade has been assigned, even if this occurs before the deadline to withdraw.

Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their academic advisor before withdrawing from any class to discuss the consequences on their progress toward degree. Degree audits give students a tool to view degree requirements and should be consulted when meeting with their academic advisor. Degree audits are updated 24 hours after withdrawing to reflect the current progress toward degree.

Semester Withdrawal

A full semester withdrawal from all classes does not result in W grades and therefore does not count toward the limit. Visit the Semester Withdrawal page for details.