Withdrawal from the University

Any student who finds it necessary to withdraw from all semester credit hour classes must formally withdraw through the Office of Student Life on the Denton campus. Students enrolled in classes at Dallas or Houston who have questions about the withdrawal process may wish to consult with the Assistant Director of Student Life on their campus before withdrawing. Graduate students are strongly encouraged to discuss any plans to withdraw with their academic department prior to withdrawing to make certain that they understand the academic implications.  Because withdrawing may also have significant implications for student financial aid and awards, contracts with University Housing and Dining, and international student visas, students are also encouraged to contact these offices as appropriate before finalizing any withdrawal plan. The effective date of withdrawal is the day upon which the completed online Request for Withdrawal Form is received from the student and approved by the Student Life Office.

Withdrawal Requests

Withdrawal requests must be submitted by the withdrawal deadline for the term in which the student seeks to withdraw, as posted in the term’s academic calendar. Please visit the Bursar's website for specific refund dates. For forms and additional information about withdrawing from the University, please visit the Student Life Withdrawal Information website.

A student who withdraws on or before the census date of a term will have no record of coursework on her or his transcript. A student who withdraws after the census date of a term will receive a grade of W.

A student may petition for a late drop or withdrawal when an incapacitating circumstance (medical condition or extenuating circumstance) impedes their ability to drop or withdraw by the term deadline and to complete some or all courses in the term. Incapacitating circumstances may include a serious physical or mental health condition or extenuating life circumstance, such as the serious illness or death of a family member, which would reasonably impede a student’s academic functioning in the current term. To be considered, petitions must be accompanied by official third-party documentation of the circumstance. Approved petitions result in “W” grades for the indicated courses or semester but do not result in any refund. Given this, students are encouraged to explore other options, such as incomplete grades, before petitioning for a late drop or withdrawal. Once an incomplete grade is assigned, however, students are no longer eligible to petition for late drop or withdrawal. 

Purpose

The primary purpose of these petitions is to offer a pathway to drop or withdraw for students who have experienced an incapacitating circumstance that would have reasonably prevented them from dropping/withdrawing by the term deadline or which occurred after the term deadline. This policy is not intended to be used as a mechanism to avoid failing grades or the removal from an academic program due to unsatisfactory performance. Withdrawals approved under this policy will be effective the date the completed petition was submitted to Student Life and will not be backdated to an earlier date in the term. Because they do not yield any refund or special designation on the transcript, late petitions will only be considered after the last date in the term to drop or withdraw, which is outlined in the academic calendar for the term. Questions about the withdrawal process may be directed to the Office of Student Life

Financial and Academic Implications

Before finalizing any plan to drop or withdraw from classes, students are strongly encouraged to consider potential impacts to their academic standing, financial aid, visa status, and bill. Consultations with relevant offices such as Academic Advising, Financial Aid, Housing & Dining, International Education, and Bursar are strongly encouraged. Withdrawals and drops approved through this process will not result in any refund. Refunds of tuition and fees are done in accordance with the refund schedule outlined in Texas Education Code 54.006 and the academic calendar for the term. The student is responsible for the payment of any outstanding bills to the university, including but not limited to tuition, fees, housing, parking, and other expenses.  See the Withdrawal Information website to read more about the withdrawal refund policy.

Late Drop/Withdrawal Petition 

Before the drop/withdrawal deadline for the term, students may drop or withdraw for any reason and need not submit a petition. However, when a serious health condition, injury, or other extenuating life circumstance impedes a student’s ability to function academically and to drop or withdraw before the deadline for the term, or begins after the drop/withdrawal deadline, students may submit a petition for late drop or withdrawal to the Office of Student Life (studentlife1@twu.edu) which should include:

  • A brief narrative written by the student describing the condition/situation and how it impeded academic functioning and ability to drop/withdraw by the term deadline; late drop requests must also include an explanation of the unique impact of the condition/circumstance on functioning in the course or courses the student is requesting to drop.
  • Supporting documentation from an official third party (regarding the extenuating circumstance) or treating health care provider (regarding the medical condition) on their official letterhead, which includes:
    • A description of the type and nature of the circumstance/medical condition,
    • Date the circumstance or condition began, as well as the most recent treatment for it (if medical), and
    • How the circumstance/condition impeded the student’s academic functioning and ability to drop/withdraw by the term deadline. Medical drop requests must include an explanation of the unique impact the condition has on functioning in the particular courses the student is requesting to drop.
  • A completed/signed drop or withdrawal form for the semester/courses from which the student is seeking to dis-enroll.

Petitions for late drops/withdrawals are due to the Office of Student Life no later than 5:00 pm on the last class day of the current semester. Petitions not received by this deadline may not be considered.

Retroactive Withdrawal Petition 

Students are expected to withdraw during the semester in which they are enrolled.  When the semester is over, the record on that semester is closed. However, a student who has experienced an incapacitating health condition, injury, or extraordinary extenuating circumstance that would have reasonably prevented them from withdrawing or submitting a petition for late withdrawal during the term in which they were enrolled may petition for a retroactive withdrawal up to two semesters beyond the term from which they are seeking to withdraw. Retroactive course drops will not be considered.  Retroactive Withdrawal Petitions should be submitted to the Office of Student Life (studentlife1@twu.edu) no later than 5:00 pm on the last day of class up to two semesters beyond the term from which they are seeking to withdraw. Summer is counted as one term. Petitions should include:

  • A brief narrative describing the incapacitating circumstance that prevented the student from withdrawing during the semester from which they are seeking to withdraw.
  • Supporting documentation on the official letterhead of a health care provider (regarding the incapacitating health condition) or other credentialed professional (regarding the extraordinary extenuating circumstance) which verifies the incapacitating nature and the date it began.
  • A completed/signed withdrawal form for the semester from which the student is seeking to dis-enroll.

 Students Called to Active Duty

Texas Education Code 54.006(f) indicates, "Beginning with the summer semester of 1990, if a student withdraws from an institution of higher education because the student is called to active military service, the institution, at the student's option, shall: (1) refund the tuition and fees paid by the student for the semester in which the student withdraws; (2) grant a student, who is eligible under the institution's guidelines, an incomplete grade in all courses; or (3) as determined by the instructor, assign an appropriate final grade or credit to a student who has satisfactorily completed a substantial amount of coursework and who has demonstrated sufficient mastery of the course material."

If you are called to active duty, then you have the following three options:

  1. Withdrawal with a full refund of eligible tuition and fees;
  2. Incomplete grades with a deadline for completion of one year after the end of the active-duty assignment;
  3. Or a final grade if the material was sufficiently mastered, as determined by the instructor.

You should meet with your instructor(s) to decide if an Incomplete or final grade is warranted. 

Eligible students under this provision must produce a copy of his or her military orders.

Refunds upon Withdrawal from the University

The following schedule has been adopted for refunds of tuition and fees upon withdrawal from the University during the long fall, spring, or summer semesters (see Academic Calendar):

  • Prior to the first day of class - 100% (except for non-refundable fee)
  • During the first five class days of the semester - 80%
  • During the second five class days of the semester - 70%
  • During the third five class days of the semester - 50%
  • During the fourth five class days of the semester - 25%
  • After the fourth five class days of the semester - None

No part of tuition or fees is returned after the fourth week of the long fall, spring, or summer semesters. Courses that have started in shorter sessions within a long term may not qualify for refunds.