Course Withdrawal

Graduate students are expected to follow University policies and procedures for withdrawal, both from individual classes and from the University. Non-attendance and/or non-payment of tuition do not constitute a withdrawal or absolve a student of academic or financial responsibility.

A. Withdrawal from Individual Classes

A tuition credit adjustment of 100 percent minus the non-refundable registration fee will be made for students who decrease their academic load before the published deadline. These dates are published online each semester by the Office of Records and Registration. No credit adjustments will be made after the published dates. NOTE: Students with financial holds should contact the Office of Records and Registration or a Service EMU location to process withdrawals. The dates below reflect deadlines for full-term (15 weeks) courses. Deadlines for shorter courses are available on the Registrar’s website.

Please note: A student may not drop, or withdraw from, the last remaining course for a given semester through the online system. Contact a Service EMU location or the Office of Records and Registration to drop or withdraw from the last course.

First Eight Days. Any change in the student’s course registration occurring during this period may be processed through the registration system. Courses are recorded as drops and do not appear on the student’s academic transcript. No grades will be posted. Students receive a 100 percent tuition credit adjustment, less a transaction fee for dropping the course.

Ninth Day Through the Tenth Week. All student-initiated withdrawals are processed through their NetID (my.emich) account and are accepted automatically and recorded on the student transcript with a “W” grade. Withdrawals initiated during this period will not result in tuition adjustment or reimbursement.
After the Tenth Week, Until the Beginning of the Final Exam Period. Students must initiate a late withdrawal request. Forms are available on the Registrar’s website (emich.edu/registrar/forms). A late withdrawal will be granted by the review committee only if the student provides documentation of extenuating circumstances resulting in an inability to complete the course (e.g., illness, family concerns, or an inability to withdraw from the course within university deadlines). These extenuating circumstances must not have been present before the deadline for withdrawal. Poor academic performance, dissatisfaction with instruction, and inability to pay financially are not valid reasons for late withdrawal, and such requests will be denied.

Although instructor approval is not required, students considering withdrawal should consult with their instructor(s). Students should continue to attend class after submitting a late withdrawal request until they receive official notification that their withdrawal has been approved. If a student stops attending class without officially withdrawing and does not take the final examination, University policy requires that the instructor assign a grade of F for the course. Students who believe they have received an unearned F grade and who wish to appeal must do so the following semester through the University Grade Grievance process.

International students holding F-1 or J-1 visas must seek additional approval from the Office of International Students. Students who are on financial aid or who hold scholarships, fellowships, or graduate assistantships should consult the Graduate School before withdrawing from courses to fully understand the potential financial impact.

Policies governing the refund of tuition and fees are to be found in the Tuition and Fees section of the graduate catalog. The Student Guide, published each semester by the Office of Records and Registration, should be consulted for the calendar regulating withdrawals.

B. Withdrawal from All Classes

Students may withdraw from all classes during a semester but before the first day of exams and receive a grade of W for all courses. This transaction is handled by the Office of Records and Registration or a Service EMU location. Such withdrawal may necessitate the updating of a student’s admission status, and students in their first semester must notify their academic department and the Office of Admissions before re-enrolling. The dates below reflect deadlines for full-term (15 weeks) courses. Deadlines for shorter courses are available on the Registrar’s website (emich.edu/registrar/calendars/).

Please note: A student may not drop or withdraw from the last remaining course of a given semester through the online system. Contact a Service EMU location or the Office of Records and Registration to drop or withdraw from a last course.

  • First Eight Days: Students receive a 100 percent tuition credit adjustment, less a transaction fee, for dropping the course.
  • Ninth through the 19th Day: Students receive a 50-percent tuition-and-fee credit adjustment, excluding the non-refundable registration fee. Grades of W will be posted.
  • Twentieth through the 38th Day: Students receive a 25-percent tuition-and- fee credit adjustment, excluding the non-refundable registration fee. Grades of W will be posted.
  • Thirty-ninth Day through the Day Before Final Examinations: Students receive no tuition or fee credit adjustment. Grades of W will be posted.
  • After the First Day of the Final Examination Period: No withdrawal will take place.

Students may initiate a late withdrawal request. Forms are available on the Registrar’s website. A late withdrawal will be granted by the review committee only if the student provides documentation of extenuating circumstances resulting in an inability to complete the course (e.g., illness, family concerns, or an inability to withdraw from the course within university deadlines). These extenuating circumstances must not have been present before the deadline for withdrawal. Poor academic performance, dissatisfaction with instruction, and inability to pay financially are not valid reasons for late withdrawal, and such requests will be denied.

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