Apply for Excused Withdrawal

Students who are unable to finish the current term (prior to the 12th week of class) or who were unable to complete a prior course(s) because of a serious illness or other emergency situation and who received a "W" for the course, may request an "excused withdrawal".

Complete a Special Request for Excused Withdrawal form. If the current term has progressed beyond the 11th week of classes or a grade other than "W" has been assigned for a course taken in a prior term, the request for excused withdrawal must be approved by the instructor of the course.

Satisfactory documentation of the illness or emergency will be required.

Approval of an excused withdrawal request would exclude those courses in calculating academic progress. The courses will appear on the academic transcript with a "W" along with appropriate coding (61) indicating that the withdrawal is excused.

Supporting Documentation Guidelines

Medical Complications
The physician should send official documentation on letterhead stationery that is signed and dated. The documentation should briefly describe your medical problem and complications that prevented you from completing your course work for the semester/term. Also, the documentation should include specific dates, such as office visits or when treatment began and ended.

If the request is because of the illness of a spouse, child, or parent and you are the sole caretaker, documentation should come from their respective physician.

Change in Employment
If you had to withdraw from courses because of job relocation or a change in work schedule, your employer should send official documentation on letterhead stationery that is signed and dated by your immediate supervisor or human resources official. The documentation should briefly describe the circumstances regarding your work situation that prevented you from completing your course work for the semester/term. Also, the documentation should include specific dates, such as when heavy traveling occurred or when work hours actually changed.

Death of Close Relative
If you had to withdraw from courses because of the death of a spouse, child, or parent, you must provide any one of these documents: (a) an original copy of the death certificate, (b) a copy of the funeral service program that indicates your relationship to the deceased, or (c) a copy of the obituary.

If you were out of the state or country for an extended period of time, you may also provide copies of airline tickets or a stamped passport showing when you left and reentered the country.

Other Situations
In general, if your situation is not one of the above, you must be able to provide some form of official documentation to support your request. For example, if you were displaced from your home because of a fire, you may obtain documentation from the Red Cross or fire department.