Students who are unable to complete a course(s) because of serious illness or other emergency may apply for an excused withdrawal within two years of the occurrence to the Office of Student Records and Registration. Excused withdrawals are not counted in determining academic progress; however, excused withdrawals are counted as an attempt when awarding financial aid. Satisfactory documentation of the illness or emergency will be required.

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

Withdraws 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

Withdraws from courses because of the death of a spouse, child, parent or sibling, 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.