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Withdrawing
from a Course
Withdrawing is exiting a course after the drop/add period concludes,
which is typically the fourth day of classes in a 15-week semester. When
students withdraw before the established deadline (roughly the 40th class
day of the semester), they are not assessed an academic penalty. Be
forewarned, however, withdrawing can create significant problems. You
should only withdraw from a course after consulting with your instructor,
academic advisor, and financial aid counselor.
Although frequently called “dropping a course,” withdrawing
is different from dropping. Drops occur during the drop/add period
and never become part of a student’s academic record. In contrast,
withdrawals are permanent entries into your record.
Reasons to Avoid Withdrawing
- Withdrawals delay graduation.
- Withdrawn hours are “burned” for HOPE. HOPE will only
pay for the number of hours in a degree program. By withdrawing,
students often will have to pay for course work toward the end of
their degrees, even if they maintain the HOPE GPA.
- Withdrawn hours count as attempted hours. Failure to pass 66 percent
of attempted hours means that a student does not make “Satisfactory
Academic Progress” (SAP) toward the degree and can result in
exclusion.
- Repeated withdrawals look bad on a transcript to many employers
and graduate schools; they demonstrate a student’s tendency
not to complete what he or she starts.
- Withdrawing can make a student part-time (if the student ends up
with fewer than 12 hours) and thereby jeopardize some financial aid
programs and insurance eligibility.
There are times when a student may need to withdraw. However, you should
only withdraw as a last resort and only after consulting your instructor,
academic advisor, and financial aid counselor.
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