Before withdrawing from classes or deciding not to enroll for next term, talk to your advisor
It's important to discuss your decision to withdraw and understand what it means for you. Your advisor will talk to you about time-to-degree and other concerns when deciding to withdraw.
- Know Your Deadlines: Check the Academic Calendar for the last date to drop a course
Submit on Time: Make sure to turn in the form by the deadline to avoid any penalties. Deadlines depend on the semester, term and session length. The 10th Friday of a full semester autumn or spring class is the most common deadline.
- You should know that federal law prevents the university from backdating a course drop to a date prior to the last day you participated in the course. To learn what is considered participation, visit the Registrar's attendance page.
- Check Financial Aid: Withdrawing might affect your financial aid
Before meeting with your advisor, check with Buckeye Link to see how it impacts you.
- Fill Out the Form (if your college or school requires it)
Submit your request as soon as you've confirmed your decision to withdraw. This will ensure it's received by the deadlines.
- What if you experience an emergency?
Don't panic! Remember that the university offers Grade Forgiveness for up to 3 courses if you cannot withdraw from your classes.
Contact your advisor as soon as you can. They may ask you to schedule an appointment to discuss your situation and options in detail.
- A small number of extreme situations may be eligible for petition to withdraw after the deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most students withdraw from the university during academic breaks. They simply do not enroll in classes the next semester or term. Students who are not enrolled in classes by the 15th day of the next semester or term will automatically have their accounts placed on a leave of absence.
During academic breaks and at the beginning of the semester, you can withdraw yourself from classes (or simply don't enroll in classes for the next semester/term). After the drop deadline for the semester, term, or session you will need an advisor to help you withdraw. New students will also need an advisor to help them withdraw.
Dropping all of your classes will withdraw you from the semester.
Don't do this if:
- You haven't talked to Buckeye Link about your financial aid.
- You want to take classes in a later session of the term. Instead, enroll in the session classes before or immediately after dropping your current classes; delaying your registration for those classes could put your account on a leave of absence.
- You believe your withdrawal should be backdated to an earlier date. Please talk to an advisor about whether this is appropriate for your situation.
If you are withdrawing from your VERY FIRST term at Ohio State, but you hope to attend Ohio State next term, you should contact Undergraduate Admissions about how to update your application. New students cannot change their own schedules, so a staff person in Undergraduate Admissions or an academic advisor will need to drop your classes for you.
In general, you don't have to reapply to the university. The specific steps you must take to return to the university depends the reason you left, instead of the reason you're returning.
Withdrawing after the posted deadline requires a petition approved by your major department
Ohio State follows institutional, state and federal guidelines and considers the following when reviewing petitions for retroactive withdrawal or course drops due to extenuating circumstances:
- Last date of student attendance/participation: as reported by the instructor.
- Eligible grades: Students can petition to address E, EN, U, UEN or NP grades. They must demonstrate extenuating circumstances that negatively impacted academic performance and prevented them from dropping or withdrawing within university deadlines. Grades of D or higher are not eligible for removal.
- Supporting documentation: Substantive documentation of extenuating circumstances must be provided. All submitted documentation is stored securely according to the university's institutional data policy.
- Post-credential changes: Requests to change the academic record after a credential has been awarded will be denied.
- Financial Adjustments: Retroactive financial adjustments to the statement of account are considered ONLY for the current term and one term prior (excluding summers).
HELPFUL LINKS: