What is an Excused Withdrawal?

Undergraduate and graduate students may petition for an excused withdrawal due to a serious documented extenuating circumstance that prohibits continued enrollment in all courses for the term. This means the student must be disengaged from all in-person and/or online course activity, including accessing the course contents in Canvas, for the semester. Attending an in-person course or accessing the course in Canvas, but not participating or submitting assignments, is considered continued enrollment in that course.

Students must see an advisor/program coordinator in their school/college. The advisor/program coordinator will discuss the options and assist students with the completion and submission of this petition if appropriate. Office of the University Registrar will review the petition upon receipt of all the necessary and supporting documentation. Students will be notified of the final decision by email within 30 days after submission of a complete petition.

Can my petition be denied? 

The Office of the University Registrar may reject a petition if:

• The petition is incomplete.
• Any grade(s) are earned after the extenuating circumstance or an incomplete grade notation exists for the term in question.
• The petition is for more than one term.
• The petition is missing required information.
• The petition is not signed by the student (or appropriately authorized representative) and the advisor/program coordinator.
• The petition is submitted directly by the student (or appropriately authorized representative).
• The petition is for a term that exceeds the one year time limit.
• The petition is to remedy a classroom performance, grade discrepancies, or a failed attempt of a course.
• The petition is filed while an existing academic dishonesty case is in progress or remedy a suspension due to conduct.

Who should I consult about my petition?

What should I know about refunds and grade adjustments?

Submission of the petition does not equate to an automatic approval for grade adjustments or refund issuance. When reviewing the petitions, the Office of the University Registrar will consider all pertinent information for decision-making, such as course participation (attendance, online activity, coursework submission, tests, exams, access to the course contents in Canvas, etc.), meeting with advisors, notes from the medical provider, etc. A grade notation of WE is posted for all excused courses, which are not included in course repeat evaluation. If eligible, the refund amount is calculated in accordance with the University's refund policy taking into account the last known date of participation in or attendance at an academically related activity (online or in-person) based on each instructor's feedback and/or reviewing the Canvas course content activity for the term.

Full Refund

A full refund of tuition and fees may be issued if the following conditions are met:

• An excused withdrawal petition is approved for all courses in the term.
• Documented evidence shows the student stopped attending/participating in all courses (either in-person or online, including accessing the course content in Canvas) prior to the start of the withdrawal period for the term.

Partial Refund

A partial refund of tuition and fees may be issued if the following conditions are met:

• An excused withdrawal petition is approved for all courses in the term.
• Documented evidence shows the student stopped attending/participating in all courses (either in-person or online) during the refund period for the term.
• The refund amount is calculated in accordance with the University's refund policy taking into account the last known date of participation in or attendance in an academically related activity (online or in-person) based on each instructor's feedback and/or reviewing the Canvas course content activity for the term. Attending an in-person course or accessing the course in Canvas, but not participating or submitting assignments, is considered an academically related activity.

No Refund

Refunds are not issued when a petition is denied. In addition, a petition may be approved with no refund if:

1. An excused withdrawal was approved for selected courses. This occurs in following situations:
   • The instructor was able to work with the student to complete the remaining course requirements in one or more courses.
   • One or more course was completed in an earlier part of term, but the extenuating circumstance occurred after that course concluded.
2. The documented last date of attendance/participation in an academically related activity occurred after the refund period ended for the term.
3. If the petition is approved only for a semester withdrawal:
   • The courses will appear on your transcript with a "W" grade notation.
   • Credits hours will remain unchanged.
   • Enrollment time status will not change.
   • Semester bill will remain unchanged.
   • Financial aid may change.
   • Withdrawal may impact visa status for international students.
   • Withdrawal may impact G.I. Bill benefits amount.
   • Check with your advisor or Student Financial Services for other considerations.

How do I submit my petition?

Students:

1. Download the petition based on your extenuating circumstance listed above.
2. Complete your portion of the petition.
3. Send the completed petition to your academic advisor or program coordinator with supporting documents.
4. Your advisor will forward your petition to the Office of the University Registrar for review.

Advisors/Program Coordinators:

1. Sign-in to TUportal.
2. Select Registrar Student360 under TUapplications menu.
3. Search for the student by TUID and click on the student to expand the menu.
4. Select Document Tools.
5. Select the excused withdrawal term.
6. Select Excused Withdrawal Petition as the document type.
7. Select Office of the University Registrar Review as the reason for the upload.
8. Upload the petition.

The Office of the University Registrar will contact the instructors for the attendance verification.

The forms may change from time to time. Be sure the latest forms are submitted for consideration.

Appeals

If your petition is denied, you may appeal within 30 days upon receiving the decision email by submitting a new petition supported by new facts that support your case.

Additional Policy Details

• Registration policy
• Financial Responsibility Agreement
• Cost and Aid Policy: Tuition, Fees, Refund
• Withdrawal policy
• Repeating a Course (Undergraduate and Graduate)
• Student Rights and Responsibilities
• Student Conduct Code
• Incomplete Coursework