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Undergraduate Term Withdrawal

The following information is for undergraduate, Agricultural Institute, and Non-Degree Studies students only. Information on term withdrawal for Graduate Students is available here.

Withdrawal Circumstances

Illness, family problems, or other personal circumstances sometimes require students to drop all of their courses and this constitutes an official withdrawal from the university. If you are experiencing a crisis, please contact the Counseling Center.  

  • Consult with your advisor before initiating a withdrawal to discuss the academic implications of the intended withdrawal.
  • A withdrawal may impact your academic eligibility, financial aid, and progress toward a degree.
  • Athletes and international student withdrawals will be reviewed by appropriate offices prior to approval and additional information may be required.

Extenuating Circumstances for Withdrawal from Classes

Withdrawals after the drop/revision deadline are approved by the university only under extenuating circumstances. The presence of extenuating circumstances are not a guarantee of a withdrawal approval. Withdrawals are approved by a student’s college on a case-by-case basis.

  • Medical: Certification by an appropriate medical professional of a serious disruption in academic functioning for medical reasons. Such medical petitions are subject to review by a University physician. A letter of explanation and guidance for your service provider is available here.
  • Psychological: Certification by the Counseling Center or by an independent licensed mental health professional of inability to continue for psychiatric/psychological reasons. The latter are subject to review by the University’s Counseling Center. A letter of explanation and guidance for your service provider is available here.
  • Hardship: Verification that a documented unforeseeable hardship of any kind resulted in it being unreasonable for the student to continue. Examples include: documentation of a work transfer out of the Triangle area, copy of an insurance claim confirming the destruction of primary residency due to fire, obituary, etc.
  • Military: Verification that the student has been called to active duty or training in the United States Armed Forces, including service in the National Guard or Reserve.

Withdrawal Process and Timeline

All withdrawals for a current or upcoming term are initiated through the self-service Term Withdrawal page in the MyPack Portal: Student Homepage > Planning & Enrollment tile > Term Withdraw menu item. Term withdrawal requests can be initiated through the MyPack Portal up to 30 days after the last day of the term. The withdrawal process in the MyPack portal will include information on refunds and financial aid and will provide contacts to University Housing and Dining. Undergraduate students who do not enroll for a Fall or Spring term are required to complete the readmission process before returning to classes.

For more details, the full Withdrawal policy is available online: REG 02.05.04: Withdrawing from the University.

The process to prepare your withdrawal request will differ depending on the time at which you plan to withdraw from classes.

Students who are enrolled, but do not plan to attend any courses for a future term, should initiate a term withdrawal in order to notify the university that they will not be attending for an upcoming Spring or Fall term.

  1. Consult with your advisor before initiating a withdrawal to discuss the academic implications of the intended withdrawal.
  2. Initiate your term withdrawal request through the MyPack Portal: Student Homepage > Planning & Enrollment tile > Term Withdraw menu item.

A current semester withdrawal prior to the drop/revision deadline removes you from all courses in a current semester. 

Undergraduate student withdrawals after the first day of classes, but prior to census date are recorded on the transcript with the notation “Term Withdrawal.” Withdrawals after census are recorded on the transcript and dropped courses are noted with a grade of “W.” All courses graded with “W” count towards attempted hours for Satisfactory Academic Progress calculations.

  1. Consult with your advisor before initiating a withdrawal to discuss the academic implications of the intended withdrawal.
  2. Initiate your term withdrawal request through the MyPack Portal: Student Homepage > Planning & Enrollment tile > Term Withdraw menu item.

A current semester withdrawal after the drop/revision deadline removes you from all courses in a current semester.   

Withdrawals after the drop/revision deadline are approved by the university only under extenuating circumstances. Documentation is required to support these requests. The documentation must provide evidence that the extenuating circumstances were unforeseeable and unavoidable and caused a serious disruption in academic functioning. Submission of a withdrawal request after the drop/revision deadline is not guaranteed approval. Students should have contingency plans in place in case a withdrawal request is delayed or denied.

  1. Consult with your advisor before initiating a withdrawal to discuss the academic implications of the intended withdrawal.
  2. Organize the details of your case. It’s often helpful to write a statement detailing the grounds for your request to withdraw (for example, what occurred, when it occurred, how it affected you, and what you have done or plan to do about it).
  3. Organize your documentation to verify the facts of your request. You can obtain documentation from your healthcare or mental health provider by giving them this form
  4. Initiate your term withdrawal request through the MyPack Portal: Student Homepage > Planning & Enrollment tile > Term Withdraw menu item. Term withdrawal requests can be initiated through the MyPack Portal up to 30 days after the last day of the term.
  5. Withdrawal requests after the Drop/Revision deadline require the approval of the Associate Dean of your college. There is no guarantee of approval so it is recommended that you have a contingency plan in mind in the event of a denial.
  6. Notification of the approval or denial of withdrawal requests will be communicated to students via their NC State email address.
  7. Students who are denied their request for a Term Withdrawal have the right to appeal the decision. Information regarding the process for the appeal is available via a link in the denial notification email. Appeals must be filed within ten (10) calendar days from the date of the notification of denial.

Retroactive Withdrawal Process

A retroactive withdrawal or withdrawing from classes from a previous term removes you from all courses in a previous semester. University guidelines for the approval of a retroactive withdrawal require that the same conditions required for the “withdrawal after the drop/revision date” are met. 

What are the steps for requesting a retroactive withdrawal?

  1. Consult with your advisor to discuss the academic implications of the intended withdrawal and to plan for other avenues in the event that your withdrawal request is not approved.
  2. Requests from degree students to drop all courses for a previous semester (i.e., retroactive withdrawal) are still initiated through the Counseling Center until further notice by using forms available in the Center, or available for download from the Center’s website.

Note: An administrative fee of 5 percent of the total tuition and fee charges –not to exceed $100 – will appear on your student account. This charge covers the cost of processing your withdrawal and is assessed by the university.

Refunds for Withdrawal

Students who drop all coursework for which they are registered must properly withdraw from the University. Students who fail to properly withdraw may be held liable for the charges on their account, including tuition, fees, housing and/or dining.