Withdrawal from the University
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate students, other than athletes, international students, and students on financial aid, who find it necessary to withdraw from UTSA may do so via myUTSA during Fall and Spring semesters. During Summer terms, all students must submit a withdrawal form to the One Stop Enrollment Center through the Document Uploader. The withdrawal form is available on the One Stop Enrollment website. Athletes who wish to withdraw from UTSA must contact their assigned athletic academic advisor; international students who wish to withdraw from UTSA must contact the Office of International Programs. Students on financial aid must submit their withdrawal form through the Document Uploader.
Undergraduate students who officially withdraw from UTSA after Census Date receive grades of “W” in all classes. Undergraduates may not withdraw from UTSA later than the third class day preceding final examinations in the Spring and Fall semesters.
Refer to the sections “Undergraduate Credit Limitation” and “Three-Attempt Rule” for information about the financial consequences of receiving “W” grades.
Students who withdraw from all classes are subject to the University’s academic probation and dismissal regulations. Students withdrawing should refer to the regulations on refunds of tuition and fees, readmission policies, and requirements for maintaining registration.
Graduate Students
Continuing graduate students who wish to withdraw (drop all courses for which they are enrolled during a specific semester) from UTSA before the first class day of the Fall or Spring Semester may do so via myUTSA. Students who wish to withdraw from UTSA before the start of Summer classes may withdraw via myUTSA through the Friday prior to the start of the ten-week Summer term. All other Summer withdrawals must be completed as stated in the following paragraph. Students on financial aid must submit the withdrawal form through the Document Uploader.
Students who find it necessary to withdraw (drop all courses for which they are enrolled during a specific term) must submit a completed Withdrawal Form and submit it through the Document Uploader. The Withdrawal Form must have all required signatures for the withdrawal to be processed. The Withdrawal Form is available online on the One Stop Enrollment website and can be submitted through the Document Uploader.
Students may not withdraw from UTSA later than the third class day preceding final examinations in the Spring and Fall Semesters. Students who officially withdraw from UTSA after Census Date receive grades of “W” in all classes.
Students who withdraw from all classes are subject to the University’s academic probation and dismissal regulations. Students withdrawing should refer to the regulations on refunds of tuition and fees, readmission policies, and requirements for maintaining registration.
Withdrawals for international graduate students also require the consent of the Office of International Programs.
Academic appointments (Teaching Assistant and Graduate Assistant positions) may not extend beyond the effective date of a student’s withdrawal.
Withdrawal for Military Service
A student who withdraws as a result of being called to active military service may choose:
- To receive a refund of tuition and fees for the semester
- If eligible, to be assigned an incomplete (IN) in each course (refer to Undergraduate Students section “Explanation of Credit, Grading System, and Symbols”)
- At the instructor’s discretion, to receive a final grade in courses where they have completed a substantial amount of coursework and has demonstrated sufficient mastery of the course material
As a benefit to those students who withdrew from UTSA to perform military service (not including Texas National Guard Training exercises) and have not attended another institution long enough to receive grades, UTSA will not require them to requalify for admission. In order to take advantage of this benefit, the students must request readmission from the Office of the Registrar within one year of being released from active military service, and submit in writing a statement indicating they did not attend another university during this time period. Returning students who have attended another institution long enough to receive grades, must reapply to the University. A returning student may be eligible for the same financial assistance provided before the student’s withdrawal.
Medical and/or Mental Health Withdrawal from UTSA
Students who experience a significant medical or mental health challenge, which compromises their ability to effectively participate in their educational program, may request a full Withdrawal from all classes for the particular term without unnecessary academic penalty. These medical or mental health challenges may involve the student directly, or indirectly when a student’s partner, child, parent, or other immediate family member experiences a significant medical or mental health challenge. If you are enrolled in only one class, or are dropping your last class in a given semester, this is considered a full withdrawal.
There is no guarantee that a request for a Medical or Mental Health (M/MH) Withdrawal will be granted. A M/MH Withdrawal from UTSA should be considered only when all other options are exhausted by the student. Alternative options to a M/MH Withdrawal may include requesting a grade of Incomplete for courses enrolled, or withdrawing using the regular Withdrawal process if still within the Withdrawal time frame for the semester. Students also have the option to drop an individual course(s) during a specified time frame. Instructor-initiated drops may also occur until the last day that a student may drop themselves.
Purpose
The purpose of a M/MH Withdrawal is to provide academic relief to students who either directly or indirectly as described above experience a medical or mental health event during the semester which prevents them from completing their coursework. If the effective date of an approved M/MH Withdrawal is on or BEFORE the Census Date (12th class day), no record of the courses will appear on the student’s transcript. If the effective date of Withdrawal is AFTER the Census Date, a grade of “W” will appear on the transcript for all dropped/withdrawn courses. A M/MH Withdrawal does not guarantee the removal of a grade of “W” nor does it indicate a monetary refund.
Limitations
Requests for partial M/MH Withdrawals will not be considered. Requests submitted past the submission deadline (i.e., after the last class day of the semester following the requested Withdrawal term) will be denied.
Students will be limited to one Medical and one Mental Health Withdrawal during their academic career at UTSA, unless given special permission by the Associate Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies (if an undergraduate student) or the Dean of Graduate School (if a graduate student).
There is no guarantee that a request for a M/MH withdrawal will be granted. Students should continue to attend and participate in classes as they are able and abide by all policies until a final decision on the request for M/MH Withdrawal.
Financial Implications
M/MH Withdrawals are meant to provide academic, rather than financial, relief for students. The financial implications of withdrawing from courses depends upon several factors, most important of which are the effective date of the Withdrawal and whether students who received a Withdrawal received financial aid and/or other sources of educational funding such as scholarships, veterans benefits, etc. The effective date of the Withdrawal will be determined by the Associate Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies. Based upon the effective Withdrawal date, the Financial Services and University Bursar office will determine whether a refund percentage is allowed, and the Financial Aid Office will determine whether an adjustment to any financial aid received is necessary. If appropriate, the Financial Aid Office will calculate and process Return of Title IV for financial aid funding impacted by this regulation. Return of Title IV may result in an outstanding balance owed by the student to UTSA. To review the refund policy mandated by the Texas Education Code (See 54.006), and the timeline for receiving tuition and fee refunds, please see the UTSA refund policy.
Other Implications
Students should refer to the Academic Calendar for the established Withdrawal, drop, and refund deadline dates. A M/MH Withdrawal may impact progression toward degree completion and result in financial consequences and obligations. In some cases, students will be required to return all or some of the financial aid awarded. Students are advised to consult with appropriate UTSA personnel to determine what areas of their enrollment may be impacted. These areas include but are not limited to: funding received through financial aid, scholarships, veteran affairs or other funding sources, immigration status, employment with UTSA, housing, restrictions on repeating courses including gateway courses and legislation such as Satisfactory Academic Progress and Title IV for students receiving financial aid.
Medical/Mental Health Withdrawal Request Procedures
Requests for M/MH Withdrawals must be submitted in writing to the appropriate service office (Student Health Services for medical requests; Student Counseling Services for mental health requests). Such requests must be accompanied by supporting documentation from a licensed physician, medical provider, or mental health professional. Hospitalization records from a recent admission, if relevant, should also accompany any application. Students must complete the Release of Medical/Mental Health Records Authorization form. This signed form allows for the review of records by the respective Director of either Student Health Services or Student Counseling Services and/or their designee and by members of a M/MH Withdrawal Committee to evaluate the application. All documents and any other requirements made by the Service Director (or their designee) must be provided or completed within one month of the initial request. Students should contact Student Health Services or Counseling Services for a list of the required documents.
Students are not required to submit their partner’s, child’s, parent’s, or other immediate family members’ medical records if the student is requesting a withdrawal because of any such person’s medical or mental health condition. However, students will be required to submit medical certification containing sufficient medical or mental health facts to establish that a serious health condition exists. Students should also indicate how the other person’s condition affects the student’s academic performance.
If the student does not complete the application within one month, the file will be closed and no further action will be taken unless a new application is initiated before the end of the eligibility period. The deadline for submitting a complete Withdrawal petition packet is the last class day of the semester following the requested Withdrawal term. A request submitted during the summer must be submitted by the last day of classes for the ten-week term.
The respective Director (or their designee) will review the request and the supporting documentation to determine whether the medical or mental health issue adversely affected the student’s ability to function academically, and was substantial enough to warrant the student’s Withdrawal under this policy. Upon that review, the respective Director (or their designee) will meet with the M/MH Committee to review the recommendation and the proposed date of Withdrawal. The Director will then provide a written recommendation to the Associate Vice Provost or the Dean of the Graduate School. The Associate Vice Provost or the Graduate Dean will have one month to process their decision and make the final determination regarding the status of each application. The student will be notified of the final determination in writing in a manner consistent with the policies and procedures established by UTSA.
An appeal of the Associate Vice Provost’s or Graduate Dean’s determination may be considered if new facts or additional documentation can be presented that may support a possible change in the decision. The appeal, along with this documentation, should be submitted in writing to the Associate Vice President for Student Services Student Health Services Director (or designee) for medical Withdrawals or to the Counseling Services Director (or designee) for mental health Withdrawals. All appeal recommendations will go back to the respective Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies or the Dean of the Graduate School for review. The Dean’s decision based on the appeal, and their decision shall be final.
Confidentiality of Medical/Mental Health Withdrawal Requests
The records and documentation submitted for the medical/mental health Withdrawal will be maintained by Student Health Services or Student Counseling Services, respectively. The documentation will remain confidential in accordance with applicable UTSA policies, and as may otherwise be required by law. The Vice Provost’s/Dean’s decision, however, will become part of the student’s educational record.
Return to UTSA
Students who apply for Medical/Mental Health Withdrawal are strongly recommended to consult with their medical and/or mental health provider before making the decision to return to UTSA or to other higher education environments. Returning students, who might continue to be impacted by their medical and/or mental health condition, should consider consulting with Student Counseling Services, the UTSA Student Ombudsperson and/or Student Disability Services (SDS) to explore options, resources and to determine if their condition qualifies them for registration with SDS and any academic accommodations.