Withdrawal from the University
Withdrawing, also known as dropping all of your classes, from college is a big decision.
Deciding to withdraw can have a huge impact; it can affect finances, on-campus housing, immigration status, and more.
Because of this, students are expected to review the following steps before initiating a withdrawal from MSU.
Step 1 – Are you an undergraduate or graduate/professional student?
Undergraduate Students
Contact your college or department’s advising team to learn how a withdrawal could affect your time to degree and determine if supportive options are available to help maintain your enrollment.
Graduate/Professional Students
Contact your major advisor or graduate/professional program director to discuss how a withdrawal could affect your time to degree, determine if supportive options are available to help maintain your enrollment, and discuss impacts if you are an appointed graduate assistant.
Step 2 – Are you a member of any of these groups?
Financial Aid Recipients
If you receive federal, state, or institutional financial aid (such as scholarships, grants, loans, and/or work study), contact the
Office of Financial Aid to learn how a withdrawal could affect your aid package.
The
Financial Aid Refund Policy provides additional information about the impact of dropping credits and withdrawing, including an example of a Title IV return of funds calculation.
On-Campus Residents
If you withdraw from the current semester and live on campus, you will be required to move out of your on-campus residence and return the room/apartment key to your primary service center.
Contact the
Residence Education and Housing Services Housing Assignments Office for more information, including details on any outstanding financial needs and refund practices.
International Students
Contact the
Office for International Students and Scholars to discuss how withdrawing could impact your immigration status.
Student Employees
If you have an on-campus student job for the university and withdraw from the current semester, you will not be able to maintain student employment. Contact your supervisor or
MSU Human Resources with questions.
NCAA Student-Athletes
Contact
Student-Athlete Support Services to discuss how withdrawing could impact any athletic scholarships and/or eligibility.
Veterans Benefits Recipients
Contact the
Office of the Registrar to learn how a withdrawal could affect Veterans Education benefits.
Step 3 – Do either of these options seem right for you?
Supportive Measures and Modifications
Contact the
Office for Civil Rights to request a withdrawal as a supportive measure or modification for pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy-related condition, and/or parenting.
Disability Accommodations
Contact the
Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities to determine if accommodations are available to help maintain your enrollment.
Excerpt from the Academic Programs Catalog.
General Information, Policies, Procedures and Regulations
General Procedures and Regulations
Withdrawal from the University
Effective Fall 2024
A withdrawal from the university occurs when a student drops all their courses within a semester. A student may voluntarily withdraw from the University through the Class Ends date. The Class Ends date is displayed in the student information system Class Search. When a student withdraws from a semester, their tuition and fees are subject to refund according to the Refund Policy.
From the Class Begins date through the Last Day to Drop with No Grade Reported
Students may withdraw themselves from the Class Begins date through the Last Day to Drop with No Grade Reported using the online enrollment system, or in person at the Office of the Registrar. Courses withdrawn during this period will not appear on the official transcript.
After the Last Day to Drop with No Grade Reported through the Class Ends date
Students may initiate a withdrawal after the Last Day to Drop with No Grade Reported through the Class Ends date. To initiate a withdrawal after the Last Day to Drop with No Grade Reported through the Class Ends date, students must contact the Assistant/Associate Dean or designee of their college. If a student is in the exploratory major, they must contact University Advising. Courses withdrawn during this period will appear on the official transcript and receive “W” grades.
After the Class Ends date
Requests for retroactive withdrawal after the Class Ends date are available for specific reasons and require approval.
- To petition for a retroactive withdrawal based upon an error in enrollment, students must contact their academic advisor, advising office of their college, or University Advising if an exploratory major.
- To petition for a retroactive withdrawal based upon a student’s medical condition that prevented the initiation of a withdrawal during a term of instruction, students must contact the Office of Student Support and Accountability.
- To petition for a retroactive withdrawal based on any other unique and unexpected circumstance, students must contact the Office of the Registrar.
Unofficial Withdrawal
Students who leave the university during a semester or summer session without withdrawing will be assigned their earned grades for all enrolled courses and will forfeit any fees or deposits paid to the university for that term.
Withdrawal for Personal Health Condition
The Office of Student Support and Accountability manages the Medical Leave and Return Process (MLRP.) Student Medical Leave is a university-verified designation, determined after a student has withdrawn, that requires documentation of the health condition’s impact on enrollment. If approved for Medical Leave, a student may need to provide documentation of readiness to return before they can reenroll at MSU. The MLRP is available to most MSU students, except those in the College of Human Medicine, College of Law, and College of Osteopathic Medicine. Students in these colleges may seek leave information directly from their college student affairs office.
Medical Leaves are subject to the Medical Withdrawal Policy for Class Tuition and Fees Refund Policy.
- Students who withdraw from the Class Begins date through the Last Day to Drop with Refund due to a personal health condition may not request a Medical Leave.
- Students who withdraw after the Last Day to Drop with Refund through the Last Day to Drop with No Grade Reported due to a personal health condition and wish to be reviewed for a refund may request a Medical Leave.
- Students who withdraw between the Last Day to Drop with No Grade Reported and the Class Ends date due to a personal health condition and wish to be reviewed for a refund must request a Medical Leave.
Academic Recess or Academic Dismissal
If a student is academically recessed or academically dismissed, courses for which the student is enrolled in future terms are administratively dropped. Tuition and fees are subject to refund according to the Refund Policy.
Non-Academic Suspension or Non-Academic Dismissal
If a student is suspended or dismissed through the non-academic student conduct process, the student will be administratively withdrawn from the current semester and forfeit their tuition and fees. Depending upon the implementation timing of the suspension or dismissal, courses may not appear on the official transcript or may appear with “W” grades. Any enrollment in future terms will be administratively dropped.