GPA Highlights:
Withdrawal
What is Drop/Add?
Students may make adjustments to their schedules
during the FIRST week of a semester, the Drop/Add
period. No record of courses dropped during this period
will appear on the student’s transcript.
What is Withdrawal?
Withdrawal is when a student drops a course from their
schedule during the second through eighth week of the
semester. Courses dropped after the Drop/Add Period
but prior to the last day to withdraw without academic
penalty will receive a grade of W. This grade will be
recorded on the student’s permanent record but will not
be used in computing his/her grade point average. A
grade of WF will normally be recorded for any course
dropped after the first eight weeks. The WF is
recorded as a failing grade and calculated as such in the
student’s grade point average.
How does withdrawing affect my grade/GPA?
Courses dropped will not enter into the computation of
hours attempted, the grade point average, or any other
total.
How does withdrawing affect my Financial Aid?
A pattern of W’s on your academic record can impact
your academic progress. Visit this web link to find out
more about Satisfactory Academic Progress http://www.usca.edu/financialaid/sap.html. If you
withdraw or drop classes during a refund period, you
may be required to repay the student aid funds you have
received; also, should you stop attending classes and/or
receive a grade of F, you may be required to repay
some of the student aid funds you received.
If you have any questions concerning your course load
reduction, you should see a Financial Aid Counselor
prior to changing your status.
Is withdrawing a bad thing?
A withdrawal can save your GPA for a semester if you
are struggling with a particular class. However,
repetitive W’s on your academic record can impact
your academic progress. Pursuant to federal regulation,
the USCA Office of Financial Aid is required to
monitor the academic progress of all students who
apply for federal financial aid. Financial aid funds can
be awarded only to students who are making
measurable progress toward the completion of degree
requirements within a reasonable period of time (see
above link for more information).
How do I withdraw from a CLASS?
Withdrawing from a class involves four steps:
1. Talk to the professor who is teaching the course.
They may be able to assist you in being successful.
2. Talk to your advisor to see how a W may impact
your degree plan. Fill out an Advisement Form
with your advisor so that there is a paper trail.
3. If you receive Financial Aid, find out the impact of
a W on your aid.
4. Login to VIP and drop the course.
Not attending a class does not mean you have
withdrawn. You must complete the steps above.
NEVER just stop attending class.
How do I withdraw from the UNIVERSITY?
A student desiring to withdraw from the University for
a semester should obtain a withdrawal form from the
Records Office. During the WF period a student may
need to withdraw because of extenuating circumstances
such as illness or accident. The student must complete
the regular university withdrawal form and an
additional form for Withdrawal Due to Extenuating
Circumstances; both forms are available in the Records
Office. When seeking withdrawal due to extenuating
circumstances, the student must withdraw from all
courses for that term. The student presents his/her case
along with supporting documents and forms to the
Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for
initial approval. The student then presents the
documents to the instructors of the courses taken during
the semester of the petition request. Each instructor
must sign the form and assign the grade of W or WF. A
W is assigned if the student was passing the class at the
time of the extenuating circumstances. A W does not
affect the student’s grade point average. A WF is
assigned if the student was not passing the course at the
time of the extenuating circumstances. The WF is
recorded as a failing grade and calculated as such in the
student’s grade point average and during the evaluation
of suspension conditions. Once all instructor signatures
have been obtained, the documents are returned to the
Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for
final approval and then forwarded to the Records Office
for processing. Students have only one semester
following the term for which they are seeking
withdrawal for extenuating circumstances to complete
the entire process including the paperwork.
Financial Aid – ADMN 102 – 641-3476
Student Records – ADMN 109 – 641-3550
Academic Success Center – ADMN 108 – 641-3297
2012