Withdrawals

Withdrawing from courses or the term may impact various aspects of your student experience, including financial aid, housing, health insurance, meal plan, veteran benefits, visa status, campus services, athletic eligibility, and academic progress. The specific effects depend on individual circumstances.  To make an informed decision, connect with the appropriate campus representatives before taking action.

Course or Term Withdrawal

• Withdrawal within 60% of the term:  You may withdraw without receiving grades for your courses. A “W” will appear on your transcript.
• Withdrawal after 60% of the term:  A “W” will appear for courses you are passing, while failing courses will be assigned an “F.”

Term Withdrawal:  Undergraduate students must submit a Term Withdrawal Form to the Office of the Registrar.  Term withdrawals do not count toward the allotted 16 withdrawal credit hours.

Course Withdrawal: After consulting with your academic advisor, undergraduate students can withdraw from a course by following these instructions:  How-to-withdraw-from-courses-UG-1.pdf

Graduate students should refer to the Graduate Catalog for detailed policies.

Extenuating Circumstance Withdrawal (ECWD)

ECWDs are available to undergraduate and graduate students facing unforeseen and uncontrollable events during the current semester.  These withdrawals require a formal application, supporting documentation, and review by the ECWD committee.  Applications must demonstrate that the circumstances were unforeseeable, unavoidable, and significantly disruptive to academic functioning.

ECWDs can be requested for both full-term and individual course withdrawals. However, if you are applying for a course-specific ECWD, your application must address why the extenuating circumstances affected only certain courses and not others. Insufficient explanations or documentation will result in a denial of your request.

Important Highlights:

• Recommended after the course adjustment period (60% of the term).
• Requires a Petition to Return before resuming enrollment.
• Financial implications are the same as a regular withdrawal. For more information, contact the Cashier’s Office or Financial Aid Office.

Examples of Extenuating Circumstances and Required Documentation:

• Medical or Psychological Emergency:  Verification from a licensed provider. A letter of explanation and guidance for your healthcare provider is available here ECWD Medical Documentation Request Letter (PDF).
• Unforeseen Personal Hardship:  Police reports, court/legal documentation, obituaries, or insurance claims.

Next Steps and Decision Process:  After submitting your application, you are encouraged to continue attending classes if possible. If your application is denied, your current grades will remain unaffected. Following the committee’s review, you will be notified of the decision via your ECU email.

If your application is approved, your withdrawal will be processed based on the last date of attendance or participation, as verified by your professors. A grade of “W” will appear on your transcript, and a hold will be placed on your account. To remove the hold, you will need to submit a Petition to Return.

In the event your application is denied, undergraduate students may appeal the decision to the Student Academic Appellate Committee (SAAC). Graduate students should reach out to their respective departments to explore alternative options.

Petition to Return

Students granted an Extenuating Circumstance Withdrawal for medical or psychological reasons must complete a Petition to Return.  Applications should detail:

• The circumstances leading to withdrawal.
• Steps taken to address the challenges.
• Preparations for re-engaging in university life.

A letter of verification from a licensed healthcare provider is required.  A letter of explanation and guidance for your healthcare provider is available here: Petition to Return Provider Letter (PDF)

Decision and Readmission Process: After the committee meeting, you will receive a decision via email. Please note that if you have been absent for an entire academic term, you are required to apply for readmission to ECU. The readmission process differs for undergraduate and graduate students and follows distinct deadlines, separate from the Petition to Return.

Retroactive Withdrawal

Undergraduate students may appeal to the Student Academic Appellate Committee (SAAC) for a retroactive withdrawal for previous semesters.  Graduate students should appeal to the Graduate School by emailing gradschool@ecu.edu.

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