Undergraduate Withdrawals

If you decide to formally withdraw from your undergraduate studies at UAlbany, you must notify the Office of Undergraduate Education by submitting the Undergraduate Withdrawal Form.

• If you intend to withdraw from the current semester, you must submit your withdrawal form by the last day of classes, before final exams begin.
• If you intend to withdraw from future studies, you can submit your withdrawal form at any time, and we will complete the withdrawal at the end of the term.

You will receive written confirmation once your withdrawal has been processed and completed.

Failure to submit the withdrawal form may result in financial and academic consequences, as detailed below, and the loss of some readmission options.

If you live on campus, please also contact Residential Life to request to be released from your housing contract.

When you’re ready to re-enroll, visit our Undergraduate Readmission page for instructions.

When a student interrupts their continuous enrollment in UAlbany, they are withdrawn administratively.

If you drop all your classes before the semester begins or during the current semester, you’ll be withdrawn from that term and any future term.

If you complete the current semester but do not register for the upcoming semester by the time late registration ends, you’ll be withdrawn from the upcoming term and any future term.

Either way, when you’re ready to return to your studies, you can apply for readmission. Visit our Undergraduate Readmission page for instructions on how to re-enroll.

Students who need to withdraw during the semester for medical reasons — whether related to physical or mental health — must submit a Undergraduate Withdrawal Form.

If you indicate on the form that you are withdrawing for a medical reason, your submission will be referred to either Student Health Services (SHS) or Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS), depending on the nature of the condition or circumstances.

You or your health care provider must send your supporting documentation to the director of SHS or CAPS within 15 calendar days of your withdrawal form submission. 

The documentation must be completed and signed by the licensed health professional or treatment facility providing the student with treatment. It must include: 

• The number of assessment and/or treatment sessions the student has had, with beginning and end dates 

• The student’s ICD-10 or DSM-V diagnosis 

• A brief description of the student’s health condition, including a statement highlighting the ways in which their condition significantly interferes with their performance as a student 

• An explicit recommendation for a medical withdrawal 

This documentation will be stored in your SHS or CAPS medical record and will not be included in your academic record. For this reason, please do not send medical records to the Office of Undergraduate Education.

Students withdrawing for physical medical reasons should send their documentation to SHS: 

• Director of Student Health Services:
  • Phone: 518-442-5454
  • Fax: 518-442-5444
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Mailing Address: 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222

Students withdrawing for psychological reasons should send their documentation to CAPS:  

• Director of Counseling & Psychological Services:
  • Phone: 518-442-5800
  • Fax: 518-442-3096
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Mailing address: 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222

Students are responsible for confirming the correct office has received all required documentation.

All medical withdrawal requests are processed as a regular withdrawal until the medical documentation is received and confirmed by a licensed practitioner on campus.

Failure to properly submit required documentation by the deadline will result in your withdrawal being processed as a student-initiated withdrawal (see above).

You should also contact Residential Life for information on housing releases and/or charge adjustments if you live on campus.

Note: Medical withdrawals are for the full semester’s registration only. If you intended to drop one course but missed the deadline for a health-related reason, you may request an exception to the course withdrawal deadline (see below).

When you’re ready to re-enroll, visit our Undergraduate Readmission page for instructions.

Matriculated undergraduate students who need to withdraw because their U.S. military unit has been called into active duty must submit a Undergraduate Withdrawal Form.

If you indicate on the form that you are withdrawing for active duty, you must also send written verification of their military orders to the Office of Undergraduate Education within 15 calendar days of the withdrawal form submission.

Students who are called to military active duty will be relieved of all tuition and fees, once their withdrawal has been verified and approved by the Office of Undergraduate Education.

Students who withdraw for active duty before completing the academic term will receive all “W” (withdrawn) grades. However, if a military withdrawal occurs near the end of the academic term, when the student has completed all or most course requirements, the student should contact their instructors to negotiate a grade.

Instructors can opt to give the student a grade on the work that has been completed or give the student an “I” (incomplete), allowing them to complete the course later. If an “I” is assigned, the student and instructor should discuss the conditions for completion.

Charges for courses with a grade or an incomplete will not be adjusted.

Questions?

• Contact the Office of Veteran and Military Student Services for questions related to financial aid, liability and reimbursement.
• Contact the Office of Undergraduate Education for questions related to grades, academic status and readmission.
• Contact the Department of Residential Life for information on housing releases and/or charge adjustments.

When you’re ready to re-enroll, visit our Undergraduate Readmission page for instructions.

Note: Making false statements, filing forged documents and/or submitting false material to a University committee violates the standards of integrity. Such violations are subject to appropriate disciplinary action.

Please visit the Academic Calendar for a list of course withdrawal deadlines.

Students who withdraw from a course before the end of the program adjustment period (also known as the add/drop period) will have the course registration deleted from their records.

Students who withdraw from a course after the program adjustment period and up through the course withdrawal deadline will have a grade of W (withdrawn). 

Students cannot withdraw after the course withdrawal deadline without the approval from the Office of Undergraduate Education.

Students seeking to late drop or withdraw from a course due to extenuating circumstances can submit an Undergraduate Request for Exception to Course Withdrawal Deadline form. The course instructor must also complete a portion of the form.

Requests must include information about the extenuating circumstance and why it prevented the student from dropping the course by the deadline. Visit the Academic Calendar for a list of course withdrawal deadlines.

Students must have been making satisfactory academic progress before the extenuation circumstances occurred. Appeals based solely on poor performance will not be considered.

The student will be notified via their UAlbany email after a decision is made.

Approved appeals require an administrative fee, which must be paid before the withdrawal can be processed. Instructions for paying the fee will be included in the notification email.

Note: Students who are granted a late withdraw from a course are still financially liable for the course.

Your financial liability is based on when you withdraw, even if you do not attend classes.

If you withdraw before completing at least 60% of the academic term, a portion of your federal Title IV aid — which includes federal loans — may be returned to the appropriate aid program. If aid is returned, you may still owe a balance to the University.

Visit Student Financial Services’ Financial Liability for Dropping Courses or Withdrawing page for more information, including details on how medical or military withdrawals affect your liability.

Students who have dropped or withdrawn from courses and are seeking an exception to the SUNY tuition policy will need to submit an appeal to the Tuition Appeals Committee.

Information regarding exceptions to the SUNY tuition policy can also be found on Student Financial Services' Financial Liability for Dropping Courses or Withdrawing page.

Withdrawing will not override a judicial referral because students are not exempt from disciplinary proceedings for behavioral infractions that happened before they left the University.

If you have a disciplinary suspension or dismissal pending, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Education and/or the Office of Community Standards.