Withdrawal from a class or from the college is primarily the responsibility of the student. Withdrawals may be done online or in person at the Admissions and Records Office. It is the student’s responsibility to understand how a withdrawal will affect their academic records, academic standing, ability to repeat the course, eligibility for financial aid, athletic participation veterans’ educational benefits and other programs, services or benefits. Instructors have a responsibility to drop students under certain circumstances as identified below.
Deadline dates for withdrawing from a class may be found on the student’s Schedule/Bill and in the online searchable schedule of classes in the CRN notes – click on the CRN to view notes. Students who do not officially withdraw by the stated deadlines will receive an evaluative grade (A-F, P or NP). Withdrawal after the final deadline may be permitted if it is determined that extenuating circumstances prevented a student from completing and withdrawing from a course. Extenuating circumstances are verified cases of accident, illness or other circumstances beyond the student’s control. Supporting documentation will be required. Students should contact a counselor or the Admissions and Records Office to initiate an Excused Withdrawal Petition (EW) or a Petition to Change a Grade to Withdrawal (W). A graded course that has been used to satisfy degree, certificate or transfer requirements will not be changed to an "EW" or "W".
A grade of “W” is not calculated in the grade point average (GPA). Courses that receive “W” grades are counted as an enrollment attempt and will affect a student’s ability to repeat the class. Students will be blocked from repeating any course in which they have already received three W, D, F or NP grades in any combination. “W” grades are also counted in the determination of a student’s academic standing, and excessive “W”s will be cause for placing students on progress probation. Students are encouraged to consult a counselor regarding the full impact of “W” grades.
An Excused Withdrawal (EW) may be requested by the student at any time during the semester (effective January 2018) and no later than three (3) years after the term in which the course was taken. Excused Withdraw shall not be counted in progress probation or dismissal calculations nor shall it be counted towards the permitted number of withdrawals or counted as an enrollment attempt. The financial aid of a student may be affected depending on individual circumstance. A student should consult with the financial aid staff regarding any impact.
Instructor-initiated drops: Instructors are required to drop by the census date any student who has never attended class or who has quit attending class. They may drop students who do not attend the first class meeting. The census date for each class is determined by the length of the class and may vary. Instructors may but are not required to, drop students after the census date for excessive absences. Absence is generally considered excessive if a student misses 1/9 or more of the total number of classes (2 weeks of a full –semester class); however, the nature of the class may require a stricter absence policy. Consult the class syllabus or instructor for more information.
Withdrawing from semester-length classes: Students may withdraw from full semester-length classes through the end of the 14th week. A grade of “W” will be posted to the academic record for withdrawals that occur between the class census date and the end of the 14th week. Students still enrolled after the end of the 14th week will receive a grade other than “W” on their academic record.
The census date for each class is determined by the length of the class and may vary. Consult the class syllabus or instructor for more information.
Withdrawing from short-term classes: Students may withdraw from short-term classes through 75% of the total number of class meetings. A grade of “W” will be posted to the academic record for withdrawals that occur between the class census date and the 75% deadline. Students still enrolled after 75% of class meetings will receive a grade other than “W” on their academic record.
The census date for each class is determined by the length of the class and may vary. Consult the class syllabus or instructor for more information.
Drop for Non-Payment:
Prior to the start date of the class, students have up to 7 days to pay before they will be dropped from their courses.
Beginning the first day of the class, students have 1 day to pay before they will be dropped from their courses.
Students will receive an email, sent to their college assigned email address, to notify them if they have been dropped for non-payment of fees.
For more information on fees, please refer to the fees webpage.
Students receiving Financial Aid/Dream Act, California College Promise Grant/California College Promise, setup a payment plan or are VA beneficiaries who provide a certificate of eligibility will not be dropped for nonpayment of fees.