Withdrawal Policy

Withdrawal from a Course

A student may withdraw from a course during the published withdrawal period listed on the academic calendar.   A withdrawn course is assigned the mark of “W” which does not impact the GPA. To withdraw from a course, the student must submit a properly completed Withdrawal Form.  Should the student fail to complete the course withdrawal process, a failing grade (“F”) will be assigned. 

Course withdrawals and Financial Aid:  A student receiving financial aid who withdraw from course or stops attending class could have their financial aid decreased to comply with federal and college policy. A student who never attends a course is not eligible for federal financial aid.  Additional information regarding financial aid and withdrawals:

• Financial aid awards will be based on enrollment and course attendance, as reported by instructors.
• The amount of financial aid for which a student is eligible is determined based upon enrollment and attendance as of the 10th day after regular term registration ends[1].
• If a student adds courses after the 10th day after regular term registration ends¹, the financial aid award amount is not guaranteed to increase.
• If a student withdraws from a course prior to the 10th day after registration ends¹ or adds one or more courses beyond the 10th day after regular term registration ends¹, those courses may not be included when determining the amount of financial aid for which the student is eligible.
• If a student withdraws from a course prior to the 10th day after regular term registration ends¹, financial aid may be decreased.
• If financial aid awards are decreased, students may have to repay the College and/or the Department of Education all or part of their financial awards. Nonpayment of balances will prevent students from enrolling at Gadsden State or any other institution.  In addition, students may be referred to a collection agency.  For more information on the impact of withdrawals with respect to financial aid eligibility, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

Student Athletes and Health Sciences Students – These students must notify the appropriate department prior to withdrawing from any course. Health Science students participating in clinical courses may receive a grade prior to the withdrawal date and, thereby, become ineligible for withdrawal. 

Dropping (not withdrawing) a Single Course 

A student who either drops one course (a) before the official first day of class or (b) during the add/drop period and remains registered for other courses in that term will receive a full refund of tuition and fees for the dropped course. No refund is due if a student withdraws from one course after the add/drop period while remaining registered for one or more other courses.

Term Withdrawal from the College

Term withdrawal is defined as: The student will not (a) attend the upcoming/current, registered term or (b) complete the current, registered term.

Term withdrawal procedures are based on the term’s academic calendar:

• Before the first day of the term
  • Student drops all courses via the MyGadsdenState portal.
• First Day of Term through Last Day to Add/Drop
  • Student drops all but one course via the MyGadsdenState portal.
  • Student submits a Withdrawal Form to drop the last course.
• During the Published Withdrawal Period
  • Student submits a Withdrawal Form to withdraw from the last course.

Special Considerations - Nursing students, EMS students, and student athletes must notify the appropriate department prior to initiating term withdrawal.

Additional Information –

• Reregistration - Once term withdrawal has been processed, the student cannot register for additional courses during the term of withdrawal.
• Abandonment - Should a student abandon any courses without officially withdrawing from the courses or from the College (term withdrawal), a grade of "F" will be assigned to each course.
• Financial Aid - A Return of Title IV calculation will be required for students receiving or eligible to receive financial aid.  Refer to the section "Treatment of Financial Aid for Complete Withdrawal" for more information.
• Readmission – A student who completes a term withdrawal is eligible to register for either of the next two full terms (fall, spring, summer) without reapplying for admission. Additional information about readmission to the College may be found in the Admissions section of the catalog.

Administrative Withdrawal from a Course or the College

The College may drop or withdraw students from any course for the following reasons:

• Failure to fulfill conditions of registration if allowed to register on a conditional basis
• Failure to pay applicable tuition and fees
• Disciplinary action
• Misrepresentation of the required information
• Failure to attend course   
• Schedule Change

Withdrawals and Refunds

A student who completes a full withdrawal from all courses before the first official day of class or during the first three calendar weeks of the term will be refunded tuition and fees on the following basis:

• Withdrawal before the first official day of class: 100% refund of tuition
• Withdrawal during the first week of class: 75% refund of net tuition
• Withdrawal during the second week of class: 50% refund of net tuition
• Withdrawal during the third week of class: 25% refund of net tuition
• Withdrawal after the close of the third week of courses: No refund

This refund policy applies to a full sixteen-week fall or spring semester. Tuition refunds for shorter terms (summer terms, mini-semesters) determined on an abbreviated timetable based on the number of days in the term.