Withdrawals
Graduate students have a number of options regarding withdrawing:
- Dropping/withdrawing from individual courses using MyUAlbany
- Dropping/withdrawing from all courses using MyUAlbany
- Withdrawing from their graduate program entirely (does not adjust current registration)
Not attending your classes or canceling your on-campus housing or meal plan does not constitute an official withdrawal.
If you decide to formally withdraw from your program at UAlbany, you must drop/withdraw from all courses using MyUAlbany and notify the Graduate School by submitting the Graduate Program Withdrawal Request. The Graduate Program Withdrawal Request form does NOT adjust your current registration. Students must drop or withdraw from their courses via MyUAlbany before the advertised deadline on the Academic Calendar.
Students who withdraw from the University lose access to services and privileges available to enrolled students. Graduate students who live on campus will need to contact Residential Life for information on housing releases and/or charge adjustments. Course and program withdrawal may affect financial aid, if applicable. If you are discontinuing your program and/or dropping courses, please check your account for a balance and discuss your financial aid with Student Financial Services.
Visit the Graduate Bulletin for more information on program withdrawals.
Academic Records
Academic Records
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from a course after the program adjustment period and up through the course withdrawal deadline will have a grade of W (withdrawn).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 of the Graduate School Dean.
Appeal for an Exception to the Course Withdrawal Deadline
Appeal for an Exception to the Course Withdrawal Deadline
Students seeking to late withdraw from a course due to extenuating circumstances can submit a Graduate Request for Exception to Course Withdrawal Deadline.
When the student submits an appeal electronically using the form linked above, a copy is automatically submitted to the course instructor for feedback and approval. As of Fall 2021, students cannot initiate late withdrawal requests that date back more than one year.
Appeals must include information about the extenuating circumstance and why it prevented the student from dropping the course by the deadline. For semester length courses, the course withdrawal deadline is the last day of classes. 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.
Exceptions to the course withdrawal deadline will be granted only in the most exceptional, documented extenuating circumstances (e.g., an absolute incapacity to meet the deadline because of a medical emergency).
The student will be notified via their UAlbany email after a decision is made.
Approved appeals require an administrative fee per course, which must be paid before the withdrawal can be processed. Instructions for paying the fee will be included in the notification email. Approved appeals will result in a grade of W. Students cannot appeal to drop a course without the grade of W.
These appeals do not affect tuition liability; students who are granted appeals to late withdraw from courses are still financially liable for the course. However, enrollment changes may impact my eligibility for financial aid for current and/or future terms. Please contact the Student Financial Services to inquire how a late withdrawal will impact financial aid.
Readmission
Readmission
A graduate student who has withdrawn or is no longer active in their program but wants to continue their studies must submit a new graduate admissions application.
Once the Graduate School receives the completed application, it is reviewed by their academic department.
Please note that previous admissions decisions do not guarantee readmission for future study.
Visit our Apply to a Degree or Certificate Program page for application instructions.
Financial Liability
Financial Liability
If a student withdraws before completing at least 60% of the academic term, a portion of their federal Title IV aid — which includes federal loans — may be returned to the appropriate aid program. If aid is returned, they may still owe a balance to the University.
If you officially withdraw from the University or reduce the number of credits for which you’re registered by dropping a course without swapping it with another, you may be entitled to an adjustment of charges or a refund of payments you have already made.
Visit Student Financial Services’ page on Financial Liability for Dropping Courses or Withdrawing for more information.
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 be found on the Student Financial Services' page on Financial Liability for Dropping Courses or Withdrawing. If you would like to submit an appeal, please complete the Tuition Appeal Request.
Medical Withdrawals
Students who need to withdraw from a semester for medical reasons can submit a medical withdrawal form and related information to the appropriate University office. Medical withdrawals are for the full semester’s registration and cannot be granted for individual courses.
Students seeking permission to late drop or withdraw from individual courses can submit an appeal for an exception to the course withdrawal deadline. Please see the "Appeal for an Exception to the Course Withdrawal Deadline" section above for instructions.
Please note that students who withdraw from the University lose access to services and privileges available to enrolled students.
Graduate students who live on campus will need to contact Residential Life for information on housing releases and/or charge adjustments.
Visit the Graduate Bulletin for more information on medical withdrawals.
Instructions for Submitting Medical Records
Instructions for Submitting Medical Records
For questions related to medical documentation, please contact Student Health Services or Counseling & Psychological Services directly, not the Graduate School.
Please complete the Medical Withdrawal Form and send it directly 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 also send your supporting documentation to SHS or CAPS within 15 calendar days of your withdrawal form submission.
The documentation must be completed and signed by the licensed 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 Graduate School.
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.
Financial Liability for Medical Withdrawal
Financial Liability for Medical Withdrawal
Medical withdrawals effective on or before the mid-semester point may qualify the student for tuition and fees adjustment for the term of withdrawal.
However, if a student withdraws before completing at least 60% of the academic term, a portion of their federal Title IV aid — which includes federal loans — may be returned to the appropriate aid program. If aid is returned, they may still owe a balance to the University.
Visit Student Financial Services’ page on Financial Liability for Dropping Courses or Withdrawing for more information.
Reentry
Reentry
For questions related to medical documentation, please contact Student Health Services or Counseling & Psychological Services directly, not the Graduate School.
If you left UAlbany with an approved medical withdrawal, you must also receive medical clearance to return.
To be medically cleared, you or your health care provider must submit evidence of your treatment to either Student Health Services (SHS) or Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS), depending on the nature of the condition or circumstances.
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 condition, including a statement highlighting the ways in which their condition has improved and will no longer significantly interfere with their performance as a student
- An explicit recommendation for readmission
Students who withdrew 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 who withdrew 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.
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 Graduate School.
Student Health Services and Counseling & Psychological Services reserves the right to make an independent evaluation of a student's readiness to return to the University.
Leaves of Absence
Doctoral students are required to maintain continuous registration. However, a doctoral student is eligible to apply for a leave of absence before reaching doctoral candidacy and/or registering for dissertation credits.
Note: Master’s and certificate students are not required to maintain continuous registration, so they don’t need to apply for a leave of absence. However, master’s and certificate students must complete their degree requirements within six years.
A doctoral leave may be proposed for an appropriate academic or personal reason and will be subject to the approval of the student’s department, school or college and the Graduate School Dean.
To initiate this process, please complete and submit a Request for Leave of Absence from Graduate Study form.
A doctoral leave of absence is normally granted for a period of up to one year. Multiple leaves may be granted up to a combined maximum of four semesters.
The period of authorized leave is not counted as part of the statute of limitations for completion of degree requirements.
Students granted a leave are not expected to be progressing toward the completion of their degree requirements during the leave period.
During periods of approved leave, students cannot engage in program-related independent research or analysis, work with faculty, take exams or make use of University facilities only available to students.
Attendance and Absence Guidelines
Students are expected to attend all classes and examinations and to complete all course requirements on time. Instructors may include attendance and/or participation as part of graded work in a course, and may impose appropriate penalties for missed or late work.
Instructors may, at their discretion, excuse a student’s absence from class and allow the submission of late work in cases of emergency or legitimate, unavoidable scheduling conflicts. Students must inform instructors at the earliest possible moment when such situations arise, and instructors may ask students for verifying documentation.
The Graduate School will officially notify instructors of their responsibility to provide academic accommodations only in cases in which the absence exceeds one calendar week or when a student has missed a major exam or assignment, and only upon the presentation of verifying documentation by the student. In all other cases, instructors must use their best judgment in deciding whether and how to accommodate student absences, and in asking for and evaluating supporting documentation. Disagreements between instructors and students in these cases will be adjudicated though the applicable school or college grievance process, beginning with the applicable department chair.
Excused absences generally fall into two categories:
- medical care, tragedy, or emergency
- religious observance
It is the student’s responsibility to provide sufficient documentation to support any request. Fraudulent excuses are violations of academic integrity and as such are grounds for disciplinary action.
Medical Care, Tragedy, or Emergency:
If an absence is caused by hospitalization or other significant medical reason (including pregnancy), a tragic or traumatic experience, or other emergency, students must notify their instructors as soon as possible. In general, students are expected to provide appropriate documentation. In cases where absences exceed one calendar week or cause a student to miss a major exam or assignment, the Graduate School will review the documentation and, if appropriate, notify instructors of the date(s) for which the student has been excused. An instructor in this case may not penalize the student academically for the absence and must provide reasonable opportunities for students to make up missed work. Disagreements between instructors and students in these cases will be adjudicated though the applicable school or college grievance process, beginning with the applicable department chair. The Graduate School will not provide formal academic accommodations for absences lasting more than two calendar weeks. Requests must be submitted within one calendar week after the requested period of excused absence, unless extenuating circumstances exist. The university’s Student Health Services will consider providing written notes to students only when a condition is determined to be significant enough to prevent class attendance during the acute phase of the illness.
Religious Observance:
According to New York State Education Law (Section 224-A), campuses must excuse, without penalty, individual students absent because of religious beliefs, and to provide equivalent opportunities for make-up examinations, study, or work requirements missed because of such absences. Faculty should work directly with students to accommodate these absences, and students must notify the instructor of record in a timely manner. Additional information can be found on the Registrar's Office website.
Late Registration
Student can submit an appeal to late register in a course after the registration deadline with extenuating circumstances. Confirmation from the instructor is required before the appeal will be considered. Registration adjustments will not be made once the semester has ended.
Graduate students can complete the graduate student late registration/add appeal form within MyUAlbany (click on the Resources link on the left, under Registration). The completed form will send an automated email to the instructor of record requesting their approval of the late registration.
If approved by the instructor of record, the appeal will be reviewed by the Graduate School. Extenuating circumstances must be provided before the appeal will be considered. The student will be notified via their UAlbany email address when the request has been reviewed.
The student will be charged a late registration fee or late add fee, depending on the registration transaction.
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