Add/Drop deadlines are published in the Academic Calendar. In the case of full-term course offerings, the last day to drop a class without paying full tuition is the eighth calendar day of the term; the last day to add a class is also the eighth calendar day of the term. For less than full-term course offerings, please refer to the Academic Calendar for your appropriate deadline.

It is the student’s responsibility to initiate add/drop procedures. Students may drop and add courses online after they have registered and until the drop/add deadline online using BlazerNET.

To avoid academic penalty, a student must withdraw from a course by the withdrawal deadline shown in the academic calendar and receive a grade of W (withdrawn). Failure to attend class does not constitute a formal drop or withdrawal.

Withdrawal from a course can only be accomplished using official procedures. The official course withdrawal must be completed online in BlazerNET. In extraordinary circumstances, if it is impossible for the student to drop or withdraw from a course online the student may email a withdrawal request to the One Stop Office. The official date of a course withdrawal will be the date the letter is received in this office. If the official date of a course withdrawal is after the last day to drop without paying, no tuition or fees will be refunded.

For financial aid purposes, the date of last class attendance will be the official date of course withdrawal unless otherwise documented. Note that individual schools may have withdrawal rules in addition to the above.

Withdrawal from a course while a possible violation of the Academic Honor Code is under review will not preclude the assignment of a course grade that appropriately reflects the student’s performance prior to the course withdrawal if the violation is substantiated.

Effective fall 2019.

A student desiring to submit a full-term withdrawal from the University must complete the withdrawal process in BlazerNET

This policy applies to all semesters & parts of term including fall and spring semesters, fall and spring 7-week sessions, and summer terms. If a student withdraws from all courses in a term, a portion of or all financial aid may be returned by the University to the original provider(s) of the funding. In such cases where the return of funds creates a balance due to UAB, the student will be required to reimburse the University for those returned funds and any associated fees.

Under the new policy, there would be a 72 hour notification period where various departments would be notified. Depending on the student’s status, these may include Housing, Student Accounting, Financial Aid, Primary Advisor, Student Outreach, Student Success and Retention, the Registrar’s office, and Graduate School. Certain populations (international students, veterans, Ph.D. students) may have additional notifications.

The tuition refund schedule for each semester or summer term is published in the Academic Calendar.

Effective fall 2019.

The Voluntary Medical Withdrawal policy of The University of Alabama at Birmingham establishes procedures to follow when a student suffers from a physical, emotional, or psychological condition that significantly impacts their ability to function successfully or safely as a student. The policy requires students to submit documentation through their UAB Patient Portal to the Medical Director of UAB Student Health Services from a licensed provider with whom they have established care. During the term, if a student wishes to withdraw, the Full Term Withdrawal should be utilized. Voluntary Medical Withdrawals should only be submitted after the term has ended. A student has 60 days after the term has ended to submit a Voluntary Medical Withdrawal.

Students wishing to pursue a medical withdrawal should review the Voluntary Medical Withdrawal process on the UAB Student Health Services website and seek guidance regarding the impact of a medical withdrawal albeit a delayed graduation or the impact of this action on financial aid or any other funding received.

Please note that there is no differentiation between how Full Term Withdrawal and Voluntary Medical Withdrawal are noted on a student’s transcript. Students should only consider pursuing a medical withdrawal during the term if:

• an existing medical condition prevented a student from completing a standard withdrawal at the time the condition began, or
• if a medical condition that began at an earlier point in the semester is the reason the student is seeking to withdraw from classes.

If you wish to pursue a medical withdrawal and have questions related to the process, please contact the UAB Student Health Services office.

Term Withdrawal will not take effect until fall 2019.

Q: What’s the difference between a course withdrawal and a term withdrawal?

A course withdrawal refers to withdrawing from an individual course. A student may still be enrolled after a course withdrawal. A term withdrawal is when the student withdraws from all courses and is no longer enrolled for that semester.

Q: Why does the term withdrawal date differ from the course withdrawal date?

The full term withdrawal date is later in the semester to accommodate students who experience some type of extenuating circumstance and need to unenroll during the term. This provides academic relief for students, making it easier for them to return in a future semester.

Q: Does the graduated refund apply to withdrawal from individual courses?

No. The graduated refund schedule only applies to students withdrawing from the entire term.

Q: Who gets notified when a student withdraws from the term?

In the case of a term withdrawal, there would be a 72 hour notification period where various departments would be notified. Depending on the student’s status, these may include Housing, Student Accounting, Financial Aid, Primary Advisor, Student Outreach, Student Success and Retention, the Registrar’s office, and Graduate School. Certain populations (international students, veterans, PhD students) may have additional notifications.

Q: Do these same groups get notified if a student withdraws from a course?

No, only instructors are notified when a student withdraws from a course.

Q: What if a student no longer wishes to withdraw?

If a student revokes a term withdrawal request in the 72 hour notification period, the request will not be processed and they will remain enrolled. Any subsequent withdrawal requests will be processed with the later date.

Q: What is a medical withdrawal?

Typically, if a student needs to withdraw from all their classes, a full term withdrawal is the simplest method. In rare instances, either because of a lingering medical issue or extraordinary timing surrounding a medical situation, a student may need to request a medical withdrawal.

Q: When can students request a medical withdrawal?

Students may request a medical withdrawal by submitting a Request for Medical Withdrawal form and licensed provider documentation within sixty (60) calendar days of the last day of classes for the semester/term for which the withdrawal is requested. Depending on the timing of the medical issue students may want to explore other options, such as taking an Incomplete, prior to requesting a Medical Withdrawal.

Q: Can students medically withdraw from one course?

Typically no. Students may withdraw from individual courses up until the course withdrawal date as determined by the academic calendar. After that, a term withdrawal is the only option. A medical withdrawal is from all courses. Exceptions can be made for clinical, physical education, and other courses where students cannot meet the essential requirements of the course.

Q: Do students get refunded if they medically withdraw?

No. The Medical Withdrawal Policy is intended to provide academic relief, not financial relief.