When to Drop a Course
Dropping a class can affect your grades and your financial aid awards. But there may come a time when you will need to drop a class for one reason or another.
If you drop a class before the add/drop deadline, there are no consequences as long as you maintain a full-time course load. Read Add/Drop Period & Deadlines for more information or Academic Calendar for specific dates.
Know Your Dates
- Early semester: Last day to add/drop courses or withdraw from the university without incurring financial liability for tuition and fees.
- Mid-semester: Last day to withdraw from all courses with a 25% refund.
- Mid to late semester: Return of Title IV deadline for financial aid recipients.
- Mid to late semester: Last day to drop a course with a DR grade or withdraw from the university with a WI grade.
Check the Academic Calendar for exact dates.
Late Drops
Before you drop any class, you should talk with your advisor. In some cases, your advisor may recommend you drop a class if you are struggling. But dropping a course can have serious consequences. Classes officially dropped after the add/drop period result in:
- A grade recorded as DR or W on your transcript (see Grading System for more).
- Financial liability for all dropped courses.
- Loss of financial aid money if your enrollment drops below the credits necessary to qualify for aid (usually a full-time course load).
- Interruption of academic progress needed to complete your degree and to qualify for aid.
You should Contact OneStop before dropping classes to determine your potential financial liability.
Petition to Late Drop Classes
You will need to submit a student petition drop a class after the final drop deadline has passed. Petitions are approved in the following circumstances:
- Death of a student or immediate family member (parent, spouse, child, sibling, or grandparents). Death certificate required.
- Call to active military service. Copy of orders required.
- Illness of student of such severity or duration to preclude completion of courses. Confirmation by a physician required.
Petitions can take 6-8 weeks to get approval. For specific information on the dropping and withdrawing policy refer to the Office of the Registrar’s University Catalog.
Withdrawing From All Courses
Students can initiate the electronic withdrawal request under Registration and Student Records Forms (OneStop Home > Forms & Policies > All Forms). The withdrawal request is from all courses with WI grades for the current semester or to withdraw from the University permanently.
The completed form must be submitted by the withdrawal semester deadline as indicated on the Academic Calendar. A “WI” grade will be posted for each course. Fee liability will be maintained for each course. Students that do not enroll in any course at the University for three or more consecutive terms will be required to apply for re-admission.
Please follow the submission requirements once you have obtained all the appropriate signatures to withdrawal:
- Email the completed form to onestop@fiu.edu for processing
- The request must be sent from your FIU student email address.
- Use Subject Line: Student Withdrawal Form
Potential Charges or Lost Aid
If you do not complete all of the courses for which you were scheduled to attend during the semester, your financial aid award may be reduced or canceled, and you may be required to return a portion of the aid awarded to you.
If you are entitled to a refund of your tuition, all or part of that refund will be applied to any balance created from the reduction in financial aid. You are responsible for any remaining balance on your student account.
You should always consult with the OneStop prior to dropping or withdrawing to determine your potential financial liability. In addition, withdrawing or dropping courses may affect your meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress for the next academic year and if enrolled less than half-time, you may be required to start repayment of your student loans.
For specific information on the University’s Dropping & Withdrawing policy refer to the Office of the Registrar’s University Catalog. For more information on returning financial aid, see Returning Funds.