Withdrawal Policies

Withdrawal refers to the cancellation of registration for all classes within a term or multiple terms. A withdrawal is effective the date the completed form is received by the Registrar's Office. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure their withdrawal paperwork has been received.

Students looking to drop a single course in a term should refer to the Registration page of the catalog for additional details.

Withdrawal from a Program

Students who find it necessary to change programs (for example, from one masters program to another, or from a traditional program to a non-traditional accelerated program) should first consult with their Academic Advisor. On some occasions, circumstances will dictate that students enrolled in a program terminate their enrollment at the University and request admission into a subsequent program. If applicable, a Leave of Absence may be completed (see policy below). Changes of major within a program do not typically necessitate withdrawal, and may be requested by submitting a Major Declaration/Change Form in MyJudson.

Withdrawal from all Courses

University Unofficial Administrative Withdrawal

A student may be administratively withdrawn from the University for academic misconduct, behavioral misconduct, non-attendance, non-payment of tuition or fees, failure to meet provisional admission requirements, or failure to maintain good academic standing. The administrative withdrawal may be noted on the student's transcript. Students who receive consecutive Administrative Withdrawal Failures (AWFs) in a term may be administratively withdrawn from the remainder of the payment period. The student will be held liable for all tuition and fees. Students who desire to continue in the next payment period must meet with their Academic Advisors.

University Official Withdrawal

Cancellation Prior to Matriculation: Students who wish to cancel their registration from all courses prior to matriculation at Judson should contact the Admissions Office or their Enrollment Coach, who will notify the Registrar's Office to have the student cancelled from all registered courses. Refunds will be issued according to the Tuition and Fee Refund for Withdrawal schedule, which can be found in the Financial Information section of this catalog under Refunds.

Withdrawals Prior to the Start of Term: Continuing students who do not plan to return for a given semester are required to formally withdraw from the University prior to the first day of the semester. In doing so, no penalization will occur to the student’s academic record and there will be no financial obligations. The student who wishes to withdraw from the University may be required to attend an interview with the assigned staff member within the Student Success Center and complete the online Student Withdrawal Form. The withdrawal will not be processed until this form is completed and submitted by the student. Refunds will be issued according to the Tuition and Fee Refund for Withdrawal schedule, which can be found in the Financial Information section of this catalog under Refunds. However, continuing students registered for courses for a given term who decide not to return to Judson and do not notify the Registrar's Office in writing prior to the first day of the semester, will be held liable for all tuition and fees and will receive grades of Administrative Withdrawal Failure (AWF) for all unfinished courses.
Note: Continuing students who are pre-registered for multiple terms are responsible for the withdrawal of all terms. It is the student's responsibility to check their registration status.

Withdrawals During the Term: Students withdrawing from all courses during a term may be required to attend an interview with the assigned staff member within the Student Success Center and complete the online Student Withdrawal Form to formally withdraw from the University. The withdrawal will not be processed until this form is completed and submitted by the student. Refunds will be issued according to the Tuition and Fee Refund for Withdrawal schedule, which can be found in the Financial Information section of this catalog under Refunds. Final grades will be issued according to the Withdrawal Calendar for the program, which can be found on the Registration page of the catalog. Students who leave Judson University during a semester without completing the Student Withdrawal form will be held liable for all tuition and fees, and will receive grades of Administrative Withdrawal Failure (AWF) for all unfinished courses.

Military Withdrawal: Withdrawal for military reasons is total or none; a student is not allowed to withdraw from some courses but not others. A copy of the government's official "Call or Recall to Active Duty" documentation is required, and should be included with the online Student Withdrawal Form. Grades of "W" for "Withdrawal" are recorded on the official academic record; these grades are non-penalizing. All tuition and fees paid by the student for the semester the student is withdrawing from will be refunded at a rate of 100%; however, room and board will be refunded on a pro-rated basis through the date of withdrawal. If, in the future, the student wishes to return to Judson University, he or she must reapply in accordance with the University's readmission policy, as outlined in this catalog.

Medical Withdrawal: Withdrawal for medical reasons is total or none; a student is not allowed to withdraw from some courses but not others (rare exceptions may be made by written appeal to the Vice President for Student Success). Written medical documentation from a licensed physician/psychiatrist/other health care provider approved by the University is required, and will be taken into consideration along with other factors/information in evaluating the requested withdrawal. All documentation should be included with the online Medical Withdrawal form. Grades of "W" for "Withdrawal" are recorded on the official academic record; these grades are non-penalizing. The student is responsible for tuition and other appropriate charges up to the day of official withdrawal as outlined in the catalog's Tuition and Fees Refund Policy. However, in the event of a severe or life-threatening medical condition to the student or an immediate family member, the student may appeal in writing to the Vice President for Student Success for consideration above and beyond the normal refund policy. Such appeals must be made in writing, dated and signed. The letter must fully explain the circumstances involved and specify the consideration desired. A signed physician's letter further explaining the medical condition must accompany the appeal. All appeals will be reviewed within 30 days of receipt and the student will be notified of the refund determination in writing. The student cannot resume study in a subsequent term until a licensed physician/psychiatrist/other health care provider approved by the University provides written documentation that the student is "now healthy enough to resume university study." The student must then reapply in accordance to the University's readmission policy, as outlined in this catalog.

Leave of Absence Policy

Purpose

Judson University must have a written leave of absence (LOA) policy. The University and students must comply with the stated policy as well as governing regulations when requesting, approving, and processing LOAs. A Leave of Absence is an approved interruption in a student's program of study and is primarily designed for students enrolled in accelerated programs who take one class at a time.

Policy

Students may be approved by Judson University for two LOAs in a 12-month period. The first LOA may not be longer than 100 continuous days and the total of all LOAs may not exceed 180 days in the 12-month period. During an LOA, the student is not considered withdrawn and no return of federal funds calculation is required. The University will not assess additional charges related to the LOA.

Required Documentation

A leave of absence (LOA) may be considered approved if Judson University determines there is a reasonable expectation the student will return. Students must provide (on or before the start of the LOA) a written, signed, and dated request, including the reason for the LOA to their Academic Advisor. The advisor will provide a copy to the Financial Aid and the Accounting Offices for final approval.

If unforeseen circumstances prevent a student from providing a request to the campus on or before the start of the LOA, Judson University may grant the LOA if the campus has documented the reason and decision. The student must still provide the LOA request to the Academic Advisor and the approved copy should be forwarded to the Financial Aid and Accounting Offices within a reasonable amount of time from the last date of attendance. Unforeseen circumstances may include, but are not limited to, medical and family emergencies, military, jury duty, business travel, University course cancellation/and or facility closure, and natural disasters.

Length

The LOA length is based on the number of days between the student's last date of attendance and the reentry date. The first day of the student's initial LOA is used when determining the start date for the 12-month period. If a student is granted an LOA due to unforeseen circumstances, the beginning date of the approved LOA is the date the student was unable to attend class because of the unforeseen circumstance.

Extending an LOA

A student may request an LOA extension as long as the request is made before the scheduled reentry date. Students must provide (on or before the scheduled reentry date) a written, signed, and dated request, including the reason for the LOA, to their Academic Advisor.

Disbursements during an LOA

Judson University may disburse Pell funds to a student on an LOA. Loan funds cannot be disbursed to a student while on the LOA. Federal financial aid funds that are part of a credit balance created before a student began an LOA may be paid to a student, since those funds were disbursed before the student went on the LOA.

Completing of Coursework upon Return

Judson University will allow students returning from an LOA to complete coursework started prior to the leave with no additional charges.

Failure to Return

Judson University will explain to the student, prior to granting the leave of absence, the effects that the student's failure to return from an LOA may have on the student's loan repayment terms, including the expiration of the student's grace period. If a student does not return from an approved LOA, his/her withdrawal date and beginning of his/her grace period will be the last date of class attendance. Current student loans may also be subject to cancellation or re-calculation to determine how much of already disbursed loans will need to be returned to the Department of Education; any balance due on a student account resulting from cancellation or re-calculation will become immediately due.