Current students withdrawing from the university prior to the schedule adjustment deadline should complete the Request for Withdrawal Prior to Schedule Adjustment form. Dropping all courses does not constitute an official withdrawal. A withdrawal prior to the schedule adjustment deadline will remove all courses from your academic transcript for the semester.

All new students withdrawing prior to the schedule adjustment deadline are required to reapply and be readmitted to the university for future semesters.

After the schedule adjustment deadline, changes to your schedule, including adding additional courses, changing grading basis, or withdrawal from one or more courses, are only permitted for extremely serious, fully-documented circumstances which were out of your control. An approved withdrawal requested prior to the university census date will remove the course from your academic record. An approved withdrawal requested after the university census date will result in a grade of "W" for the course(s) on your academic transcript. "W" grades are not factored into your grade point average, academic probation or disqualification procedures, or as a course attempt for course repeat policies. Please contact Student Account Services to determine any financial impact of an approved Late Schedule Adjustment.

Requests for changes to your schedule after the schedule adjustment deadline are accepted through the last instructional day of the semester and are reviewed only by the Petition for Late Schedule Adjustment with the following required documents:

• A written statement of the serious and compelling reason that warrants an exception accompanied by third-party documentation to support your statement
• Verification that you have notified your course instructor of your request and obtained your grade-to-date in the course (e.g. a screenshot or PDF of your email conversation). Undergraduate students withdrawing from all courses are not required to submit verification of instructor approval, however the third party documentation indicated above is required of all students.

Approved petitions are subject to a $20 Late Schedule Adjustment Fee.

Petitions submitted without the required documentation will not be accepted.

Under the SDSU Senate Policy, students may request to withdraw from either individual courses or the full semester's work after the semester has ended.

No requests for retroactive withdrawal will be accepted after a student's degree has been posted to their record.

Requests for retroactive withdrawal may be granted only in verified cases where the cause for substandard performance was beyond the student's control, such as accident or serious illness. Requests are reviewed only through the Request for Retroactive Withdrawal Form with the following required documents:

Undergraduate Students

• A written statement of the serious and compelling reason that warrants an exception and how these circumstances prevented you from withdrawing before the designated deadlines. If you are requesting retroactive withdrawal from some (but not all) courses in a prior semester, please indicate why only some courses were impacted.
• Third-party documentation to support your statement. Examples include hospital records, a letter from a doctor or counselor, or copy of an obituary/memorial notice. For a letter or memo, the writer should have first-hand knowledge of the circumstances and include their contact information. All petitions and supporting documents are treated as confidential and protected by federal privacy laws from improper disclosure.

Graduate Students

• The request requires an email from each course instructor acknowledging that they are aware the student is requesting withdrawal.
• Retroactive withdrawal from all courses in a prior term may be approved when the cause was beyond the student’s control. Withdrawal from only some classes is an unusual exception that may be approved only with additional course-specific justification.
• Retroactive withdrawal must be filed within two years after grades are posted. Approval beyond that time may be granted by the Graduate Dean or designee only in highly unusual circumstances.

Submitted Requests

Requests submitted without the required documentation will not be accepted, nor will requests for withdrawal after a degree has been awarded. All undergraduate requests for retroactive withdrawal will be reviewed by the assistant dean of your college. Graduate student requests will be reviewed by the Graduate Dean or designee Final determinations may take four to six weeks, and sometimes longer. Approved petitions are subject to a $20 Retroactive Withdrawal Fee.

Undergraduate students requesting to add a course after the last day of the term should contact the Office of the Registrar through the Contact Us Form. Graduate students should contact Graduate Studies at [email protected].

1. Student initiates request for late schedule adjustment by requesting faculty approval through email communication.
2. Student fills out Petition for Late Schedule Adjustment and attaches faculty approval and supporting documentation.
3. Petition is reviewed by the Assistant Dean of the student's major.

Yes, a separate petition is required for each action you wish to take. Please submit a petition to request to add a course and include instructor approval and third party documentation. You will also need to submit a petition to drop the course you are already enrolled in. Please also include instructor approval and third party documentation.

Petitions for Late Schedule Adjustments are reviewed by the Assistant Dean for your major. Review the Assistant Dean Support section, to find the list of Assistant Deans for each college.

Please anticipate a decision via email within 2-3 weeks.

Depending on the extenuating circumstance, examples of supporting documentation are hospital records, a letter from a doctor or counselor, or copy of an obituary/memorial notice. For a letter or memo, the writer should have first-hand knowledge of the circumstances and include their contact information. All petitions and supporting documents are treated as confidential and protected by federal privacy laws from improper disclosure.

If you are requesting to withdraw, emailing your instructor before you request a late schedule adjustment will create an opportunity for you to discuss with your instructor the challenges you are experiencing with the class. Your instructor may have other options available for you to complete the class, such as an incomplete grade.

If you are requesting to late add a class, emailing your instructor before you request a late schedule adjustment will ensure that the instructor is aware of you enrolling, there is space available for you, and that you have not missed too many assignments that may jeopardize your grade.

You will need to email your instructor to ask for approval to withdraw from or add their class. In your email please include your RedID, name, course information, if you are requesting to add or drop the class, your reason for the request, and a statement asking if the instructor has any other options available to you to complete the class. Please see an example request below:

"Hello, I am writing to inform you that I would like to request permission for a late schedule adjustment for your class. If there are other options besides a late schedule adjustment available to me, please include them in your response. My student information is below..."

Petitions can take up to 3 weeks to make a determination. When an action is taken, you will be notified via email. Please speak with the Assistant Dean for your major if you have any questions or concerns about your petition.

Petitions can only be canceled before they are processed. Please contact your Assistant Dean if you are unsure if a Late Schedule Adjustment is a good option for you.

Yes. Please continue to attend class until you are notified of a decision as approval is not guaranteed.

Requests for changes to your schedule after the schedule adjustment deadline are accepted through the last instructional day of the semester.

Please submit a contract release request right away if you are not planning to attend SDSU. Additional information regarding cancellations can be found on our license agreement web page.

For information about past updates to academic policies, requirements, and processes that were implemented in response to COVID-19, please review the Enrollment Services COVID-19 Updates web page.