Withdrawal

If you are looking for information about dropping select classes from your schedule rather than leaving a full Semester or Summer Session, visit either the Enrollment (Add/Drop a Course) page (for drops before the deadline) or Late Change of Class Schedule page (for drops after the deadline). 

Withdrawal 

Withdrawal means dropping all classes once the semester has started. Withdrawal of a Fall or Spring semester will also cancel any enrollment in future semesters (including Summer) and you will need to apply for readmission in order to attend a future Fall or Spring semester. If you wish to withdraw, review Cal Student Central's withdrawal information to understand how a withdrawal may affect different aspects of your student status, including financial aid, housing, and more. 

It is always encouraged to meet with an L&S College Adviser to discuss your decision to withdraw from a semester, especially if you plan to take coursework elsewhere during your break. 

Cancellation

Withdrawals submitted prior to the first day of instruction for a term will be processed as a cancellation of registration. You will need to apply for readmission in order to attend a future Fall or Spring semester. 

Deadline

Fall/Spring semesters: Friday of RRR week at 11:59pm PT

Summer Sessions: Last day of the session at 11:59pm PT

Deadlines for the current term are listed on our homepage.  

How to submit a withdrawal or cancellation

Submit a Withdrawal Request by going to your CalCentral’s “My Dashboard” tab and selecting “Add a Withdrawal Request” under “Student Resources”.

  • To submit a withdrawal, select the current term.
  • For a cancellation, select a future term. 

Important Note for Newly Admitted Students: If you submit a withdrawal request prior to the first day of instruction of your first semester, it will result in the cancellation of your admission to UC Berkeley. See the FAQ below for more information. 

Withdrawal FAQs

Newly Admitted Students

If you are a newly admitted freshman or transfer student, submitting a withdrawal request prior to the first day of instruction of your first semester at UC Berkeley will result in a cancellation of your admission. Instead, if you need to postpone your enrollment at Berkeley, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to discuss the possibility of deferral.

Financial Aid, Visas, and Housing

If you are a financial aid recipient who withdraws, you may be required to pay back financial aid that has been previously processed in the semester. Contact Cal Student Central to discuss the possible impact on financial aid prior to making a decision about withdrawing.

If you are an international student, contact the Berkeley International Office to discuss how withdrawal affects your student visa status.

If you are a student living in Cal Housing, contact Housing to discuss how withdrawal affects your housing contract.

Impacts to transcripts and tuition

Transcripts

The withdrawal date will appear on the transcript and all courses for the semester will be removed. The reason for withdrawal is confidential and does not appear on the official transcript.

If you submit your form before the first day of instruction for the term, your request will be processed as a cancellation. There will be no notation of a cancellation on your transcript.

Tuition refunds

Depending on when you submit a withdrawal, you may or may not have a portion of your tuition refunded. Visit the Office of the Registrar’s Refunds After Withdrawal page for more information. 

It is important to note that some fees are not refundable and if you have Financial Aid, you may have to pay back all or part of your aid package. 

Withdrawing after Readmission Deadline

When you submit a withdrawal request in a semester, your enrollments for that semester are dropped along with enrollments for future terms. You must apply for readmission to return for a future semester. You will need to submit your readmission packet by that deadline to be readmitted (November 1st for Spring or June 1st for Fall). Once your readmission is approved, you can enroll in classes for the next semester. See our readmission page for more information. 

If you submit a withdrawal request in Fall semester after November 1st, you will be unable to readmit for Spring semester because the readmission deadline has passed. You will need to readmit for a future term instead. (Because Spring semester ends before the Fall readmission deadline, withdrawing after the readmission deadline is a concern only relevant to Fall semesters.)

You can always meet with an L&S College Adviser to discuss your options if you cannot readmit into the following semester, from taking a break to enrolling at a different institution. (See our Planning Transfer Coursework page for more information.)

Medical Withdrawal

If you are considering pursuing a medical withdrawal, please contact University Health Services (UHS) for assistance. For information regarding medical withdrawals, please visit UHS's webpage on Medical Withdrawals. It is recommended that if you are waiting for approval of a medical withdrawal, you also initiate a personal withdrawal request via CalCentral. This will secure your withdrawal while you go through the medical withdrawal review.  

Retroactive Withdrawals: Withdrawals of previous terms

A Retroactive Withdrawal refers to the removal of a past term from an academic record after the withdrawal deadline for that term. This means the entire term of courses and grades will be removed from the record. 

Appeals for retroactive withdrawal are not guaranteed to be approved. Students must demonstrate the presence of extenuating circumstances to support their request.

STEP ONE: Who should review your request?

Students who are seeking retroactive withdrawal based on medical documentation and within a 12-month time frame are advised to pursue a retroactive medical withdrawal through the University Health Center.

Students who are seeking retroactive withdrawal based on experiencing sexual violence, sexual harrassment, intimate partner violence, or stalking are advised to contact the Path to Care office and to speak with a confidential advocate about their case. If it is determined that you have a retroactive withdrawal case, a confidential advocate will handle your request and you will not have to submit written statements or documentation of any kind. 

If the above is not relevant to you, move on to Step Two. 

Step Two: determine if you may have a case 

The College of Letters and Science will not consider retroactive withdrawal requests that involve the removal of passing grades of C- or better. 

Extenuating circumstances are required to appeal for retroactive withdrawal. Extenuating circumstances must clearly impact the semester for which the withdrawal is being requested. While extenuating circumstances are a necessary part of an appeal for retroactive withdrawal, they do not guarantee approval on their own. Requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and other factors will be considered.

Some examples of requests that CAN be considered:Requests for the following reasons CANNOT be considered
  • Documented death of a close loved one (spouse, parent, sibling, guardian, child)

  • Documented major medical issues experienced by the student or immediate family member more than 12 months from when the appeal is being made.*

  • Documented involuntary call to active military duty

  • Incarceration

  • Documented other extreme circumstances (case by case basis) 

  • Not knowing the deadline or procedure

  • Work scheduling conflicts 

  • Unaware of being enrolled in a class

  • Not needing a course to graduate

  • Unmanageable course load

  • Seeking to enhance your GPA

  • Retroactions due to accommodations perceived as not being met in that term. In this situation, please meet with the DSP office. You can also meet with the Student Ombuds and the Student Advocate's Office to pursue a grade appeal if appropriate

If you find that you do not have a strong case for a retroactive withdrawal, consider other options such as repeating courses or selecting alternate courses to meet requirements. If grades are impacting major options, discuss options with major advisers or meet with an L&S College Adviser to explore new major pathways. 

Step three: complete one passing term

After the term from which a student is hoping to withdraw retroactively, students are required to complete at least one passing term at UC Berkeley before appealing for retroactive withdrawal. This not only allows you to concentrate first on your academic progress, it also helps demonstrate that your academic performance in the semester in question was related to extenuating circumstances present in that term. 

It is therefore important that if you are still struggling with extenuating circumstances that are impacting your academics that you strongly consider withdrawing or adjusting your schedule. Meet with an L&S College Adviser to discuss your options. 

step four: meet with an L&S College adviser

If you have extenuating circumstances that can be considered per the table above, or you do not see your situation but think you may have extenuating circumstances, schedule a meeting with an L&S College Adviser. In that meeting, the adviser will help you determine whether or not your case is able to be considered. 

If your case is able to be considered, you will be instructed to submit an appeal. This appeal will include a written statement (prompts will be provided), relevant documentation, and a signed program plan from a major adviser. 

Please note that if you submit an appeal, you must include all necessary information at that time. You will not have the opportunity to meet in-person with the deciding body. All decisions are final and cannot be contested. 

Readmission

To return to Cal after a withdrawal or cancellation, you will need to apply for Readmission