Skip to content

Withdrawal, Quarter-Off, and On-Leave Policies

Withdrawal Policies

Withdrawal Policies

It is your responsibility to withdraw if you are unable to attend for the quarter. Through the end of the Unrestricted Drop Period, you may withdraw by dropping all courses via Register.UW. Beginning the first day of the Late Course Drop Period through the last date of instruction, you must withdraw by following the Adviser Assisted Drop process, as listed on the Current Quarter Drop webpage. You will not be able to completely withdraw or drop all courses using Register.UW or by emailing your campus registration team.

If you drop your last course using the Current Quarter Drop process and do not add another course you will be considered withdrawn for the quarter. Beginning the eighth calendar day of the quarter, if you drop your last course you will be charged a Change of Registration Service fee plus any tuition forfeiture. Tuition forfeitures will be applied for any drop resulting in a change of tuition cost in this period.

No withdrawals are accepted after the last day of instruction.

Transcript Entries

If you totally withdraw from a quarter during the first two weeks, the courses for that quarter are not recorded on your UW transcript; however, the date of the withdrawal is recorded and posted to the transcript. After this deadline, each course will be listed on an undergraduate’s transcript with an “RD’ for Registrar Drop grade.

Tuition

Students who withdraw may be entitled to a refund of all or a portion of the tuition and fees for a given quarter depending on the time of the quarter the withdrawal is completed. (Review Withdrawals or Refunds for Aid Recipients.) If you drop all of your courses, you will be charged a Change of Registration Service fee beginning the eighth calendar day of the term or quarter.

Tuition owed will be based upon the date the complete withdrawal is recorded at the Office of the University Registrar, the date that the last course is dropped through the Current Quarter Drop process by your campus registration team, If you withdraw, the amount of the U-PASS fee to be refunded is based on the date of withdrawal and follows the tuition forfeiture schedule.

Withdrawal by International Students

In general, U.S. law requires F-1 and J-1 students to be registered full-time. This is defined as at least:

  • 12 credits each quarter for undergraduate students
  • 10 credits each quarter for graduate students

Review the ISS Dropping a Course, Withdrawal, and On-Leave Status webpage for more information about possible legal exceptions to this requirement.

Withdrawal by Newly Admitted Students

Withdrawal from any quarter prior to the first day of the quarter for a newly admitted student invalidates your status as a continuing student. You must submit a new admission application by the published closing date for each quarter depending on your admission type (freshman/first-year, transfer, post-baccalaureate, graduate, international). Review the Registration Eligibility section of the Time Schedule if you are withdrawing before the first-course day of the quarter.

Withdrawal for Two Consecutive Quarters

Both undergraduate and graduate students who withdraw during the first week of two consecutive quarters will not be eligible to register as a continuing student for the third quarter. To re-enroll at the University, you will be required to submit the Returning Student Request Form, as well as pay the form submission fee. For example, if you withdraw during the first week of winter quarter and spring quarter, you must follow the returning former student process in order to register for autumn quarter.

Summer quarter at the University of Washington is scheduled for nine weeks each summer. Students may register for A-term, B-term, a Special Dates course, Full- term, or a combination of the four.

Full-term courses are held during the entire nine weeks. Courses held during the first four and a half weeks are considered “A-term.” Courses held during the second four and a half weeks are considered “B-term.” Some courses begin or end on dates other than the standard dates of A-term, B-term, or Full-term courses. These courses are considered “special date” courses. Withdrawal deadlines depend on whether the course is identified as an a, b, special date or full term course and whether you are registered for only A-term, B-term, Special Dates, Full-term or a combination of the four course types.

Summer Withdrawals

It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw when unable to attend for the quarter. Failing to attend class or notifying the instructor that you wish to drop a class does not constitute an official withdrawal from the course. Through the end of the Unrestricted Drop Period, you may withdraw by dropping all courses via Register.UW. Beginning the first day of the Late Course Drop Period through the last date of instruction, you must withdraw by following the Adviser Assisted Drop process, as listed on the Current Quarter Drop webpage. You will not be able to completely withdraw or drop all courses using Register.UW.

If you drop your last course using the Current Quarter Drop process and do not add another course you will be considered withdrawn for the quarter. Beginning the eighth calendar day of the quarter, if you drop your last course you will be charged a Change of Registration Fee plus any tuition forfeiture.

Depending on the date you withdraw, you may incur a tuition forfeiture fee.

Full-Term Course Withdrawal

The last day to withdraw from Full-term courses is on the Friday of the eighth week of the quarter. No withdrawals will be accepted after this date.

A-Term Course Withdrawals

A-term courses begin the same day as Full-term courses. No withdrawals are accepted twenty-four calendar days after the beginning of A-term courses. (The last day you may drop an A-term course if you are also enrolled in B-term or Full-term courses is twenty-one calendar days after the beginning of A-term.)

B-Term Course Withdrawals

B-term courses begin the day after A-term ends. The last day to withdraw (dropping all courses) from B-term is on the Friday of the eighth week of the quarter. No withdrawals will be accepted after this date. (The last day you may drop a B-term course if you are also enrolled in Full-term courses is twenty-one calendar days after the beginning of B-term.)

Special Dates Course Withdrawals

Special dates courses begin on the date listed in the Summer Quarter Bulletin. No withdrawals are accepted after the first day of the course. No drops of any kind are permitted on the last day of the course. (You may drop a course until the first 40 percent of a special dates course is completed. No drop is permitted after 40 percent of a special dates course is completed except with a complete withdrawal for the quarter.)

Transcript Entries

During summer quarter withdrawals shall be entered on your permanent record as follows:

  1. For full-quarter courses, during the first fourteen calendar days of the quarter only the date of withdrawal is recorded.
  2. For A-term courses, during the first seven calendar days of the quarter only the date of withdrawal is recorded.
  3. For B-term courses, from the first day of the quarter through the first seven calendar days of B-term only the date of withdrawal is recorded.
  4. For Special Dates courses, from the first day of the quarter through the first day of the course only the date of withdrawal is recorded.

After these deadlines, the courses will be listed on an undergraduate’s transcript with a RD for Registrar Drop grade. Courses will be listed on a graduate or professional student transcript with only a RD for Registrar Drop grade.

Tuition

Students who withdraw may be entitled to a refund of all or a portion of the tuition and fees for a given quarter depending on the time of the quarter the withdrawal is completed. (Review Withdrawals or Refunds for Aid Recipients.) If you withdraw, you will be charged a course Change of Registration Service fee beginning the eighth calendar day of the term or quarter. You will also be charged this fee if you withdraw after the first 40 percent of a Special Dates course is completed.

Tuition owed is based upon the date the withdrawal is recorded by the Office of the University Registrar, i.e., the date that the last course is dropped. If you withdraw, the amount of the U-PASS fee to be refunded is based on the date of withdrawal and follows the tuition forfeiture schedule.

Withdrawal by Newly Admitted Students

Withdrawal from summer quarter prior to the first day of the quarter for a newly admitted student invalidates your status as a continuing student. You must submit a new admission application by the published closing dates for each quarter depending on your admission type (freshman/first-year, transfer, postbaccalaureate, graduate, international). Review the Registration Eligibility section of the Time Schedule if you are withdrawing before the first course day of the quarter.

Former Quarter Drop Policy

Former Quarter Drop petitions may be submitted for dropping individual courses after the 14th calendar day of the quarter or after the drop deadline for A- or B-terms during summer quarter.

Students may petition the Registrar for a Former Quarter Drop if circumstances beyond the student’s control prevented them from dropping the course by the drop deadline (the last day to drop an individual course for the quarter).

Former Quarter Drops will not be granted for course work that has already been applied to a completed degree. Petitions must be submitted within one year of the quarter being petitioned or have support for an extension from the student’s adviser.

Grades cannot be changed after a degree has been granted.

Please review the Former Quarter Drop webpage for more information.

If you are called to active military duty during a quarter in which you are registered, you may either request to be withdrawn or request to receive credit or grades.

Withdrawals before the end of the 7th week of the quarter

You do not have the option of receiving credit or grades when withdrawing before the end of the 7th week of the quarter.

Refer to the Tuition section above regarding the possible cancellation and refunding of tuition and fees.

You may follow the drop procedures during the Unrestricted Drop Period or Late Drop Period (Current Drop Period) to withdraw from your courses or you may contact your corresponding campus registration team with questions regarding a full withdrawal.

If you withdraw after the end of the 7th week of the quarter

If you withdraw after the end of the 7th week of the quarter, you may elect to use the above procedure and withdraw without earning credit but getting a full refund, or you may elect to receive credit and grades. If you choose to receive credit you may not receive a refund.

Refer to the Tuition section above regarding the possible cancellation and refund of tuition and fees.

If you elect to receive credit or grades, you must contact the Credentials Team along with your military orders. A Credentials Team member will contact each of your instructors requesting grades. You may elect to have numeric grades recorded as by the instructor or to have them recorded as CR/NC (credit or no credit).

You may follow the drop procedures during the Unrestricted Drop Period or Late Drop Period (Current Drop Period) to withdraw from your courses or you may contact your corresponding campus registration team with questions regarding a full withdrawal.

If you are using any VA education benefits, please make sure to contact your VA certifying official when you withdraw to make sure your benefits are handled correctly.

Returning from Military Leave

You may apply to return using the Returning Student application form. The returning student submission fee will be waived. Registration will be permitted beginning Registration Period I.

Please consult with the Registration Team for complete details.

As long as you are not registered for any courses for upcoming quarters that you are not planning to attend, there is no paperwork that you need to formally complete through the Office of the University Registrar. Some things to keep in mind, however, depending on your situation:

  • Make sure you have paid any tuition or fees you owe the UW. Having any outstanding fees could result in holds being placed on your records, preventing you from ordering transcripts.
  • Students in a major or graduate program must let them know your intention of leaving and/or your planned time to return.
  • Students in University housing or who plan to be in a future quarter, contact the Housing and Food Services Office. Phone: 206-543-4059
  • Students receiving financial aid, must contact the Financial Aid Office for assistance with any paperwork you may need to complete. Phone: 206-543-6101
  • International students must contact their advisor in the International Student Services to make sure there is nothing you need to do through their office or issues involving your visa and requirements. Phone: 206-221-7857
  • Please be aware that the UW G Suite and/or UW Office 365 email & productivity platform account(s) and data that you create with your UW email address are temporary and will expire when you graduate and/or separate from the UW. However, you do have the ability to forward your UW email address to a personal, non-UW email address as a student and upon separation from the UW.

If you are an undergraduate or professional student (dental, law, or medical) who has completed the preceding quarter here at the University of Washington, you may take a quarter off under the Quarter-Off Eligibility Policy.

Subject to college, school, and departmental enrollment policies, an undergraduate or a professional student who has completed a quarter at the University of Washington may take the following quarter off and remain eligible to register in Registration Period I for the subsequent quarter without submitting an application as a returning student. For example, a student completing winter quarter may, without registering for or completing spring quarter, register during Registration Period I for autumn quarter without reapplying. Be advised that a registration date for that following quarter’s registration period will not appear on Register.UW. Please refer to the University’s academic calendar to find your registration date for the quarter in which you wish to resume your studies after your quarter-off.

Any quarter from which a student has completely withdrawn, or from which he/she is canceled, does not constitute a completed quarter.

Returning students who do not meet the criteria described in the above paragraph must submit a Returning Student Reenrollment Form by the published deadlines and pay the submission fee.

The Quarter-Off Eligibility Policy is not available to graduate students. Graduate students are governed by the Graduate School On-leave Policy.

Graduate students are required to maintain graduate status during their program of study. Students who desire to take a quarter or quarters off without going through the reinstatement process must apply for on-leave status for each quarter they do not register. Graduate students are not eligible for a U-PASS while they are on-leave. Review Graduate On-Leave Status for on-leave eligibility, the procedure for requesting leave, and information about reinstatement.

Review Returning Student Reenrollment Policies for information on how to return from on-leave status.

WAC 478-161-015 on-leave status for graduate students.

Students who drop or withdraw from classes after the first day of the quarter may be subject to a change of registration fee and may or may not be eligible for a complete refund of tuition. For more information, review the Student Fiscal Service’s tuition forfeiture information.

Period I Registration Dates Summer 2026

  • Period I Registration dates run April 16 – May 20.
  • Period I is for Continuing Students. Registration Period Definitions.
  • Registration opens up for each group at 6 a.m. (PST) of the designated start date.
Who Can Register Period I Registration Start Date
Eligible Disability Resources for Students (DRS) students 1
Eligible Veterans and National Guard Members and their spouses, domestic partners, and dependents 2
April 16
Contracted ROTC students
Students with Graduating Senior Priority (GSP) 3
NCAA athletes
April 16
Graduate students
Professional students
April 17
Seniors [135+ credits earned/in progress] 4
Postbaccalaureates
April 17
Juniors [90-134 credits earned/in progress] 4 April 17
Sophomores [45-89 credits earned/in progress] 4 April 17
First-Year Undergraduates/Freshmen [0-44 credits earned/in progress] 4 April 17
Returning, New, and Non-Matriculated students April 20
  • 1 Eligibility is based on your disability accommodation for Priority Registration. Having a DRS accommodation does not mean you have been set up to register early.
  • 2 Eligibility is determined by information provided in the admissions application process.
  • 3 The Graduating Senior Priority application deadline is the Thursday before registration opens.
  • 4 Eligibility to register is based on earned credits (including transfer and AP/IB credits on your UW transcript), and current quarter credits in progress as of the day your registration time opens.

Drop, Withdraw from Courses

Current Quarter Drop

Weeks 1 & 2 Week 3 – Last Day of Instruction
Unrestricted Drop Period
Add and drop classes via Register.UW with no restrictions until end of Week 2.
(Tuition Forfeiture period begins the start of Week 2)
Late Course Drop Period
Use your Quarterly Drop for one (1) class per quarter, or the Adviser-Assisted Drop form for two (2) or more classes

Former Quarter Drop

Finals Week+
After the Last Day of Instruction
Use the Former Quarter Drop process

Complete Withdrawal

Weeks 1 & 2 Week 3 – Last Day of Instruction
Unrestricted Drop Period
Drop all classes via Register.UW.
Late Course Drop Period
Drop all classes using the Adviser-Assisted Drop Request Form. Students may not completely withdraw after the last day of instruction.

Academic Calendar – Week

Academic Calendar – Student Guide

Go to Academic Calendar

Academic Calendar – This Week

Main Calendar View

Grading Option Changes

Students may choose to have a numerically graded course graded as Satisfactory/Non-Satisfactory (S/NS). There are three different methods to change your grading option, and the one you will use depends on when you are wanting to make the change. Professional school students should check with their respective school registrar or adviser for details on S/NS grading options and verify if their program is participating in this process.

For more information on the S/NS grading option refer to Scholastic Regulations Chapter 110 Grades, Honors, and Scholarship.

Change Grade Options by Quarter

I want to change my grading option between S/NS and numeric for a…

I Want to Change Grading Option for

You can change your courses to and from the Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory (S/NS) grading option up through the end of finals week/last week of the quarter.

S/NS graded courses do not count for degree or graduation requirements for undergraduate students unless the current quarter is an Extraordinary Circumstances Quarter. Graduate and professional students should consult with their advisers.

Change my grading option for current quarter via Register.UW

Registration Contacts

For additional questions, please contact your campus registration team at:

UW Seattle – regoff@uw.edu
UW Tacoma – reguwt@uw.edu
UW Bothell – uwbreg@uw.edu

Academic Calendar

Academic Calendar – Student Guide

Go to Academic Calendar

Academic Calendar

Period I Registration Dates Summer 2025

  • Period I Registration dates run April 14 – May 21.
  • Period I is for Continuing Students. Registration Period Definitions.
  • Registration opens up for each group at 6 a.m. (PST) of the designated start date.
Who Can Register Period I Registration Start Date
Eligible Disability Resources for Students (DRS) students 1
Eligible Veterans and National Guard Members and their spouses, domestic partners, and dependents 2
April 14
Contracted ROTC students
Students with Graduating Senior Priority (GSP) 3
NCAA athletes
April 14
Graduate students
Professional students
April 14
Seniors [135+ credits earned/in progress] 4
Postbaccalaureates
April 16
Juniors [90-134 credits earned/in progress] 4 April 16
Sophomores [45-89 credits earned/in progress] 4 April 16
First-Year Undergraduates/Freshmen [0-44 credits earned/in progress] 4 April 16
  • 1 Eligibility is based on your disability accommodation for Priority Registration. Having a DRS accommodation does not mean you have been set up to register early.
  • 2 Eligibility is determined by information provided in the admissions application process.
  • 3 The Graduating Senior Priority application deadline is the Thursday before registration opens.
  • 4 Eligibility to register is based on earned credits (including transfer and AP/IB credits on your UW transcript), and current quarter credits in progress as of the day your registration time opens.

Registration Resources

The University of Washington has two systems for students to navigate academic options and register for classes: MyPlan and Registration with SLNs (Schedule Line Numbers).

Registration Options

Registration Options

MyPlan is an academic planning tool for University of Washington students to chart both long and short-term academic paths. Use MyPlan to search for courses, create academic plans to share with an adviser, and run degree audits.

With MyPlan, students can:

  • Create a plan for next quarter, next year, or all the way to graduation.
  • Search the Course Catalog to find all courses offered at UW.
  • Discover courses of interest and add courses to a bookmarked list or directly to a plan.
  • Learn about degree requirements for specific majors and programs.
  • Run audits to explore academic progress and identify courses to complete a degree.
  • Check degree progress and compare completed courses to major requirements.
  • Find course sections that will work with schedules using the Schedule Builder.
  • Compare potential schedules and preview plan items before registering.
  • Review registered and completed coursework.
  • Share plans with advisers to ensure the right path for academic success.

MyPlan Login
MyPlan User Guides

Using the Register.UW, students can access registration, acknowledge important notifications, and select insurance and optional charges.

  • Take care of all pre-registration steps prior to registration opening.
  • View any notices and messages related to or blocking registration.
  • Register by entering SLNs or course codes for desired course sections or importing courses from MyPlan.
  • Drop courses.
  • Change grading options.

To register, log into Register.UW.

Register.UW Registration
Register.UW Registration

Enter course SLNs or course codes on Register.UW, including any add codes or faculty numbers if required. For courses offered with variable credit, enter the credit number agreed upon with the instructor or an adviser.

Students can check Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory (S/NS) if they do not want to take a course for a numerical grade. This option is not available for courses offered Credit/No Credit Only. Students should check with their adviser regarding departmental restrictions or graduation requirements before selecting the S/NS grading option.

Notify.UW Course Notifications

Sign up for free course notifications for open and closed course sections via email or text. Notify.UW also provides notifications when a course first closes, allowing students to re-evaluate their desired schedule each quarter. This service is free to all students and integrated with other UW registration tools including the Time Schedule, MyPlan Login, and Register.UW.

Students should note that the use of non-UW automated notification tools and bots are expressly prohibited as stated in registration Policies and Procedures.

Notify.UW Login
Notify.UW User Guides

Pre-Registration Process

Review pre-registration notices including optional charges, directory release settings, safety and health notices, and other information. Important messages and notifications are displayed on Register.UW at the beginning of each quarter. Students must follow all pre-registration steps before registering for courses.

Register.UW Overview and Guide

Register.UW Pre-Registration Steps
Register.UW Pre-Registration Steps

DawgPath

DawgPath helps students discover interesting courses and majors across the three UW campuses. DawgPath also enables students to be strategic about planning a course schedule by displaying courses that are often taken concurrently and visualizing grading patterns.

DawgPath

Continuum College/Professional & Continuing Education Registration

Review the registration policies and procedures for continuing education classes, certificates, and fee-based degree programs.

Courses and Certificate Programs: How to Register
Fee-Based Degree Programs: How to Register

Time Schedule

Use the Time Schedule to find courses offered for the quarter. Courses are displayed by quarter and by campus. Students can browse through various college and departmental programs or jump to a specific program using the index at the top of the page.

UW Seattle Time Schedule
UW Seattle Time Schedule

Courses offered by departments are displayed along with their meeting days, times, and other pertinent information. By clicking on the five-digit SLN displayed in the Time Schedule, students can review additional detailed information about that specific course section.

Time Schedule course details
Time Schedule course details

Period I Registration Dates Winter 2026

  • Period I Registration dates run October 30 – November 16.
  • Period I is for Continuing Students. Registration Period Definitions.
  • Registration opens up for each group at 6 a.m. (PST) of the designated start date.
Who Can Register Period I Registration Start Date
Eligible Disability Resources for Students (DRS) students 1
Eligible Veterans and National Guard Members and their spouses, domestic partners, and dependents 2
October 30
Contracted ROTC students
Students with Graduating Senior Priority (GSP) 3
NCAA athletes
October 31
Graduate students
Professional students
November 3
Seniors [135+ credits earned/in progress] 4
Postbaccalaureates
November 4
Juniors [90-134 credits earned/in progress] 4 November 6
Sophomores [45-89 credits earned/in progress] 4 November 10
First-Year Undergraduates/Freshmen [0-44 credits earned/in progress] 4 November 13
  • 1 Eligibility is based on your disability accommodation for Priority Registration. Having a DRS accommodation does not mean you have been set up to register early.
  • 2 Eligibility is determined by information provided in the admissions application process.
  • 3 The Graduating Senior Priority application deadline is the Thursday before registration opens.
  • 4 Eligibility to register is based on earned credits (including transfer and AP/IB credits on your UW transcript), and current quarter credits in progress as of the day your registration time opens.

Register for Courses

Helping UW students with registration and academic records.

The Office of the University Registrar (OUR) is here to support students with the registration process by providing guidelines and policy information.

There are many online resources to help understand the UW registration process. For all other registration questions, please contact the Registration Team.

Time Schedule Course Catalog

Registration

MyPlan

Registration

Registration Resources

Registration

Register.UW

Registration

Forms for Students

Forms

Enrollment Verification

Enrollment

Duo Mobile 2FA Authentication

Online Security