Students who find it necessary to withdraw from all of their classes for the current semester or for a subsequent semester for which they have already registered must complete a Total Withdrawal Request Form. This form must be submitted by the end of the 12th week of classes for the semester in which they wish to withdraw. The withdrawal form and instructions are available from the Dean or Advisory Center of each school or college. Students who are physically unable to complete the withdrawal in person and students who are administratively withdrawn should contact their dean or advisor for assistance. Students considering a total withdrawal should note the following:
The effective date of the withdrawal will be the date on which Office of the Registrar receives the completed withdrawal request form.
By registering for courses, students accept financial responsibility for payment for those courses and for any other charges incurred while they are enrolled.
Financial aid may be adjusted or canceled as a result of withdrawal and may require repayment of loan funds. Adjustments to financial aid awards will be calculated according to University and Federal refund guidelines based on the official withdrawal date.
Once the withdrawal has been completed, students will receive a grade of “W” for each course if the withdrawal is submitted after the Change of Program period.
Students who reside in University housing are required to check out of their residence hall within 24 hours of completing the total withdrawal process.
Completing a total withdrawal from the University requires that students surrender all University property, including, but not limited to library books, room keys, computer cards, and identification/access cards.
Students who complete a total withdrawal from the University must reapply for admission to the
University by published application deadlines.
Students who wish to complete the Total Withdrawal Process should follow the steps listed below.
Access the Total Withdrawal Process via https://www2.howard.edu/academics/registrar/withdrawal
Enter your name and preferred e-mail address as well as the Howard issued e-mail address for the appropriate offices. Please see total withdrawal contact.
The system will automatically generate an access code and forward the access code to your email account. Enter that access code to continue.
Read and verify the terms and conditions, then select review document.
Complete all required fields highlighted in red. Once all the required fields are complete, please select confirm signing on the left side of the document. Once you have confirmed signing, your request will be routed to the appropriate offices, Please note there is an optional save feature that allows you to check the status of your request.
Students who register during General Registration for the upcoming semester and determine before the beginning of that semester that they will not be returning, must complete a Total Withdrawal Form for that upcoming semester. The signature of the Dean or Dean’s designee is required. The Office of the Registrar (located in Suite 104 in the Administration Building) is the last office to sign the Total Withdrawal Form.
If you need to make the effective date of your Total Withdrawal prior to the date you actually begin the process, due to extenuating circumstances; you must get special approval to do so. The first step is to visit the office of the Dean or academic advising center of your school or college. You should take with you documentation to support your request (e.g., a letter from your doctor). If the request is supported by your school or college, it will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar to be considered for approval.