Students consider withdrawing from college every semester. Though the reasons for withdrawing may vary, some common themes are:
- Academic difficulty
- Financial problems
- Health-related issues
- Loss of interest in college
- Loneliness/homesicknes
- Personal challenges
Whatever a student’s reasons for withdrawing, they should meet with a UW-Madison staff member to be sure withdrawing from a term is the best option. All students are strongly encouraged to review their situation with their academic advisor(s), but students are also welcome to schedule an appointment with an L&S academic dean. In some cases, students may learn about resources or alternative approaches that may assist them in completing one or more courses in the term. In other cases, students may gain information about the impact of withdrawing on housing, financial aid, health services, or visa status.
Regardless of the outcome, meeting with a staff member can help students identify available resources, including but not limited to the following:
- Tutoring, like GUTS, the Writing Center, or other subject-based learning support services
L&S undergraduates who decide to withdraw are responsible for reviewing the withdrawal policy, completing the appropriate steps in a timely manner, and responding to outreach from L&S Undergraduate Academic Deans’ Services. If you need to consult another resource to assist with your decision, please do so well in advance of the posted deadline.
The steps to withdraw will vary depending on the timing of the request.
- Before first day of term: Cancel enrollment in Student Center
- From first day of term through withdrawal deadline: Submit withdrawal application in Student Center and work with L&S Undergraduate Academic Deans’ Services to complete process.
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- In Summer Term, students who do not wish to complete any Summer Term courses should answer “No” when asked if they plan to register for other courses so a withdrawal request can be generated.
- After withdrawal deadline: Submit application for late withdrawal and seek permission from L&S Undergraduate Academic Deans’ Services.
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- NOTE: approval is not guaranteed for applications submitted after the deadline.
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- Students will be asked to provide documentation that unforeseeable nonacademic circumstances emerged on or after the deadline which prevented the student from withdrawing on time OR prevented the student from completing the semester.
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- Students may also be required to meet with an academic dean.
Students should consider themselves enrolled until they are notified that the withdrawal application has been approved.
Always make sure to refer to Registrar’s dates & deadlines for the latest deadlines for any particular semester/term at UW-Madison.
Helpful links:
Fall 2025 withdrawal deadline:
Monday, November 24, 2025, by 11:59 pm CT.
Spring 2025 withdrawal deadline:
Please note that the date listed here is for the main 15-week A1 (Regular) session in the current term.
Other important deadline information can be found at:
Dropping a class versus withdrawing from a term
Please note that withdrawing from the semester/term is not the same as dropping a course. To drop a course means to drop one or more courses from a term and still stay enrolled.
A student who wishes to drop a course(s) and remain enrolled for the term should not use the withdrawal option. Thus, withdrawal is only to be used if you wish to drop all of your courses and leave the university for the remainder of the term.
Financial aid
Students receiving financial aid support should reach out to the Office of Student Financial Aid to learn whether withdrawing from the current term will affect their financial aid package.
Student-athletes
If you are an L&S student-athlete and need to withdraw, contact your athletic advisor to review impact on eligibility.
Visa holders
All students on an F-1 or J-1 visa must enroll in a full-time course load (minimum 12 credits) each fall and spring term. If you are on an F-1 or J-1 visa and would like to withdraw, you must submit the completed application for Reduced Course Load (RCL) using TerraDotta. Review of these applications can take time, so students are advised to submit their applications as soon as they know they need to withdraw.