Withdrawals

Students who seek to change their enrollment status at the University are required to adhere to the following procedures.

Withdrawal within the Semester

Students may choose to voluntarily withdraw from the University at any time and must submit a completed  Voluntary Withdrawal Form to the Registrar.  A grade of "W" will be assigned to all courses attempted in the effective semester if the form is submitted by the last day for "W" grades published in the Academic Calendar.  If a Voluntary Withdrawal Form is submitted after the "W" period deadline, final grades of "F" will be recorded, and the effective date of withdrawal will be the last date of attendance is noted on the transcript.  Students enrolled in a single course and who choose to withdraw from that course are required to complete a Voluntary Withdrawal Form.

Withdrawal at the End of the Semester

Students who choose to complete the current semester and do not intend to return for the next semester must submit a Voluntary Withdrawal Form to the Registrar. The effective dates of withdrawal will be the last date of attendance, which, according to federal reporting guidelines, is the last day of the final exam period. Voluntary withdrawals will not be accepted if submitted after the last day of the semester/final exam period.

Leave of Absence

A student who is interested in taking a leave of absence (including general leaves of absence, military leaves of absence, and medical leaves of absence) must submit a  Leave of Absence form to the Registrar. Students returning from a leave of absence must be registered for classes prior to the first day of classes of the returning semester or will be officially withdrawn from the university.  

Currently Serving Military Members 

• Students who are members of the United States Armed Forces who are called to active duty while enrolled at Wentworth are entitled to the following two options:

1. Students may work with each individual professor to determine if they can receive an incomplete grade; the student must ensure that they will be able to adhere to the incomplete grade policy or
2. An incomplete grade is not an option or desired; the student will be permitted to withdraw either from individual courses or from the entire schedule of classes, and the letter grade of W is recorded on their transcript.

• A refund of tuition, fees, and applicable payments will be made according to Public Law 117-328 Veterans Affairs Update and any required returns to agencies such as Veterans Affairs will be made according to federal regulations.   
• Financial aid awards are subject to the same laws and regulations for all students, regardless of active military service, section 6.f. 

Students who are called to active duty while enrolled should contact the Office of Military-Connected Services (OMCS) military@wit.edu to discuss their options and initiate the withdrawal process.   An official copy of the military orders must be presented to the OMCS to use this withdrawal process. If official orders are not readily available an official memorandum or similar documentation from the student's military leadership will be accepted. OMCS staff will assist the student in determining proper documentation. If  Withdrawal(s) is chosen, the effective date of withdrawal will also serve as the effective date for any related Wentworth policies and services. This policy does not include regularly scheduled drill weekends and annual training for National Guard and Reserve members.

International Students

• International Students who are considering a temporary or permanent departure from the university are encouraged to consult with International Student Services & Engagement to learn how their VISA status may be impacted.  

Involuntary Leave of Absence

• In cases where the university deems that a student's behavior poses a potential threat to the campus community or is significantly disruptive to the university living and learning environment, steps can be taken to place a student on an involuntary leave of absence.  
• The Dean of Students is responsible for determining whether the student has engaged in behaviors which may trigger the application of the Policy on Involuntary Leave of Absence. 

Administrative Withdrawals

• Separate from student-initiated withdrawals, leaves of absences, or an involuntary leave of absence, the university reserves the right to administratively withdraw students for reasons including failing to enroll or are reported to have not been attending class (as outlined in 5.b).  
• Students not registered for a subsequent semester within 30 days of the last day of final exams per the academic calendar will be administratively withdrawn from Wentworth by the Registrar. Students who were administratively withdrawn by the Registrar and are in Good Academic Standing must submit a Request for Academic Reinstatement form to the Dean of the Program at least 15 business days prior to the start of the returning semester. 

Unofficial Withdrawals

• Students who receive federal financial aid and fail to earn a passing grade in every course for a semester and did not fully complete the course, or students who receive federal financial aid and withdraw from all courses in a semester without providing the university official notification, will be unofficially withdrawn. 
• For Unofficial Withdrawals, the 50% point of the semester is used as the final date of attendance if the student started attending the course, but no determination can be made as of the date of the last known academically related activity or attendance. In cases where attendance or an academic related activity is documented with a date, that date will be used as the date of determination for the withdrawal. 

Reinstatements

Students who were enrolled in a degree program and are seeking to return to Wentworth from a Leave of Absence, Voluntary Withdrawal, or Administrative Withdrawal must request a reinstatement. Students who have been away from Wentworth for more than five years should contact the Registrar’s Office prior to initiating their request. The last day to request reinstatement is March 15 for the Summer, July 15 for the Fall, and November 15 for the Spring. If the deadline falls on a day the University is closed, the request is due on the next business day.

A student’s request will be reviewed by the administrative offices and the academic dean for the student's program. Applicable courses taken prior to reinstatement, whether taken at Wentworth or elsewhere, will be reviewed by the Academic School Dean for relevance and currency. If a course is deemed ineligible, students may be required to complete the current course designed to satisfy that academic requirement.

Voluntary Withdrawal

Students who officially withdraw from the University and choose to reinstate must submit their request to the associate dean of their returning degree program at least 15 days prior to the start of the semester they intend to enroll, prior to any action being taken.  This includes course selection, registration, and housing assignments. Students who choose to reinstate after two years or more must matriculate under the catalog of their reinstatement; in some cases, students may be required to complete additional coursework to become current in their discipline, dependent upon industry standards. Credit for courses taken more than five (5) years prior to the student's reinstatement, which include courses completed at Wentworth or transfer credit previously awarded, will not be accepted. Students have the option to appeal the 5-year credit rule for courses completed at Wentworth if a final grade of B or higher was earned. The appeal must be submitted at the same time as the Request for Academic Reinstatement.  All requests for reinstatement must be approved by an associate dean and financially cleared by Student Accounts before the Registrar processes the reinstatement. 

Leave of Absence

Students who choose to return at the end of their one-semester Leave of Absence must initiate their return by submitting a Request for Academic Reinstatement form to the associate dean of their returning degree program at least 15 days prior to the start of the semester they intend to enroll in, prior to any action being taken. Students seeking reinstatement from a Leave of Absence  must be registered for courses prior to the first day of classes or will be withdrawn. 

Administrative Withdrawal

Students who are administratively withdrawn due to federal enrollment reporting guidelines must submit a Request for Academic Reinstatement form to the Registrar  only if there have been no semester gaps in enrollment. Students returning beyond one semester must follow the academic reinstatement process for withdrawn students.

Military Deployment

At the completion of their service, students must notify the Office of Military Connected Services at military@wit.edu and submit a Request for Academic Reinstatement form  to the dean or associate dean of their degree program prior to being processed by the Registrar. 

This page is based on the complete Policy on Student Withdrawals and Leaves of Absence.