Medical Circumstances Withdrawal Policy and Process
UW System Administrative Policy 807 (Effective September 1, 2021)
After the 100% refund period for a term, if a student is faced with a serious or unexpected physical or behavioral health condition that completely precludes the student from being able to function as a student a medical withdrawal may be granted. Students who need to provide care to an immediate family member who is experiencing a serious or unexpected physical or behavioral health condition or who have experienced the death of an immediate family member may also be eligible for a medical withdrawal. Immediate family members include a parent, guardian, sibling, spouse, child or other member of the student’s household.
Students seeking a medical withdrawal need to follow the regular procedure to withdraw from the term. In addition, students need to complete a medical withdrawal appeal form and submit it along with required supporting documentation to the Dean of Students Office. Medical withdrawal appeals will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Medical Withdrawal Committee who meets on an ad-hoc basis throughout the year.
Documentation for a medical withdrawal appeal must include a supporting letter from a licensed healthcare provider or healthcare records that correlate with and substantiate the request for the term in which the medical withdrawal occurred. In the case of pre-existing, recurring, or chronic health conditions, documentation must show that the recurrence or worsening of the condition(s) began after initiation of the term for which the withdrawal is requested. In the case of death of an immediate family member, an obituary or other official record of death should be submitted as documentation.
Whenever possible, requests for medical withdrawal should occur during the term in which the medical condition arose. Students may apply for a retroactive medical withdrawal up to one year after the end of the term in question. For appeals submitted after the end of the term, transcript adjustments may be the only possible remedy; tuition adjustments may not be granted.
An approved medical withdrawal will result in grades that will not negatively impact GPA calculations for the student. If a tuition adjustment is also granted, refunds will be based on the medical withdrawal refund schedules below.
Medical Tuition Refund Appeal Form