Dropping or adding classes can affect your financial aid, scholarship status, or tuition cost. If you do decide to drop or add a class, be sure to talk with your academic advisor first. If you are worried about what will happen with your finances, contact us at 812-941-2100 or e-mail us at sesc@iu.edu. We’ll talk you through it.
Making changes during the continuous or free drop/add period
Continuous drop/add is available from the beginning of priority pre-registration for continuing students through the Sunday following the first week of classes. Sunday is the “census date” for the semester and some financial aid is contingent on your enrollment status as of the census date. To avoid an annotation of W (“Withdrawn”) grade on your record, which does count in calculation of your completion rate for financial purposes; and to avoid any financial liability for the class(es), make sure to drop on or before the census date, the Sunday following the first week of classes for the semester.
When to swap classes
If you are an undergraduate student enrolled in 12–18 credit hours, be sure to drop and add at the same time—at least within 7 days of each other. This action, sometimes called “course swapping,” will keep your tuition from changing. You may be charged additional tuition charges if you do not submit a drop and add together. The swap is still subject to course-related fees.
Withdrawing After the First Week of Classes
Students may withdraw from classes after the census date, however they will receive a “W” grade for the class; and tuition is credited according to the refund schedule. Starting the second week of the semester through the published last day to withdraw for the semester or session, is called the “automatic withdrawal” or “auto-W” period, wherein student automatically receives a grade of “W” following a successful withdrawal request
After the end of the auto-W period, student may still request a withdrawal from the class, but such late withdrawal now requires the approval of instructor and the program coordinator or dean of the offering school. Approvals of late withdraw are not automatic; and are generally given when there are articulated, urgent reasons relating to extended illness or equivalent distress. Per IU-Wide policy, instructors may “approve” a late withdrawal with a grade of “F,” if student is failing the class at the time of the late withdrawal request.