Understanding Course Drops & Withdrawals

Dropping or withdrawing from a course can impact financial aid and scholarships, living on campus, military and veteran benefits, international student visa status and time to degree. Important considerations are listed below.

A student is considered enrolled at Towson University when you are registered for one or more courses, even if you have not paid your bill or attended class. If you no longer wish to be enrolled in a course(s), here are some things to consider:

Timing

The timing within the term plays an important role in how your decision to disenroll from a course impacts your record; please consult the Academic Calendar for the relevant dates based on the information below:

Drops

During the Change of Schedule period, also known as Drop/Add, disenrolling from a course will result in a drop and the course will no longer appear on your record.

Withdrawals

After the Change of Schedule period ends, disenrolling from a course is considered a withdrawal. The course will still appear on your record but with a grade of W which does not impact your GPA (grade point average).

Financial impact is determined based on when you disenroll. (See Financial Impacts below)

How to Drop or Withdrawal from a Course

You can disenroll from courses using your Student Dashboard. It is your responsibility to disenroll if you are not planning to continue.

Types of Withdrawal

Selective Withdrawal

A withdrawal from one (but not all) courses in a term is a partial or selective withdrawal where only the courses that were withdrawn are graded with a W and you remain enrolled in other courses.

Complete Withdrawal

A withdrawal from all courses is a full or complete withdrawal. All courses in a single term are graded with a W with a complete withdrawal.

Withdrawing from the University

If you wish to withdrawal and you are currently enrolled, you should disenroll from all of your courses. (Whether a drop or withdrawal is dependent on timing — see above for clarification.)

If you are not currently enrolled in this term or any future terms, you do not need to take any additional action. Not being enrolled indicates that you are no longer a current student at TU.

When you are ready to resume your studies at TU in a future term, the Reenrollment Office is ready to help you through the process.

Medical, Mental Health, or Emergency Situation Withdrawals

If you need assistance as a result of a medical, mental health, or emergency situation that may result in a withdrawal refer to Student Outreach and Support (SOS) to complete an SOS form. SOS staff members can assist you with withdrawals and advocate for you in difficult situations. 

Please direct your requests for retroactive withdrawals to Academic Standards in the Registrar’s Office.

  • Academic Standards can be reached at or 410-704-4351.

Financial Impacts

Whether the course is a drop or withdrawal will determine if you are eligible for any kind of cancellation of fees or a refund. Refer to the Student and University Billing Office for more information and deadlines.

Dropping or withdrawing from classes can have significant impacts on your financial aid (grants, scholarships, and loans). The impacts will vary based on the types of aid you receive, whether you drop or withdraw from classes and whether you drop/withdraw from all your classes or just some of them. 

For questions, contact the Financial Aid Office and use these resources:

Students receiving military/veteran benefits should consult with the Military and Veterans Center with any questions prior to dropping or withdrawing as this action could have impact on their benefits.

  • Email TUVetCenter@towson.edu or phone 410-704-2992

Time to Degree Completion:

Withdrawing from a class won’t impact your GPA but it may delay your degree completion timeline.

Talk to your academic advisor about prerequisites and frequency of course offerings to determine how a course withdrawal will impact your graduation timeline.

To graduate in four years, you need to earn an average of 30 units each academic year, for 120 units

  • Winter minimester and summer terms are great times to take an extra course to ensure you reach 30 units each year.

If you are unsure of how a withdrawal will impact your major, prerequisites or your graduation timeline, you should contact your major advisor for assistance. Kathryn Klimas, our reenrollment advisor, is another great resource; you can reach her at .

Considerations for Specific Student Situations

  • If you live on campus you must be enrolled as a full-time student for 12 units or more.
  • If you are resident students and you withdraw and fall below 12 units, you could have issues with your housing.
    • If you are below 12 units you must submit a one-time permission request via Housing and Residence Life.
  • Contact Housing and Residence Life:
    Email: or phone 410-704-2516
  • If you are an international student with an F1 or J1 visa status you should not withdraw from courses that result in less than full-time enrollment before consulting with the International Student Scholar Office. This could result in non-compliance with immigration regulations and jeopardize your visa status.
  • Email or phone 410-704-2421