Medical Withdrawal Process

Medical Withdrawal Request Form

A medical withdrawal may be requested in extraordinary cases in which serious illness or injury prevents a student from continuing and completing his or her classes, and incompletes or other arrangements with the instructors are not possible. The Medical Withdrawal Policy covers both physical health and mental health difficulties.

Consideration is for a complete withdrawal of all semester courses; there are no partial medical withdrawals granted. However, consideration may be given for students to retain grades received during a semester if such grades were assigned during a completed session (e.g., first 8-week session) prior to the onset of the medical condition.

All applications for medical withdrawal require thorough and credible documentation from the student’s medical provider.

Impact on Academic Progress:

Medical withdrawals impact academic progress, graduation, student grades, and finances.

Students requesting a medical withdrawal may be withdrawn without prejudice from current semester courses and/or withdrawn without prejudice from completed courses taken during the most recent semester only.  All requests must be received by the Office of the Dean of Students no later than 90 days following the end of the applicable semester.

No awarded grades may be changed without the consent of the assigning course instructor(s).

A registration hold is placed on student registration from the date of course withdrawals until the student is reinstated following completion of any required medical treatment.

Academic and Financial Impact of a Medical Withdrawal:

Students requesting a medical withdrawal should consult with their faculty advisor and a Financial Aid Counselor before submitting their Medical Withdrawal Request Form to acquaint themselves with the academic delays and financial implications of the withdrawal.

Course withdrawals will appear as “W” grades in the student transcript and are not computed in a student’s cumulative grade point average. Actual assigned grades received when subsequently completing course requirements will appear on the student transcript and will be calculated into a student’s GPA. However, previous “W” course grades continue to appear on the student transcript as the official record of courses.

Students requesting a medical withdrawal early enough in the semester may be eligible for tuition refund based on the withdrawal schedule established for traditional, graduate/non-traditional, and doctorate students.

  1. View Student Financial Services Withdrawal Policies and Schedule.

  2. Medical withdrawals received after the established withdrawal schedule will not receive a tuition refund.

  3. However, grades may be changed up to 90 days following the completion of the most recent semester.

Medical Withdrawal Procedures:

The following procedure applies to students who are applying for a medical withdrawal. You are strongly encouraged to submit your request as soon as possible in the semester to be eligible for tuition adjustment.

If you are receiving financial assistance, you are strongly encouraged to consult with a Financial Aid counselor to identify and understand the financial aid, student loan, scholarship, and other monetary implications of processing this withdrawal transaction.

If you are:

  1. An international student with an F1/J1 visa, you must consult with the Center for Global Engagement to discuss the immigration consequences that may result from your withdrawal.

  2. A veteran-student using the GI Bill™, you must consult with the Veterans Center to discuss the consequences on your veteran eligibility that may result from your withdrawal.

  3. A student-athlete, you must consult with the Associate Athletic Director to discuss the consequences on your athletic eligibility that may result from your withdrawal.

To request a medical withdrawal, you must submit Medical Withdrawal Request Form and provide the appropriate documentation from your medical provider. All requests should be sent to the Office of the Dean of Students Office at the address shown on the form.

Appropriate documentation for a medical withdrawal must be prepared on the health care provider's official letterhead and must specify the following:

  • the date of onset of illness/condition

  • the dates you were under professional care

  • the general nature of your medical condition and why/how it prevents you from completing your course work

  • the date of your anticipated return to school

  • the last date you were able to attend class

Reinstatement:

  1. Students should seek reinstatement at least 60 days before the start of the desired semester by contacting the Dean of Students Office via a written request and submit acceptable medical provider documentation confirming that the student’s medical condition is resolved and he/she can return to the classroom.

  2. Students who have not attended classes for two academic years must be reinstated into their academic program. Often, requirements for degree completion have changed after such an extended period of time. The university's Reinstatement Policy is available online.

Other Considerations:

Students may request only one medical withdrawal during their academic career at Robert Morris University. Students must use the university’s established withdrawal policies for any subsequent withdrawals.

Medical withdrawal requests and supporting documentation are retained by the Office of the Dean of Students for at least five years and filed separately from the student's other records.

Revised 6/2024