Office of Student Records Late Withdrawal Student Guidelines Packet (Revised )

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1 Office of Student Records Late Withdrawal Student Guidelines Packet (Revised ) Until the request is officially approved, the student is still enrolled in the course(s). STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS Complete the Late Withdrawal Request Form. Include a typed statement explaining the circumstance and its impact on the ability to complete the current or the previous semester. This statement should include the type of circumstance (medical or hardship), the date(s) of event, the nature of the event, and the indication that the circumstance is severe enough to necessitate the request for a late withdrawal. Attach supporting documentation, i.e., medical records, accident reports, office reports, work documentation, etc. that verifies the need for the late withdrawal. Provide a letter in a sealed envelope on office letterhead from the treating medical health professional if medical circumstance is the reason for the late withdrawal request. Submit the Late Withdrawal Request Form and all documentation to the Office of Student Records. POLICY INFORMATION According to Greenville Technical College s Student Handbook and Catalog, it is the student s responsibility to initiate the proper paperwork to withdraw from courses by the published last date to withdraw. The last date to withdrawal is listed in college publications and posted on the college s website. Failure to withdraw properly will result in a grade of F on the student s permanent academic record. A decision not to attend a course does not constitute a withdrawal from it. It is a student s responsibility to initiate the proper paperwork for consideration of a complete late withdrawal from courses only after the published last day to withdraw for the pertinent class(es) has occurred. The student may not have participated in the final exam. If the course(s) have been completed and a grade has been assigned, the earned grade will stand. A Late Withdrawal from the college is for the student who has a medical or hardship circumstance in a given semester needing a complete withdrawal (e.g., a personal illness or injury; medical issues related to pregnancy and/or childbirth; mental health issues, chronic and acute physical illness, or injury of an immediate family member; the responsibility to help care for a member of his/her immediate family such as a child, spouse, guardian, parent or grandparent who is seriously ill; experienced an Act of Nature such as a fire, flood or extreme wind damage to the student s personal property; or experienced an employment change without options to complete course requirements). Revised Page 1

2 A student seeking a Late Withdrawal, due to a medical or hardship circumstance, may request a complete withdrawal for the current or the previous semester. Documentation pertinent to the situation/incident MUST be provided. Hospital or treatment bills will not be accepted as documentation. Medical related issues require documentation from a health care professional and other supporting documentation and a hardship related issue requires documentation to be adequately provided by an insurance company, police reports, or the company employing the student. Other documentation may be considered at the discretion of the appropriate college administrator. Requests will not be processed if complete documentation is not provided. The student will be considered enrolled in the courses pending the final decision. Any evidence of fraudulence or misrepresentation of circumstances in this process/application will result in automatic recommendation for denial and the information will be turned over to the Dean of Students for appropriate action within the guidelines of the Student Code as published in the Student Handbook and Catalog. Students with chronic disabling conditions are encouraged to register with the Office of Student Disabilities Services, (864) within two weeks of being admitted to the college. Students who are pregnant or on maternity leave should contact the Title IX Coordinator, (864) , within two weeks of being admitted to the college or within two weeks of a status change for information related to Title IX. A request for a late withdrawal based on the student s medical or hardship circumstances must be submitted on the Late Withdrawal Request Form. To avoid an automatic denial of the request, ALL necessary documents must be turned in with this form. Requests will only be accepted for the current or the previous semester. Poor academic performance in a course is not grounds for a late withdrawal. This request does not relieve the student from financial responsibilities to the college for these courses. Submission of the request does not constitute a guarantee of an approval for the withdrawal. Revised Page 2

3 PROCEDURE INFORMATION Before applying for a Late Withdrawal due to a medical or hardship related issue, students should explore other academic options with their instructors, such as an Incomplete and Early Completion. To qualify for a Late Withdrawal related to a medical or hardship situation, the student will be required to complete and submit the Late Withdrawal Request Form with supporting documentation to the Office of Student Records. The form requires a written statement describing the circumstances preventing timely withdrawal from the semester along with specific details, dates, and severity involved. In addition, supporting documentation is required to accompany the request as follows: Medical (Self) letter in sealed envelope on office letterhead from the treating medical health professional, documentation supporting the need for late withdrawal, i.e., medical records, accident reports, etc. Hardship (Medical for Immediate Family Member) letter in sealed envelope on office letterhead from the treating medical health professional stating the medical condition/circumstances and that the student s presence is required to provide care for the immediate family member to include dates and responsibilities. Note: Hospital and physician bills will not be accepted as documentation. Hardship (Work Related) letter in sealed envelope on office letterhead from the student s employer explaining the new position or change in hours along with the new required work schedule and that the company is unable to work with the student s course schedule to complete the course requirements. Hardship (Act of Nature) supporting documentation to include dates of act, copies of insurance claims and/or police reports and the extent of the damage(s). The following steps provide the necessary action of the student: 1. The student should first review this Late Withdrawal Guidelines Packet. 2. If applicable, the student must contact the Financial Aid Department regarding their financial status. 3. The student must complete the Late Withdrawal Request Form. Incomplete forms will not be processed. 4. The student must submit the completed Late Withdrawal Request form to the Office of Student Records at the Admission and Registration Center. Revised Page 3

4 After Students Records receives the completed Late Withdrawal Request form, the college will complete the following steps to review the request and make the final decision: 1. Student Records will complete the Late Withdrawal College Review Form. It will be completed for each course and will be sent, via , to the course instructor for completion. 2. The instructor for each course will complete the instructor s portion of the Late Withdrawal College Review Form providing student specific information, i.e., academic status in the course, options considered, attendance, etc. The instructor will return the completed form to Student Records via . This review form will be provided to the Withdrawal Committee and the Academic Dean and/or Vice President of Learning and Workforce Development as a part of the documentation to determine the final outcome of the request. 3. Student Records will forward the completed Late Withdrawal Request Form along with all documentation, the completed Late Withdrawal College Review Form for each course, and a blank Withdrawal Committee Evaluation Rubric to the Withdrawal Committee. 4. The Withdrawal Committee will review all documentation provided and make a recommendation to approve, deny, or grant partial withdrawal for the request using the Withdrawal Committee Evaluation Rubric as documentation. The Withdrawal Committee s representative will then complete their portion of the Late Withdrawal College Review Form and return the form and the completed evaluation rubric to Student Records via Student Records will then forward all documentation from the student, instructors, and the Withdrawal Committee to the student s Academic Dean and/or Vice President of Learning and Workforce Development for their review and final decision on the withdrawal request. The Academic Dean or Vice President of Learning or Workforce Development will complete their portion of the Late Withdrawal College Review Form and return to Student Records via Students Records will then update the student s records based on the final decision of the Academic Dean and/or Vice President of Learning or Workforce Development. 7. Student Records will notify the student of the final decision in writing via the student s GTC issued account. The Late Withdrawal process normally takes fifteen working days. Questions about completing the forms or the withdrawal procedure may be answered by calling Student Records at (864) If the Late Withdrawal request is denied, the student is allowed one appeal. To appeal a denied late withdrawal request, the student must be able to furnish additional documentation from a medical health professional, insurance company, employer, or other Revised Page 4

5 specified authority that gives stronger support to the reasons for the withdrawal. The student should submit the additional documents, writing the word APPEAL on the first page, to the Office of Student Records for reprocessing. Student Records will forward the additional information to the Vice President for Student Services. The Vice President for Student Services or designee will review and communicate the decision to the student in writing via the student s GTC issued account, within ten (10) working days after receipt of the appeal. The decision by the Vice President for Student Services is final and may not be appealed. Reminder: It is the responsibility of the student to make contact with the Financial Aid Department and/or the Business Office to make sure that the financial requirements are in place for the new semester. Revised Page 5

6 WITHDRAWAL FOR FINANCIAL AID RECIPIENTS Withdrawing from the College can cost you! Greenville Technical College wants you to be aware of federal and state regulation changes that affect every university/college in the nation offering federal and state financial aid to students. If you are receiving financial aid or expect to receive it during an academic year, a withdrawal could affect your eligibility to receive or keep your financial aid. Withdrawal and Return of Financial Aid Effective Fall 2000, students who withdraw and have received financial aid will be required to repay to the program source the amount of unearned financial aid funds disbursed to them as of their withdrawal date. Programs include Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), Stafford Loans (subsidized and unsubsidized), Parent Loans (the Federal PLUS program), and other awards. The unearned amount of program funds is calculated based on the percentage of the semester completed before the date of withdrawal. Both the College and students receiving financial aid are required to return unearned financial aid to the aid source. The College is required to return the unearned portion of the financial aid funds it received from withdrawing students that was used to pay institutional charges such as tuition, fees, housing, and other educationally-related expenses assessed by the institution. The funds returned to the aid source by the College will be credited against the student's total liability of unearned funds. However, students will owe the College the amount returned to the aid source for institutional charges. In addition, any student who receives Title IV funds and stops attending classes during the semester and does not officially withdraw from the College is considered an unofficial withdrawal, according to Title IV federal regulations. The College is required to return unearned financial aid to the federal government for all unofficial withdrawals in the same manner as students who officially withdraw. Students must repay the unearned Title IV funds to any Title IV loan program, in accordance with the terms of the loan. For Title IV loan programs, unearned grant program funds are considered overpayments, and students are required to return 50 percent (50%) of the grant. Students who owe grant overpayments remain eligible for Title IV program funds for forty-five days if during those forty-five days the student: (1) repays the overpayment in full to the College; or, (2) enters into a repayment agreement with the College. However, entering into a repayment agreement does not mean the student is eligible to register for additional classes, receive a transcript, diploma, etc. Students can lose financial aid eligibility if they do not comply with the options above. Students will be impacted by this new legislation if they receive Title IV financial aid from any or all of the following sources: o Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans o Federal Direct Stafford Loans o Federal Direct PLUS loans (Loans for Parents) o Federal Pell Grants o Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants Revised Page 6