Withdrawal from the College

Voluntary Withdrawal

Students who plan to withdraw either temporarily or permanently for reasons of transfer, employment, or personal circumstances must complete a College Withdrawal/Leave of Absence form and schedule an exit interview with the Associate Provost for Academic Services. The purpose of this exit interview is to explore factors behind the withdrawal decision, to find out how the College can assist the student through his or her transition, and to gain feedback on the student's experiences at Washington College. A student who is planning to withdraw must also notify the academic adviser, the Dean's Office, the Registrar's Office, Business Office, Financial Aid Office, and Student Affairs to ensure that proper adjustments are made to enrollment status and student accounts.

Refund Schedule

The College must make financial commitments to its faculty, staff, and service contractors on an annual basis and, thus, depends on tuition and other dollars to meet those commitments.

If a student withdraws from the College during a semester, the student will be responsible for all non-refundable amounts. When the student withdrawal results from a disciplinary action, the College makes no refund of any kind. Tuition refunds or credits will be allowed according to the following schedule:

Before classes begin - 100%
During first two weeks of class - 75%
During third week of class - 50%
During fourth week of class - 25%

After the fourth week of class there will be no refund.

Dormitory spaces are assigned for the full semester; therefore, no refunds or credits for rooms are given for a student withdrawing after classes begin.

Board refunds or credits will be determined on the same basis as the tuition refunds except for students who officially withdraw for medical reasons.

Parents wishing to insure against the financial losses associated with non-disciplinary withdrawals after the beginning of classes may purchase insurance, which is available through the College.

Leave of Absence

Students who wish to withdraw on a temporary basis must complete a "Leave of Absence" form. These forms may be obtained from the Registrar's Office.

Readmission and Merit Scholarship Renewal Information for Students Who Voluntarily Withdraw

A student who has voluntarily withdrawn from Washington College in good standing, who has not taken courses at another college or university, and who wishes to apply for readmission, may simply write a letter addressed to the Office of the Dean requesting readmission.

He or she will then be readmitted.

A student who has voluntarily withdrawn in good standing and subsequently takes courses at another college or university prior to returning to Washington College, is required to complete an Application for Readmission. The readmission decision will be based on the grades received in the courses taken at the other college or university.

Students who receive merit scholarships to attend Washington College are expected to maintain full-time continuous enrollment at Washington College, and maintain a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least a 3.00. Merit-based scholarships will not be reissued to students who withdraw from the College and subsequently reapply for admission. Students who withdraw and reapply will be considered for all appropriate need-based aid programs if they meet the College's need-based aid application deadlines.

Policy on Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal regulations require that students receiving need-based financial aid make satisfactory academic progress in accordance with standards set by the College. Students are normally expected to complete their undergraduate degree within eight terms. Washington College is not obligated to continue aid to students who require more than eight terms to complete degree requirements. However, students are considered to be making satisfactory progress toward the completion of degree requirements if they earn credits and achieve cumulative quality point averages according to the following schedule. The following requirements apply to full-time students; part-time students are expected to complete their program within ten academic years:

Minimum credits completed successfully by end of:

24 - 1st academic year
48 - 2nd academic year
72 - 3rd academic year
100 - 4th academic year
128 - 5th academic year

In addition, students must maintain a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average of 1.75 by the end of their freshman year and a minimum CGPA of 2.0 each semester thereafter. Transfer students must achieve and maintain a minimum 2.0.

Incompletes, withdrawals, and failures will not count towards the minimum number of credits earned.

Student progress will be reviewed at the end of each academic year (two consecutive semesters of enrollment). If the student fails to meet the required minimum standards, a probationary period will be allowed for one academic year (two consecutive semesters). If the student fails to meet the required minimum by the end of the probationary period, their aid will not be renewed for the following semester. Students who are not maintaining academic progress will be required to resume normal progress before additional financial aid can be awarded. That may require completion of coursework without the benefit of financial aid. Any appeals regarding satisfactory academic progress must be filed through the Admissions and Financial Aid Committee.

Appeals of Satisfactory Academic Progress decisions can be made to the Admissions and Financial Aid Committee. Conditions for an appeal will be sent to all students who did not make satisfactory academic progress after the probationary period.

Merit-Based Scholarships and Grants: Students who receive merit-based tuition scholarships are also required to maintain satisfactory academic progress. The Admissions and Financial Aid Committee will review the progress of any merit scholarship recipient with a CGPA below 3.0 and, in such a case, reserves the right to reduce or remove the student's merit-based award.

Readmission After Suspension

Students who have been suspended for academic reasons and wish to be readmitted must write a letter to the Committee on Academic Standing and Advising requesting readmission. In order to be considered for readmission a student must: