Thinking About Leaving UWM?

Are you struggling here at UWM?

We want to make sure you know about all the resources available to you to help you succeed. Whether you’re dealing with academic difficulties, food insecurity, work/life balance, or mental health concerns, there are many people, programs, and offices on campus that can help. We want you to be successful and stay enrolled if at all possible so please connect with your academic advisor, the Student Success Center and/or the Dean of Students Office to discuss all your options before you withdraw. If your current enrollment situation is not sustainable, you might find that taking classes part-time works better or that enrolling at one of our branch locations is a better fit or that there are resources on campus to help you work through issues you are experiencing.

Are you considering withdrawing due to your or your immediate family member’s health challenges?

Students who experience a serious and unexpected condition during the academic semester that completely prevents them from being able to function as a student may apply for a medical withdrawal.  Please review our Medical Withdrawal page for more information on this process and to apply for a medical withdrawal.

If you’ve made the decision to leave . . .

Our mission is to help all students on campus navigate their academic requirements, enroll in the right classes, and graduate with a UWM degree.  However, we recognize that is not always possible.  Some students have life obligations that arise, and they need to take time off of school.  Others find a program at another institution that better fits their academic goals.  If you do choose to leave UWM, regardless of the reason, we still want you to be successful.  Please review the information below to make your departure is as smooth as possible.

  • Speak to your academic advisor or the Dean of Students Office – Whether you can drop your classes on your own or you need to request a withdrawal, it is advisable to speak to your academic advisor.  Your advisor can give you information about transferring to another institution as well as returning to UWM at some point in the future.  If you would like to request a withdrawal for medical reasons, please contact the Dean of Students Office as well.
  • Look up the drop deadlines – Depending on when you drop your courses, you may still be responsible for paying some or all of your tuition.  See additional information below, and contact the Registrar’s Office with questions.
  • Check with financial aidIf you received financial aid, you will want to find out how stopping out of school or transferring might affect current or future aid.  Depending on when you withdraw, you may need to return some of your financial aid award.  More information is listed below.  If you received military benefits, speak to the Military Education Benefits Office as well.
  • Contact University HousingIf you were living on campus, you will need to discuss any current or future housing contracts you have.
  • Drop all classes – The most important part of departing the University is to make sure you are no longer enrolled in courses.  Please log into your PAWS account to drop any current or future enrollment.  If it is past the drop deadline for the current semester, you will need to meet with your advisor and ask to be withdrawn. Print out and complete a     Withdrawal Form.       Additional information may be required by your Academic Advisor before the withdrawal request is considered.
  • Complete your exit survey – Tell us why you’ve made the decision to leave UWM.  This survey will give us a better idea of how we might be able to better serve future students, and it allows you the opportunity to share your experiences.  This is NOT how you withdraw from classes.  Please follow the step above to ensure your classes are dropped.

How withdrawals impact your grades and GPA

Withdrawing after the 25% point for any of your classes will result in a “W” grade for those classes on your transcript. A “W” grade is an administrative notation; it has no impact on your GPA or ability to re-enroll in classes in a future term.

How withdrawals impact your tuition charges and financial aid

If you withdraw after the first day of classes, you are responsible for withdrawal fees or a percentage of your tuition.  See the add/drop calendar for specific dates by sessions and semester.  Generally speaking, if you withdraw within the first two weeks of the semester, you are only charged a withdrawal fee of either $50 or $100 depending on when you actually drop your courses.  If you withdraw within the third or fourth week of the semester, you are responsible for paying 50% of your tuition charges.  If you withdraw after the fourth week, you are still responsible for paying all of your tuition for the semester.

If you are covering all or part of your charges with financial aid and you withdraw from all of your courses, you may be required to return a portion of your award.  Financial Aid is awarded to students under the assumption that they will complete the courses they are enrolled in.  This means that each day a student is enrolled and attending classes, they “earn” a portion of their financial aid.  When a student withdraws from all classes before completing at least 60% of the semester, they have not earned all of their financial aid, and a portion may be sent back to the Department of Education.  You can find what date corresponds to 60% completion of the current semester here.  You can learn about the process of returning financial aid after a withdrawal here.  If you have more questions about the financial aid charges you might see after withdrawing, you can contact the financial aid office.

Students who’ve been called up for military service should contact the Military and Veterans Resource Center to learn about other resources.
Need to order a transcript to be sent to another school?  Ordering can be done online.