Withdrawing from UTSA
Dropping vs. Withdrawing?
Students may drop individual courses from their schedules on ASAP for a limited time each semester. The online registration calendar for each semester indicates the deadlines for students to drop courses. The deadlines can be accessed on the ASAP main page by clicking on the Class Schedule link and then clicking on the Registration Calendar link. The Drop deadline for Freshmen is different than for Upperclassmen so make sure that you refer to the correct date depending on your classification.
Courses officially dropped before the Census Date do not appear on a student’s transcript. See the online Registration Calendar each semester for the Census Dates.
Students who drop courses between the Census Date and the Automatic “W” Date have a record of the courses on their transcripts with an automatic grade of “W.”
Please note that if students would like to drop all of their courses the university considers that an official withdrawal.
Return of Title IV Aid
By Federal regulations, when students who are receiving financial aid withdraw from all of their courses or stop attending classes before the last day of class, they are considered not to have “earned” all of the financial aid received for that semester. The higher the number of class days completed, the lower the amount of financial aid that must be returned.
The Return of Title IV Processor must calculate and return your unearned percentage of financial aid within 45 days of the day you withdraw from class. You will be sent a letter detailing what was returned, and what, if any, your balance is to UTSA. Even if you get a refund of tuition and fees, you may still owe UTSA money after the Return of Title IV Calculation has been processed. Refunds of tuition and fees, if applicable, are processed much faster than Return of Title IV, and will sometimes result in a student first receiving a refund and then owing a balance. You should not cash your refund until you know what your final Return of Title IV balance will be.
You may pay your balance at Fiscal Services in person or online through the ASAP system with a credit card (MC or Disc) or e-check. If you need to know what you would owe if you drop, please email the financial aid office (from your myUTSA email account - include your ID number) at financialaid@utsa.edu.
What will happen if I withdraw and/or drop?
There are several considerations to keep in mind if you are withdrawing or thinking about withdrawing from all of your classes.
Withdrawing & institutional refunds
Withdrawing is the formal discontinuance of a student’s enrollment at UTSA and involves the student dropping all classes after the semester begins.
Depending on the time of withdrawal, a student may be entitled to a refund of some part of the tuition and certain fees. In order to withdraw, undergraduate students, other than those classified as special undergraduate/non–degree-seeking, must obtain the approval of the college in which the student is enrolled, or the Tómas Rivera Center if the student is an undecided or provisional major. International students must also have the approval of the Office of International Programs. Submit the signed withdrawal forms to Enrollment Services at either campus to complete the withdrawal process. Special undergraduate/non–degree-seeking and graduate students may obtain forms and withdraw at the Enrollment Services Center. The forms needed for withdrawing from UTSA may be obtained at the Enrollment Services Center or advising centers.
UTSA will refund tuition, fees, and charges paid by a sponsor, donor, scholarship, or Financial Aid to the source rather than directly to the student who has withdrawn if the funds were made available through the institution.
The following list presents the descending scale of refund amounts for tuition and returnable fees and charges* for students withdrawing from UTSA.
*Supplementary, laboratory, student services, University Center, medical services, Recreation Center, library resources, publication, international education,
and class-related
Regular (Fall or Spring) Semester
Prior to the first class day: 100% of applicable tuition and returnable fees and charges
During class days 1-5: 80% of applicable tuition and returnable fees and charges
During class days 6-10: 70% of applicable tuition and returnable fees and charges
During class days 11-15: 50% of applicable tuition and returnable fees and charges
During days 16-20: 25% of applicable tuition and returnable fees and charges
After 20 class days: No refund of tuition, fees, or charges
Summer Semester
(Five and Ten-week terms)
Prior to the first class day: 100% of applicable tuition and returnable fees and charges
During class days 1-3: 80% of applicable tuition and returnable fees and charges
During class days 4-6: 50% of applicable tuition and returnable fees and charges
After the sixth class day: No refund of tuition, fees or charges
It is important to note that even if you receive a refund of tuition and fees, you may still owe UTSA money after the Return of Title IV Calculation has been processed. (See “Return of Title IV” in this brochure for more information).
Academic Standing
Your academic standing is based on your cumulative GPA. For more information regarding the requirements for maintaining Academic Standing, see the Information Bulletin at www.utsa.edu/infoguide. Academic Standing is different from Satisfactory Academic Progress (see below.)
Satisfactory Academic Progress
The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, mandates institutions of higher education to establish a minimum standard of “Satisfactory Academic Progress” for students receiving financial aid. UTSA makes its standard applicable to all federal, state, and institutional financial assistance programs for the purpose of maintaining a consistent policy for all students receiving financial aid. Withdrawing from a semester WILL affect your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) because it will decrease your percentage of courses completed. If your completion percentage drops to below 67%, your financial aid will be terminated and you will need to appeal. You will also be increasing the number of hours required to finish your degree, which affects the “Maximum Hours” limit. More information on SAP can be found on our Satisfactory Academic Progress webpage.
What Else Should I Know?
If you withdraw or stop attending, we will cancel the Spring disbursements of your loans and any grants you were receiving. If you plan to return in the Spring, please let Enrollment Services know at the time you withdraw. You will need to fill out a Loan Memo or Spring Enrollment Change Form asking us to reinstate your Spring aid.
If you have had Federal loans as part of your financial aid, either this year or in previous years, you are required to complete Loan Exit Counseling. Please go to http://www.mapping-your-future.org and complete Online Exit Counseling to clear your Exit Requirement. If you have taken out loans for the semester in which you withdrew, these loans will still count toward your aggregate limit (the total amount of loans you are allowed to borrow while you are a student). Whenever possible, you should bring back any refund you have received and request that portion of your loans be canceled and sent back to the lender.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Office of Student Financial Aid & Enrollment Services at: 210-458-8000 (local) or 1-800-669-0919 (toll-free)