All students are subject to UMGC policies on course drop and withdrawal and refunds. On rare occasions, however, students may experience extenuating circumstances that warrant exceptions to the published policy.
Students may request university consideration for an exception by completing the Request for Exception Form. Requests for exceptions are reviewed by Student Affairs.
Procedures for Requesting an Exception to the Course Withdrawal Policy
A student may find it necessary to request an exception to the drop or withdrawal deadlines when special circumstances prevent a drop or withdrawal by the published deadlines. If this should occur, students should review the following information regarding eligibility for such an exception and the steps necessary to make such a request to the University. For additional information, please see UMGC Policy on Course Withdrawal.
Required Criteria
Students seeking an exception must meet the following criteria:
- Exception Requests have a 90-day timeline to be submitted. The 90-day starts from the last day of the end of the term of the course for which the Exception Request is being submitted.
- A direct cause-and-effect relationship can be demonstrated between the special circumstances and the student’s ability to persist in the course for which the Exception Request is being submitted.
- Special circumstances experienced and their resultant impact were not foreseeable and/or could not have been reasonably prevented during the time period in question.
- Student can provide relevant documentation from an appropriate authority to support the basis for the identified special circumstances.
Exception Request Submission Procedures
- Student should connect with their Success Coach, Financial Solutions Advisor, or Military Education Coordinator to discuss exceptions to the Course Withdrawal Policy and learn more about student account implications. Please note, UMGC is not responsible for any negative impacts to students’ financial assistance as a result of being approved for an Exception to the Course Withdrawal Policy, such as Federal Financial Aid, Military Tuition Assistance, and other third party student assistance. It is the student's responsibility to understand impact on their student financial assistance PRIOR by submitting an Exception Request.
- When a student wants to request an exception and believes they meet the criteria above, including the 90-day deadline, the Student must submit an Exception Request form. Students are expected to read and review these procedures and the Exception Request form to ensure that they meet criteria and understand requirements, exclusions and communication methods.
- Student must provide any relevant documentation, furnished by an appropriate authority, to support the basis for their Exception Request, along with the Exception Request Form. Examples of such documentation include a letter from a physician, commanding officer, employer, etc. Except as permitted by FERPA, required by law, or necessary to carry out the purpose of these Procedures, UMGC will maintain as confidential any supporting documentation provided, to the extent that maintaining confidentiality would not impair the ability to effectuate the Exception Request.
- Once a student submits the Exception Request form and any applicable relevant documentation, the student will receive notification that their form was submitted successfully through DocuSign.
Review Process
- Exception Requests are reviewed in the order they are received.
- Generally, it can take up to 10 business days for UMGC to process an Exception Request.
- UMGC may require a student to provide additional information during the review process, which may increase the turn-around-time for a decision. Failure to provide the requested additional information may result in a denial of the Exception Request.
- Exception Requests may be denied for various reasons.
- Students will be notified via e-mail of the Exception Request decision. If an Exception Request is denied, and if applicable to the student, directions will be given in that notice on how request review of the decision.
Exclusions
The following areas do not fall under the Exception Request process and will not be reviewed under this process:
- Billing and collections - submitting a request does not suspend billing or stop collections activity
- Satisfactory Academic Process appeals under UMGC Policy on Financial Aid and Satisfactory Academic Progress: Undergraduate and UMGC Policy on Financial Aid and Satisfactory Academic Progress: Graduate
- Disputes regarding the denial of financial assistance, the amount awarded, or the return of funds
- Arbitrary and capricious grading appeals under the UMGC Policy - Procedures for Review of Alleged Arbitrary and Capricious Grading
- Complaints about class instruction or curriculum (students can fill out the Resolution Management form to lodge a classroom complaint)