WITHDRAWAL/TIME OFF
There is no Leave of Absence status for undergraduates at UCLA, but there are three procedures which approximate it:
- Not registering (paying fees) for a given term
- Cancelling Registration before instruction begins
- Withdrawing from a term in progress or retroactively
Although none of the methods listed to the left require an authorizing signature, you should meet with a counselor in your advising unit before proceeding if:
- You have withdrawn from a term before
- You are not in good academic standing
If you are an international student and considering withdrawal from the quarter, then you MUST consult with the Dashew Center in order to learn of any implications with regard to your Visa standing.
New students who withdraw on/before Friday of Week 3 or cancel registration for their first term at UCLA will lose their admission to UCLA and will have to reapply to UCLA using a UC admission application . This also includes new students who withdraw after Friday of Week 3 and request a refund exception based on a last day of attendance before Friday of Week 3.
Withdrawing from a Term in Progress or Retroactively
Once the quarter has begun and fees have been paid, you may withdraw (drop all of your classes) from a Fall, Winter, or Spring quarter provided that you have not completed the work in any course taken that term. Please be aware that dropping all courses online through MyUCLA does not constitute an official withdrawal from the term.
New students who withdraw on/before Friday of Week 3 of their first quarter will lose their admission to UCLA and will have to reapply to UCLA using a UC admission application . This also includes new students who withdraw after Friday of Week 3 of their first quarter and request a refund exception based on a last day of attendance before Friday of Week 3.
If you have extenuating circumstances that require you to withdraw from your first quarter, you may request a status exception when submitting your withdrawal. You should provide an explanation and documentation where available. Please note that approval is not guaranteed, and is determined by the Registrar’s Office.
If you are withdrawing on or before Friday of Week 9 of the term you wish to withdraw from, you may submit your withdrawal request here.
If you are withdrawing after Friday of Week 9 of the term or from a previous term, you will also need to submit verification from your instructors confirming that you did not attempt or complete the final exam/paper/project for your courses. Along with the withdrawal notice form, please also include a signed Withdrawal Supplement form OR a PDF or JPG of email(s) from your instructors’ verifying the following:
- What course is the student enrolled in?
- Did the student complete all the coursework and/or attempt/take the final exam and/or submit the last paper/project/assignment?
If submitting emails as verification, please note that the answers to the above questions must be explicitly stated, or your withdrawal request cannot be processed. We recommend you cut and paste the above questions and include them in your individual email requests to the instructors.
Emails from instructors must include your name, the course department and number (e.g., SOCIOL 1), and the quarter the course was taken.
Once you have obtained instructor verification and are ready to submit your withdrawal, please submit your withdrawal request here.
Additional Points for Consideration
- If you are an international student on a visa, please consult the Dashew Center for International Students & Scholars (DCISS) before submitting a withdrawal form.
- If you receive financial aid, you should consult with the UCLA Financial Aid Office concerning any refunds or repayment of money if such issues are relevant to your situation.
- If you are not in good academic standing, or have withdrawn previously, or have any other questions, you should meet with an academic advisor in your College advising unit before submitting a withdrawal form.
Multiple Withdrawals
If you have withdrawn or were eligible to withdraw from a previous quarter (for example, you earned all Incomplete grades), you should meet with an academic advisor in your College advising unit before withdrawing from a subsequent term. There will be a hold placed if you withdraw or are eligible to withdraw but have not completed three academic terms (fall, winter, or spring) since your prior withdrawal.
Please note: If you are not enrolled at UCLA for two or more consecutive terms, your enrollment will be been deactivated, and you must file for Readmission in order continue at UCLA. Please note that readmission is not competitive and is simply an administrative process to reactivate your enrollment if you are eligible to be readmitted.
Withdrawing from a Summer Session
If you choose to drop all of your courses during a single Summer Session (Session A or Session C) once instruction has begun, you must submit a Summer Withdrawal Petition to your College advising unit.
Note: if you are requesting a withdrawal during the last week of the session or thereafter — please also submit the Summer Session Withdrawal Supplement form OR PDF/JPG email(s) from their instructor(s) explicitly answering the following:
- What course is the student currently enrolled in?
- Did the student attempt or complete the final exam or submit a final paper/project? Please note that it the answers to the above questions must be explicitly stated, or your withdrawal request cannot be processed.
Emails from instructors must include your name, the course department and number (e.g., SOCIOL 1), and the quarter the course was taken. In addition, all responses must be explicitly stated, or your withdrawal request cannot be processed. We recommend you cut and paste the above and include it in your email request to the instructor.
Please select your advising/counseling unit below to submit your summer session withdrawal request.
- College Academic Counseling
- Academic Advancement Program
- Honors Programs
- Athletics – please consult the CAC-Athletics unit for procedures on submitting this request
Not Registering for a Given Term
If you have not yet paid your fees, you may use MyUCLA to declare non-attendance for a term. If you receive financial aid, this notification must be made prior to the automatic financial aid disbursement to BAR (see the Calendar section in the current schedule of classes).
Cancelling Registration before instruction begins
You may request cancellation from a term AFTER having paid fees but BEFORE the first day of classes; in this case you will receive a full refund minus some administrative charges. To cancel Registration you should go to the Registrar’s Office , 1113 Murphy Hall, and fill out a Cancellation of Registration Petition.
If NEW STUDENTS cancel registration for their first term at UCLA, the University will assume that they have decided not to attend UCLA and will cancel their admission and they will have to reapply to UCLA using a UC admission application . Once again, new students SHOULD NOT cancel registration for their first term at UCLA unless they have decided not to come to UCLA.
Planned Academic Leave: Taking a leave while studying abroad
Students studying abroad in non-UC programs may file a Planned Academic Leave with the International Education Office .