How to Withdraw From Classes

How to Officially Withdraw From the College

Students who wish to withdraw from all of their courses at Bristol Community College are required to notify the Registrar’s office by completing a Total Withdrawal Form.

Students are responsible for withdrawing officially if they stop attending any or all classes. A grade of “WF” will be assigned to any student who stops attending a course but does not officially withdraw. See Unofficial Withdrawals at the bottom of this page for more information. Official Withdrawals are accepted until the tenth week of classes of a 15-week semester or an equivalent amount of class time for shorter duration courses (refer to the Add/Drop Schedule on the Registrar & Records page for student-generated withdrawal dates). Students looking to withdraw from a course(s) that will not result in a withdrawal from all courses may withdraw online in myBristol, in person at any Enrollment Center, via email to EnrollmentServices@BristolCC.edu, or through the Course Change Form. Email requests must come from the student’s Bristol college email address and must include the student’s name, Bristol student ID number, and course information (CRN and/or course and section number). Email from non-college accounts will not be accepted.

Students are encouraged to meet with an advisor before making any changes to their schedule. General Advising services can be reached at AdvisingCenter@BristolCC.edu or 774.357.2777. Those who wish to withdraw from selective Health Science Programs (i.e. Medical Laboratory Technology, Dental Hygiene, Medical Assisting, Nursing, Occupational Therapy Assistant, or Phlebotomy) should speak with the department chair or coordinator of their program. These programs are competitive and a student may “lose their spot” if they withdraw and would need to reapply. A student withdrawing from all classes must complete a Total Withdrawal Form and are encouraged to meet with the program coordinator or an academic advisor. Withdrawal requests are not processed retroactively.

Withdrawing from a credit course before or during the second week of the semester will result in the course being drop/deleted from the academic record. After the second week, a “W” enrollment status will be assigned. If a student officially withdraws from the college prior to the beginning of classes or during the first two weeks of classes, the student will receive a 100 percent refund less the nonrefundable student support fee. If a student officially withdraws from the college during the third week of classes, the student will receive a 50 percent refund less the student support fee. If a student officially withdraws after the third week of classes, there will be no tuition or college fee refunds. See the Refund Policy page for further details.

Please refer to the Academic Catalog for information about specific deadlines, grades, the refund policy, and financial responsibilities. Withdrawing from the college may affect Satisfactory Academic Progress and can place the student at risk for academic probation or dismissal; See Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in the Academic catalog. Students who use financial aid and who subsequently withdraw may be required to return some or all funds received. Failure to comply may result in ineligibility to receive future financial assistance at any institution, referral to collections agencies, and interception of income tax refunds. Students with questions regarding financial aid should contact the financial aid department by phone at 774.357.2515 or email at FinancialAid@BristolCC.edu. Students who withdraw from the college will be subject to the institution’s refund policy. Students with questions should contact Enrollment Services via any of the methods mentioned above or at 774.357.2590.

In partnership with Academic Affairs, the Registrar’s Office determines the date each semester for official withdrawals. The withdrawal date recorded on a student’s record will be determined using the date that the student initiated the withdrawal process by providing official notice to the college verbally or in writing of their intent to withdraw. If the intent to withdraw is initiated via email, the email must be received from the student’s college email account and include the student’s name, Bristol student ID number, and course information (CRN and/or course and section number).

Please Note: Bristol Community College does not have a Leave of Absence Policy. All students who take leave are expected to withdraw from the institution following the withdrawal procedure. Students who wish to withdraw due to Medical reasons are encouraged to contact the office of the Vice President of Student Services and Enrollment Management at 774.357.2150. Documentation may be required to keep on record for future reinstatement as related to the academic catalog year.

Unofficial College Withdrawals

The college will determine if a student who fails to follow the official withdrawal procedure has withdrawn from the institution.

A student who does not receive an earned grade of A, B, C, D, or F will be evaluated by the Registrar’s office at the end of each semester. Students in this category may receive an I – Incomplete as a result of not completing some of their coursework in a class. Students who do not complete coursework within the designated timeframe will receive a WF unless otherwise indicated by the faculty member on the Incomplete Grade Form. A WF grade indicates the student did not officially withdraw from the class, did not complete the coursework, and failed the class. Students who did not officially withdraw from the course but who, in the opinion of the instructor, failed to provide sufficient evidence for evaluation of academic performance are awarded a grade of “WF.”  A student whose transcript reflects a combination of all W and/or WF grades for a semester will be reviewed by the financial aid office to determine if they have totally withdrawn from the college. Students determined to have fully withdrawn will be processed as a total withdrawal effective as of either the midpoint of the semester or the last date of an academically related activity in which the student participated, as documented by a school official or faculty member.

A “WF” grade will be reported on a student’s transcript. A grade of WF is included in the G.P.A. calculation, counts toward a student's pace completion and will count as credits attempted but not earned. A WF grade is used to determine the difference between a student who completed the coursework and earned an F grade and students who did not complete the coursework.