Medical/Hardship Withdrawal

A medical/hardship withdrawal may be requested when a medical condition or other hardship makes it impossible for a student to continue in the courses for which they have registered. Appeals for medical/hardship withdrawals are made by submitting a form on the Dean of Students website.

If the semester affected is still in session the form will be forwarded to the Dean of Students Office for review. If the semester has ended and final grades have been posted the online form will be forwarded to the Academic Standards Committee for review.

In addition, the student should understand that:

• Medical/hardship withdrawals should be processed as complete withdrawals from the University, unless a partial withdrawal is deemed appropriate by a qualified medical professional and/ or the circumstance is approved by the Dean of Students. There is no monetary refund for a partial medical withdrawal.
• Students living in on-campus housing should consider the 12 credit hour rule for residency if they intend to request a partial withdrawal. Additional approval may be required by the Director of Residence Life to remain in housing if hours drop below 12 hours.
• The date of the medical withdrawal should coincide with the last date of attendance in class.
• How the student was performing in classes prior to the medical/hardship situation or condition will not affect whether the student gets a medical withdrawal.
• A complete medical withdrawal from the University will qualify the student for a pro-rated refund if the withdrawal date is still within the allowable period in the semester (pro-rated refunds do not continue through the entire semester). The pro-rated refund schedule for the current semester can be found at: http://registration.columbusstate.edu/refundtbl.php. (For balance inquiries, see the Office of Student Accounts.)
• If a student completed a “part-of-term” course that ended prior to the medical/hardship condition, a partial withdrawal may be acceptable to receive course credit for that course. However, there will be no prorated refund for the remaining classes.
• A student who files, or attempts to file, a fraudulent application for a medical/hardship withdrawal to avoid a failing grade or disciplinary action will be considered in violation of the Columbus State University Student Conduct Standards and subject to disciplinary charges.
• If it is determined by qualified medical personnel and approved by the Dean of Students that a student is not physically or mentally capable of completing this process, the student's parent, guardian, or legal next of kin (whichever is most appropriate) may act on the behalf of the student.
• Please understand that a medical/hardship/military withdrawal may have an adverse effect on my student loans, VA Benefits/Tuition Assistance, or other forms of financial assistance including Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Furthermore, it is the student‘s responsibility to contact the Military Enrollment Office and/or Office of Financial Aid to determine the financial impact a withdrawal may have on their account.

Once a medical/hardship withdrawal form has been properly filled out and all supporting documentation has received the student's case will be reviewed and a decision forwarded to the registrar. A copy of that decision will be mailed to the student.

Students who receive a medical withdrawal will have a hold placed on future course registrations. They will be required to apply for readmission through the Office of the Dean of Students.

If student is unable to attach necessary supporting documentation to the online submission forms, supporting documents may be mailed or brought to Office of the Dean of Students on the Second floor of Schuster. The address and contact information for questions is:

Office of the Dean of Students
Schuster Center
Columbus State University
4225 University Avenue
Columbus, Georgia 31907
(706) 507-8730 (phone)
(706) 507-8735 (fax)