How to Request Cancellation or Withdrawal
If you are enrolled in classes and you do not plan on attending that term, you must submit a Withdrawal Request Form in CalCentral > My Dashboard > Add a Withdrawal Request. Whether your request is posted as a withdrawal or a cancellation depends on when you submit the Request Form.
Continuing Student Withdrawal or Cancellation
Timing for Cancellation: If you submit your form before the first day of instruction for the term, your request will be processed as a Cancellation. You will be dropped from all classes, and all term fees will be de-assessed. There will be no notation of the cancellation on your transcript.
Timing for Withdrawal: If you submit your Withdrawal Request Form on or after the first day of instruction, your request will be processed as a Withdrawal. You will be dropped from all classes and will be subject to prorated penalties outlined in Refunds After Withdrawal.
Your Withdrawal Request form will not be processed until approved by your college or school dean’s office (undergraduates) or major advisor (graduates). Contact your college advisor (undergraduates) or major advisor (graduate students) with any questions.
Withdrawing affects a semester of financial aid eligibility. If you have a student loan (Federal Direct, Health Professions, or Perkins), the process remains the same as any withdrawal, and you are required to complete an exit interview.
When you cancel or withdraw, you will no longer be eligible to attend for that semester or any future semester until you are approved for Readmission. The last day to submit a withdrawal is the Friday of Reading, Review, and Recitation (RRR) week at 11:59 p.m. PDT.
Withdrawing or Canceling Your First Semester
New undergraduates: If this is your first semester at UC Berkeley, before canceling your registration, contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions about the possibility of deferring your admission. If you cancel your registration, you will be required to submit a new admission application to attend a future semester. The same process applies to new students who enroll in summer courses and then cancel their first-semester enrollment. Note: Only fall or spring enrollment can be considered an undergraduate student’s first semester; Summer Sessions and summer programs do not count as a first semester.
Withdrawal for Specific Populations and Special Circumstances
If applicable, follow the directions below for your specific circumstance.
Withdrawing for Medical Reasons
If you are withdrawing for medical reasons, the process remains the same as any withdrawal and will be recorded as a “Self-Requested Medical Withdrawal.” However, University Health Services at the Tang Center has an additional process for reviewing academic adjustments and medical withdrawals, which, if approved, will be recorded as “Approved Medical-Withdrawal.”
Withdrawing as an International Student
If you are an international student (on an F-1 or J-1 visa), the process remains the same as any withdrawal, but you will need to consult with an advisor at the Berkeley International Office to determine whether or not withdrawing will jeopardize your immigration status and your permission to be in the United States.
Withdrawing as a Student Athlete
If you are a student-athlete, the process remains the same as any withdrawal, but you should discuss your plan with your coach and your advisor in the Athletic Study Center.
Withdrawing for Call to Active Military Duty
If you are a Reserve or National Guard member of the U.S. Armed Forces and are called to active duty for service other than your training commitment, or if you are on active duty while attending UC Berkeley and are deployed elsewhere, the campus Veterans Benefits Unit will help you:
- Withdraw with a full refund of eligible tuition and fees paid out of pocket (funds paid by the VA need not be refunded),
- Obtain Incomplete grades that will not lapse to an F before you return to complete the work, and
- Apply for readmission without a fee.