Withdrawal by Instructor for Non-Attendance
At the discretion of individual departments and/or instructors, students who have not attended through the first four days of the semester (or its equivalent) of a class and who have failed to contact the instructor may be dropped from the class roster. This must be submitted to the Registrar's Office by Tuesday of the second week of the semester. Since this is an optional action on the part of departments, students who wish to drop a class should do so themselves.
Drop/Withdrawal Procedure
Students wishing to drop a course should contact the Student Service Center, 2201 C.B. Hedgcock, 906-227-1221, for processing. No instructor signatures are required. See Add/Drop Procedures.
Procedure for Complete Withdrawal from the University
Students who decide to leave Northern Michigan University without finishing the semester for which they are currently enrolled must complete a Notice of Withdrawal Form at the Dean of Students Office, 2001 C. B. Hedgcock. Students may also fax withdrawal requests to the Dean of Student's Office at 906-227-1714. Following the proper withdrawal procedures ensures (1) that the maximum allowable proportion of fees due to the student will be refunded, (2) that the appropriate grades will be recorded on the student's transcript, and (3) that the individual's records will be properly maintained in the event of future enrollment at Northern Michigan University or transfer to another university or college.
Students who withdraw from the university should also contact the Financial Aid Office to determine the impact on financial aid for the semester.
Students dropping a full-semester class after the official add/drop period through the 15th week (i.e., the Friday before the start of the examination period) in the fall and winter semesters will be issued a “W” grade. Dates for withdrawing from a course not meeting for a full semester or for summer session courses will be prorated. These dates are published by the Registrar’s Office at the beginning of each registration period. With documentation of the extenuating circumstances preventing a student from meeting the withdrawal deadline, exceptions to this policy may be made with the written approval of the Dean of Students Office, 2201 C.B. Hedgcock, 906-227-1700, e-mail dso@nmu.edu. See Tuition and Fees section of this bulletin for refund information.
Students who withdraw from the university after 5 p.m. of the 15th week of classes will not receive "W" grades. They will receive the grades they earn.
Winter Semester 2025 Complete Withdrawal Deadlines
| Type of Course | 100% Refund | 90% Refund | 50% Refund W Grades | 25% Refund W Grades | 0% W Grades |
| *Full Semester | On or before Jan 21 By 5 pm | Jan 22 – Jan 23 By 5 pm | Jan 24 – Feb 9 By 5 pm | Feb 10 – Mar 9 By 5 pm | Mar 10 - Apr 25 By 5 pm |
| First Block | On or before 1st day of class by 5 pm | Jan 14 – Jan 18 By 5 pm | Jan 19 – Jan 26 By 5 pm | Jan 27 – Feb 9 By 5 pm | Feb 10 – Feb 21 by 5 pm |
| Second Block | On or before 1st day of class by 5 pm | Mar 11 - Mar 15 By 5 pm | Mar 16 – Mar 23 By 5 pm | Mar 24 – Apr 6 By 5 pm | Apr 7 - Apr 25 by 5 pm |
If the last day to withdraw during a period falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the period will be extended to the following Monday.
To receive a refund for courses that meet for less than six weeks, the student must drop on or before the last business day prior to the first day of the course.
For weekend, extension, and courses scheduled to meet during non-conforming dates, please contact the Student Service Center, C.B. Hedgcock, Room 2201, 906-227-1221, for drop, refund and withdrawal deadlines.
No refunds are given for reduced credit hours within the 12-16 credit hour flat rate tuition range.
Definitions:
Complete Withdrawal: Withdrawing from all courses.
Dropping a Course to Reduce Course Load: Reducing enrollment course load by dropping a course(s) but remaining in at least one other course.
"W" Grade: A grade of "W" (Withdrawal) is placed on the NMU transcript when a student officially withdraws from a course. Courses graded with a "W" are included in attempted hours but not included in the computation of the NMU GPA.