When must my request be received?
For full consideration, requests must be received within 60 days of the term for which the exception is being requested.
What factors are considered in the review of a Request for Exception to Enrollment Policy (REEP)?
The Exception to Enrollment Policy Committee considers two primary factors:
- Attendance and participation
- Circumstance(s) that led to the student’s inability to attend/participate in course(s)
Specifically, exceptions to enrollment policy require that the student document:
- Evidence of last date of attendance/participation in a course(s) prior to the published enrollment deadline (i.e. last day to drop with a W) AND
- Evidence of an extenuating and unpredictable circumstance that resulted in the student’s inability to continue in the course(s) beyond the published enrollment deadline.
Why is course attendance/participation important?
In accordance with State requirements and institutional accreditation standards, UMBC is required to accurately reflect a student’s enrollment status on the student’s academic record. UMBC is also required to routinely report official enrollments to the State and other agencies. Like most public institutions, UMBC’s enrollment reporting and academic records are routinely audited.
While the general assumption is that a student is actively attending/participating in a course(s) for which they are enrolled, the Enrollment Exception Committee may consider Requests for Exceptions to Enrollment Policy in which there is evidence that the student stopped attending/participating in the course(s) prior to the published enrollment deadline date (i.e.: last day to drop with a W). In order to verify that course attendance/participation ceased prior to the published enrollment deadline date (i.e. last day to drop with a W), written verification from the course instructor documenting the student’s last date of attendance/participation or documenting non-attendance/non-participation is required.
What does “extenuating and unpredictable circumstance” mean?
An extenuating and unpredictable circumstance is typically an event which is severe and unique in nature, occurring after the start of the enrollment period in question and prohibits continued enrollment.
Failure to attend/participate in a course(s), in itself, does not warrant an exception to enrollment policy. In addition to attendance/participation verification (explained above), the student must document an extenuating and unpredictable circumstance preventing them from continuing attendance/participation in the course(s). Examples of extenuating and unpredictable circumstances include, but are not limited to, military deployment, personal medical and health concerns (including injuries, hospitalization, and mental health), and death of an immediate family member. All of these examples require documentation from the corresponding third party entity – i.e.: U.S. branch of the military, hospital discharge papers or doctor’s notes, and death certificate. Only third party documentation is acceptable. Documentation must reflect that the circumstances occurred on or immediately prior to the last date of attendance/participation.
What does “third party documentation” mean?
Third party documentation is supporting evidence provided by a relevant authority (i.e.: hospital, military, employer, etc.) that is able to directly attest to the unpredictable circumstances which prevented the student’s ability to attend/participate or ability to continue attendance/participation.
What are the steps for the exception to enrollment policy process?
Step #1 – Consider the implications for dropping course(s) – for example, adjustment to your financial aid that may result in a balance due.
Step #2 – If the drop deadline has not passed for the enrollment period, drop the course(s) you no longer wish to be enrolled in via myUMBC. If necessary, submit a Help Ticket (http://registrar.umbc.edu/contact/) to the Registrar.
Step #3 – Gather and submit the third party documentation (medical, death, military, etc.) for your extenuating and unpredictable circumstance(s).
Step #4 — Ask the instructor(s) to send an email to enrollment@umbc.edu to report your last date of attendance/participation in the course(s).
Step #5 – AFTER completing steps 1-4, log into myUMBC and complete the online Request for Exception to Enrollment Policy form.
What if I continued attending/participating in the course(s) beyond the published enrollment deadline?
As noted earlier, UMBC is required to accurately report and reflect a student’s enrollment status on their academic record. As such, the Enrollment Exception Committee is unable to consider requests for exceptions to enrollment policy in which a student’s attendance/participation extended beyond the published enrollment deadline date (i.e.: last day to drop with a W).
What if I cannot document an extenuating and unpredictable circumstance?
As noted earlier, for compliance and audit purposes, requests for exceptions to enrollment policy must present third-party documentation of an extenuating and unpredictable circumstance occurring on or immediately prior to the last date of attendance/participation, which prevented continuation of enrollment. If the documentation is unavailable or does not comply with the documentation requirements, the Enrollment Exception Committee is unable to consider the request.
When must the supporting documentation be submitted?
To expedite review of your request, supporting documentation should be submitted along with completion and submission of the request form. If supporting documentation is not available at the time the request form is being completed, the student may submit the request form and follow up immediately with supporting documentation. Please note, requests not accompanied by supporting documentation will be denied after 10 working days.
To expedite review of your request, third-party documentation regarding unpredictable/extenuating circumstances can be submitted via the online Request for Exception to Enrollment Policy form. Other options for submitting supporting documentation include email, postal mail, or hand delivery to:
UMBC
Office of Enrollment Management
Library Pondside
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250
Email: enrollment@umbc.edu
What if all enrollment deadlines have not passed?
As stated earlier, the student must drop the course(s) or withdraw PRIOR TO submitting the request form. If enrollment deadlines have not passed, instructors cannot report last date of attendance and last date of participation while the student remains enrolled. The Committee will not consider requests for exceptions to enrollment policy in which the student is officially enrolled. In some cases, the student may have to submit a Help Ticket (http://registrar.umbc.edu/contact/) to the Registrar’s Office to facilitate the withdrawal.
What if none of the exception to enrollment policy options are applicable to me?
If you are attempting to add a course late, there is a separate petition process administered by the Academic Success Center (link to petitions) for late course add requests. The Academic Success Center administers other types of petitions as well.
If you have concerns regarding the course or the instructor, contact the Chair of the academic department to address your concerns.
If you have a dispute about a particular charge on your bill, contact Student Business Services (SBS).
What are the implications of dropping or withdrawing from course(s)?
Students should understand that withdrawing from a course or the entire term may have academic and/or financial consequences. Depending upon the time of the semester that the withdrawal occurs, there may or may not be a refund of tuition. Students receiving assistance (such as financial aid, scholarships, or veteran benefits) should understand the impact on the aid before withdrawing.
Withdrawing from a course or the entire term will result in grade(s) of W. Grades of W have no impact on your GPA at UMBC. However, withdrawing from a course does count as attempt in the course repeat policy and may adversely impact a student’s ability to retake the course or remain in a major/minor/certificate program.
Withdrawing may have other ramifications. Before withdrawing, students should understand the affect that it may have on matters such as housing and meal plan contracts and obligations; athletic and international student eligibility; as well as health and auto insurance plans.
What is the outcome of this process?
The Exception to Enrollment Policy Committee will review both components of documentation (evidence of last date of attendance/participation and third party documentation of extenuating and unpredictable circumstance) to determine the outcome of the request. The following are possible outcomes:
Approvals
If the request is approved or partially approved, an enrollment adjustment (e.g. removal of W grade) will be reflected on the student’s record. Students should review their enrollment record (i.e. transcript) approximately 10 working days after the decision notification is received to verify that the enrollment adjustment has been processed.
Denials
If the request is denied, there will be no enrollment adjustment (e.g. removal of W grade) and the student’s enrollment record will remain as is.
Cancellations
If the request is cancelled, it could be for one or more of the following reasons (list is not comprehensive):
– Documentation was not submitted or was incomplete
– The request was referred to the appropriate office for assistance and/or consideration
– Student requested cancellation of the request
If my enrollment exception request is approved, will I receive a refund on my tuition and mandatory fees?
Approved enrollment exception requests may or may not result in a tuition refund. Refunds depend on the “effective date” of the approved withdrawal. The “effective date” of the approved withdrawal depends on the documented last date of attendance/participation in the course(s). If the effective date of the approved drop or withdrawal falls within the university’s tuition/fees refund schedule period (http://sbs.umbc.edu/drop-and-withdrawal/), then a percentage refund of tuition/fees will be generated. Student Business Services can address specific questions about tuition/fees billing and refund policies. Students who receive financial aid disbursements might have potential financial implications that do not result in a balance reduction after an enrollment exception approval.
What are my options if I am not eligible for an exception to enrollment policy?
Students seeking alternatives to an exception to enrollment policy may wish to explore one of the following options:
Course Incomplete (undergraduates)