Enrollments Changes and Withdrawals

Students considering a change from full-time to part-time enrollment are encouraged to carefully review all academic, financial, and immigration implications before submitting a request. Transitioning to part-time status may affect tuition costs, financial aid eligibility, scholarship requirements, health insurance coverage, graduation timelines, and, for international students, visa compliance.

Before making any changes to your enrollment status, please consult with your academic advisor and, if applicable, the international student services office or financial aid office. Students should also review important deadlines and institutional policies related to course load adjustments, withdrawals, and registration requirements.

Part-time status is defined as enrollment in fewer than 3.00 credit units during a given academic quarter. Students may choose to register as part-time at the beginning of the quarter or transition from full-time to part-time status by dropping below the minimum full-time enrollment requirement during the term.

Policy

If you preregister for a quarter and later decide not to attend the class, communicate with the dean's office or academic advisor in your school who will help you to notify the Registrar's Office in writing before the first day of the quarter's classes.

Your Account

You will not be charged the applicable tuition and fees.

Policy

If you change your registration status from audit to credit, the additional tuition will be due at the time of the change; if you change your registration from credit to audit, you will be charged the normal auditor's fee.

Your Account

The current Non-Credit Audit Fee for the School of Professional Studies will be charged to your student account.

Before the Tuition Adjustment Deadline

To drop a course and receive a tuition adjustment, the course must be dropped before the tuition adjustment deadline for that term in CAESAR. The Academic Calendar includes the tuition adjustment deadline for dropped classes in each term.

For instructions on how to complete a drop, please visit the Dropping a Class information on the Student Enterprise Systems site.

After the Tuition Adjustment Deadline

Once the tuition adjustment deadline has passed, no tuition reduction will occur for dropped courses or courses dropped as part of a swap transaction. Additional tuition may be assessed for added courses or courses added as part of a swap transaction.

• Undergraduates may submit an "Add/Drop/P/N Request"
• Students in the Graduate School may reach out to gradservices@northwestern.edu
• All other graduate students may consult with their school.

In rare cases, students who miss the add/drop deadline may submit a petition for enrollment exception.

• Undergraduates must demonstrate that circumstances beyond their control delayed taking action to drop which are supported by documentation (e.g., serious medical condition that renders students unable to take appropriate action). See Undergraduate Advising for instructions to submit a petition for a late tuition adjustment.
• Students enrolled in The Graduate School may reach out to gradservices@northwestern.edu.
• Graduate students who miss the add/drop deadline in the current term due to circumstances beyond their control may consult with their school.

Policy

Summer session drops deadlines differ from those during the regular academic year due to the unique structure of summer enrollment. Summer tuition adjustments follow a prorated schedule due to the varying course lengths and session dates offered throughout the summer term. As a result, the last day to drop courses via CAESAR and the applicable tuition adjustment period varies by session. Students are responsible for reviewing the Summer Drop Schedule chart carefully to determine the applicable deadlines for their specific course session.

Access the Summer Tuition adjustment schedule

Policy

If you are ordered to active duty in the military during an academic term and are unable to complete coursework, you must present proof of induction or recall to active duty to the Student Finance.

Your Account

You will receive a full refund of tuition and fees for the term. However, if you make arrangements with the instructor and school to receive credit for one or more courses, the refund will be prorated according to the credit received.

Policy

Immediately upon withdrawal, obtain a Withdrawal Form from the Registrar's Office and get all required signatures. Masters students are required to submit their forms to their program offices before filing them at the Registrar's Office. Student Finance and Financial Aid consider the date the completed form is received at the Registrar's Office as the official withdrawal date that governs financial adjustments.

If you leave the University without official notification of your intent to withdraw, the midpoint of the quarter will be recorded as the official withdrawal date.

Your Account

You will not receive a refund for your tuition deposit or non-refundable fees. You may receive refunds, in the form of adjustments to your account, for refundable fees and some of your tuition. See Withdrawing from the University for more information.

Withdrawal Schedule

The percentage of tuition adjusted for term withdrawals depends on your school or program and how long you were enrolled in the term.

See Withdrawal Schedule

If you withdraw after registering for classes, you must immediately submit a Withdrawal Form with the required signatures to your school's Registrar's Office. Master's students outside The Graduate School should submit the form to their program office.

Students who have already dropped a course and later decide to withdraw from the academic term should carefully review the University’s withdrawal policies, deadlines, and financial implications. Dropping an individual course does not automatically constitute a full withdrawal from the term.

A withdrawal request may affect tuition charges, financial aid eligibility, academic standing, health insurance coverage, and, for international students, visa status. Tuition adjustments or refunds, if applicable, are determined based on the official withdrawal date and the University's published refund schedule.

Students considering withdrawal are strongly encouraged to consult with their academic advisor and any relevant campus offices before submitting a withdrawal request. All required forms and documentation must be completed in accordance with Northwestern University procedures and deadlines.