Do you need to medically withdraw from your classes?

CONSULTATION

• Should I consider a medical withdrawal?

   

  • Before one can answer this question, one should explore/consider the following things: 
    • The severity of health, do I absolutely need to leave school for treatment now?
    • The impact the illness has had on attendance.
    • The impact the illness has had on student’s ability to concentrate and focus.
    • Are any of my professors willing to work with me/accommodate me?
    • Are my professors willing to give me an incomplete grade to allow me more time to finish this course?
    • Do I have medical documentation associated with my illness/condition?
     
  • In situations where students miss a substantial amount of class time due to a health issue, and when the professors are unable to accommodate the student to allow them to continue in the course, and the student is not eligible for an incomplete, and the student has been seeking medical treatment, then they should consider seeking a medical withdrawal. 
  • Students are encourage to consult their health care provider about what is best for their health condition.
  • Students are also encouraged to consult the Dean of Students Office & Student Ombuds to explore their options before deciding that a medical withdrawal is their only option.

   

   

PETITION TYPES

• What types of medical withdrawals are there?

  Physical or Psychological Health Medical Withdrawals

  Medical Withdrawals Applications may be submitted for either physical health or mental health conditions.  Students will be asked to identify if their medical withdrawal is for either a physical or psychological health condition.  Students will be asked to elaborate on their medical condition, any diagnosis, symptoms, treatment, etc. and how this has impacted their ability to move forward in their coursework. 

   

  Complete Medical Withdrawal  
  A petition to withdraw from all courses for a semester.  If the medical condition is affecting a current semester, students should consider withdrawing from all of their courses by the withdrawal deadline as articulated in the academic calendar.  Students will use their available withdraws as allowed by the withdraw limit policy (3 upper level and 3 lower level).  Students will withdraw from their courses on-line or at One Stop, then apply for a medical withdraw using the application process.
  
  

  Partial Medical Withdrawal  
  A petition to withdraw from an individual course(s) for a semester.  For a current semester, students should consider withdrawing from their individual course(s) by the deadline as articulated in the academic calendar.  Students will use their available withdraws as allowed by the withdraw limit policy (3 upper level and 3 lower level).  The student can withdraw from their courses on-line or at One Stop.  Once withdrawn from the need courses, the student can then apply for a medical withdrawal using the application process.

DEADLINES AND STATUS

• Is there a deadline to submit a medical withdrawal application?

  Students must submit a complete medical withdrawal application within six months of the last day of the semester for which the student is petitioning.  Medical withdrawals submitted after this time period may be considered only if documented extenuating circumstances that are clearly beyond the student's control prevented students from submitting their medical withdrawal in the established time period.  

   

  A student who misses the withdrawal deadline as a result of extraordinary, documented medical circumstances that are clearly beyond the student’s control may petition for a late Medical Withdrawal. Students in this situation must submit the Medical Withdrawal petition with an explanation and documentation of the extraordinary circumstances, including all required documentation, within six (6) months from the last day of the semester.

• Do I have to submit all of the required documents for my petition at the same time?

  Students must submit all the essential documentation with their medical withdrawal application (i.e. The Application, A physician's letter, and Instructor Recommendation Forms for partials) prior to the 6-month deadline.  If a student fails to submit all of the essential documentation with their application before the 6-month deadline, they will receive a deferred letter letting them know what documentation is missing and instructing them that they have 30 days to submit the missing documents.  Incomplete applications upon the conclusion of the 6-month deadline will be denied.  Students may use the Medical Withdrawal Document Upload Form to submit documents.

   

• How long does it take to have my medical withdrawal reviewed?

  The medical withdrawal application must be reviewed by an UNF Medical representative and an Academic & Student Affairs representative.  Each committee member tries to review medical withdrawal applications within 30 days of receipt.  Depending on case load, it may take a little longer to review an application.  Anticipate the review process to take 6-8 weeks.

   

• Will I have an opportunity to present my case to the committee in person?

  No, the Medical Withdrawal Review Committee is anonymous and does not allow for in person meetings with students.

   

• What if I have additional questions about the process or wonder if my situation would qualify as a medical withdrawal?

  Please email the Dean of Students Office at deanofstudents@unf.edu and ask to speak with a member of the Dean of Students (DOS) Office team member who can answer your questions and/or set up an appointment to talk more in-depth.

• How do I get my medical hold released?

  To release your medical hold you must turn the appropriate Re-Enrollment form filled out by a licensed medical professional who has recently been treating you.  The information in the form should speak to your current medical condition and your readiness to return to school.  Your doctor can fax this form directly to UNF or you can upload it using the document upload form on the DOS webpage.

   

  Re-enrollment forms must be submitted 30 days prior to the beginning of the semester in which you are seeking re-enrollment.

   

  Once your form is received the committee will try to review it within 14 class days.  The committee will recommend that your hold be lifted or maintained based on the feedback from your medical provider.  The committee may also recommend a meeting with a Dean of Students staff member to go over and/or develop a post-medical withdrawal plan for success.  Please anticipate this process taking approximately 14 class days.

   

   

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

• Will I be reimbursed for the course(s) that I am petitioning?

  The reimbursement process occurs separate from the Dean of Students office.  The DOS Team encourages students to speak with a representative from Student Financial Services and One-Stop for more detailed information about a reimbursement specific to their financial status.

  If you receive financial aid, please review the Withdrawals and Financial Aid.   Medical withdrawals are not exempt from the University's responsibility to Return Title IV Funds if a student does not complete more than 60 percent of the semester.

• How and when do I receive the tuition reimbursement?

  The tuition reimbursement will first be applied to any balance that you have with Student Financial Services. Your tuition refund will then be applied to any amount that you owe back to federal financial aid, scholarship programs such as Bright Futures, or Florida Prepaid. Any amount of the reimbursement left after these debts have been cleared will be deposited directly into the account you have linked with the university. If you paid for your classes with your own funds, you will receive the remainder of the refund after any balance with the University Bursar has been paid. The reimbursement can take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to be processed. If you have additional questions, please contact Student Financial services or One Stop.

MEDICAL DOCUMENTATION

• What should be included in my medical documentation?
  The committee needs precise medical information. Medical documentation should be prepared on letterhead, typed, dated, and bear the signature of the evaluator. Please make sure the documentation includes the name, title, contact information, and professional credentials of the evaluator, and the information below regarding the medical reason for the petition:
  
  Physical Reasons:
  

  • A statement of condition as a medical diagnosis.
  • Include the date of diagnosis and the date of last contact with this student. Please indicate whether the condition is permanent or temporary (prognosis).
  • A description of the symptoms that meet the criteria for diagnosis with the approximate date of onset.
  • A list of any medications or other treatments, including any possible medication/treatment side effects.
  • Any additional medical information that may be relevant to the petition.

  Psychological Reasons: Medical withdrawals for psychiatric/mental health reasons are to come from a licensed mental health professional (i.e., a psychiatrist, mental health counselor, psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, or nurse practitioner with certification in the area).
  

  • A statement of psychiatric, psychological, or learning impairment. Please provide a DSM diagnosis, if applicable.
  • Date of diagnosis, dates of attendance, and date of last contact with this student.
  • A description of the symptoms that impacted the entire semester or individual courses.
  • A list of any medications/treatments the student is currently utilizing, including any possible side effects.

  Any additional medical information that may be relevant to the petition.

• Will the committee contact my doctor to gain more information on my medical reasoning?

  Traditionally, No, the committee does not contact your medical provider. All medical documentation to be reviewed by the committee must accompany the petition. Specific medical documentation is preferred. In some cases, the committee may ask your doctor to validate or clarify the information that has been provided.

• What are the benefits of an approved medical withdraw petition?

   

  • Tuition reimbursement (if applicable)
  • Receiving a Withdrawal “WM” on transcript for the approved course(s)
  • Ability to obtain a Verification Letter from Dean of Student Office that indicates the withdrawal was for medical reasons
  • WM’s are exempt from excess hour surcharge calculations.

   

COMMITTEE DECISIONS & APPEALS

• What happens if my petition is approved?

  If your petition is approved, that information is automatically forwarded to the Office of the University Registrar, who will update your academic record accordingly. That information is also forwarded to the University Controller’s Office, who will process any applicable tuition reimbursement. You will receive an email with the approval letter. 

• What happens if my petition is deferred?

  A petition may be deferred because the committee did not have enough information to make a final decision.  Students will be notified via email that their application was deferred.  Students will have 30 days to submit supporting documentation using the Medical Withdrawal Document Upload Form.  Incomplete applications upon the conclusion of the 6-month deadline will be denied.  

• What happens if my petition is denied?

  A petition may be denied for two reasons. In both of these instances, you will receive a denial letter by email.

   

  • The committee feels that you were unable to provide sufficient medical documentation to support a medical withdrawal from the semester(s) you are petitioning.
  • The committee feels that the petition should be reviewed by the University Student Petitions of Academic Policy Committee as a hardship rather than as a medical withdrawal. If you wish for your petition to be reviewed by the University Student Petition of Academic Policy Committee as a hardship, you will need to complete and submit a Student Petition of Academic Policy through your MyWings account. 

   

• Is there an appeal process for denied petitions?

  Yes.  Students denied a medical withdrawal can appeal the decision. To apply for an appeal, a student must provide additional relevant, written information about their medical withdrawal situation/disorder(s). The information should not simply repeat what was already submitted previously during the initial medical withdrawal application process. The new information must be written by a licensed mental health/medical professional, or other professional/person of authority.

   

  Students requesting an appeal have 14 class days from the date of this medical withdrawal denial letter. All appeal requests should be requested using the Medical Withdrawal Appeal Request Form. Please do not contact the office requesting an appeal unless you will have new, relevant, written documentation to submit.

   

  Once an appeal has been requested, you will have 30 days to submit the new written information. In effect, a student has 44 days total to apply for an appeal by uploading their new written information to using the Medical Withdrawal Appeal Supplemental Form.  

   

   

  You can contact UNF Dean of Students Office with questions at deanofstudents@unf.edu before or after applying for an appeal.