Implementing UW System’s new medical withdrawal policy
The start of the fall semester brought a new policy to help students dealing with medical issues needing to take time away from the university. The new Medical Withdrawal Policy, approved by UW System in January 2021, was implemented at UW–Madison on September 1st. This new policy brings more transparency and visibility about medical withdrawals to students, and helps connect students to resources and support.
According to the policy, the medical withdrawal process is used after the 100% refund period to fully remove a student from the requested term when a student is faced with a serious or unexpected physical or mental health condition that completely precludes the student from being able to function as a student.
In addition to medical withdrawals being granted to students who experience a serious or unexpected physical or behavioral health condition, they may also be granted to those who need to provide care to an immediate family member who is experiencing a serious or unexpected physical or behavioral health condition; or those who have experienced the death of an immediate family member. Approval is granted on a case-by-case basis.
This new policy required an update to UW–Madison’s withdrawal policies to be in alignment with the UW System policy. An implementation committee worked for much of the summer on the implementation of the policy at UW–Madison. The committee included representatives from all schools and colleges, and many offices including: Office of the Registrar, Bursar’s Office, Office of Student Financial Aid, International Student Services, DDEEA, Dean of Students Office, University Health Services, and the Office of Undergraduate Advising.
What is Staying the Same:
- Withdrawals for medical reasons will continue to be administered through our schools and colleges academic deans’ offices.
- Students will use the same existing processes (Student Center or direct request, depending on the date) to initiate a medical withdrawal.
- Academic deans’ offices will use the same existing processes in SIS to approve or deny medical withdrawal requests.
- Students will follow the same existing processes and rules for returning to UW–Madison in future terms.
- There are no changes to how other types of withdrawals are processed.
- Medical withdrawals follow a different refund schedule providing greater tuition refunds at earlier dates than the non-medical withdrawal refund schedule.
- Students need to initiate contact with their dean’s office after submitting the withdrawal request in Student Center.
- Documentation substantiating the need for the withdrawal is required.