Everything You Want to Know About a Medical Withdrawal

Before You Pursue a Medical Withdrawal…
Talk to your college or academic program advisor to explore other academic adjustments such as a reduced course load, a change in grade options or taking incompletes, to prevent having to withdraw from school. We can provide documentation to support your request for an academic adjustment. This applies to graduate as well as undergraduate students. Your advisor may initiate a personal withdrawal while a medical withdrawal request is under review. This will lock in a refund date for non-financial aid students in the event a medical withdrawal is not supported.

Areas that may be impacted by withdrawing from school include financial aid, housing, registration fees, readmission, immigration status, Telebears, and Student Health Insurance coverage. Explore all of these ramifications carefully before you initiate the medical withdrawal process.

If you are an international student (on an F-1 or J-1 visa), you should talk to an advisor at International House, 2299 Piedmont Avenue, 642-2818. If you have a student loan, you are required to go to the Loans and Receivable Office, 192 University Hall, 642-3910 to arrange for an exit interview.

Starting the Medical Withdrawal Process…
Visit the Social Services office, Room 2280 at University Health Services (UHS), Tang Center, 2222 Bancroft Way to complete paperwork. . You may also call 642-6074 to make arrangements to receive paperwork via mail or fax. Our office is open Monday - Friday, 8am-12pm and 1 to 4:45pm. Our confidential fax # is 510-643-0211. There's a $20.00 processing fee per withdrawal request.

Information Required…
Medical withdrawals are considered for the current or previous semester. To evaluate your withdrawal request UHS requires detailed medical record information regarding your clinical condition. If you were treated exclusively through UHS, your UHS medical record will be reviewed. If you were treated elsewhere in the community UHS will require medical record documentation or a detailed letter from your medical care provider stating: 1) diagnosis 2) date of onset 3) effect the medical condition had on your ability to perform academically 4) prognosis and 5) treatment plan. You are encouraged to submit a brief explanation of the reasons you are requesting a medical withdrawal which includes all relevant information you would like the UHS to consider in evaluating your request.

This information is reviewed to determine if the medical condition warrants a medical withdrawal. The withdrawal determination is based on the severity and onset of your condition and its impact on your ability to attend classes over a period of time. Depending upon a number of factors, UHS approval may be required prior to clearance for readmission. In many cases, readmission review is required due to the severity and acuity of your medical condition. The readmission review is designed to optimize continuity of clinical care upon return to UC Berkeley and to determine sufficient stability and readiness to return to academic studies.

Who makes the Final Decision about Medical Withdrawal?
Once a conclusion is reached, UHS recommends to your college or academic program whether or not a medical withdrawal is warranted. The medical information that you give us is confidential and we only report to your college/program our recommendation to accept or not accept the withdrawal as "medical" and if UHS approval will be required for readmission. The final decision for withdrawal lies with the college/program

What if UHS Approval is Required Prior to Readmission…
When UHS approval for readmission is required you will not be able to re-enroll at UCB (except for Summer Sessions) until the "medical block" is removed.

Once your health has stabilized, UHS requires documentation from the medical care providers in charge of your treatment plan. Detailed medical record information is reviewed to determine if you have completed appropriate treatment and achieved sufficient clinical stability to be ready to return to academic studies. At times, UHS will recommend successful completion of academic course work at other institutions to demonstrate readiness to return to UC Berkeley. If this is requested, you will be informed by UHS at the time your medical withdrawal is initially recommended.

Once all information is received, UHS will review supporting documentation to make a decision about removing the medical block. Please do not apply for readmission until your health is stable. Medical withdrawals for the same condition are generally not approved two semesters in a row.

College Deadlines
Please check with your College to make sure you are clear on all deadlines and required paperwork. Generally, if you are planning to return to school for the Fall semester, your readmission must be cleared and appropriate paperwork filed by June 1st. For the Spring semester the deadline is November 1st. If UHS supports a medical withdrawal after these dates and your health does not require readmission review, you will still have to request a waiver of the semester out rule from your College.

What about insurance coverage and ongoing care?
If you purchased the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) and have withdrawn from school on the first day of instruction or thereafter, your insurance coverage remains active and you can use the Tang Center for your medical care as long as your SHIP coverage is active. If you have waived SHIP, you may be referred to community providers for care under your primary insurance plan.

Fee Adjustments for Withdrawals (Taken from the Office of the Registrar's web site)
All fee adjustments for withdrawals are applied to students' CARS accounts and may be applied to any outstanding debts. Late fees are not refundable. Students who withdraw and who are participating in the Deferred Payment Plan are likely to have a remaining financial obligation to the University.

Please visit www.uga.berkeley.edu/fao/withdrawal.htm or contact the Financial Aid Office, second floor, Sproul Hall, 510-642-6442 (undergraduates) or 510-642-0485 (graduate students, Law and Optometry) for information on how financial aid is handled.

Note: If you are in student housing, make sure you contact Housing and Dining regarding your withdrawal. Charges will apply as long as you are in housing.

Back to Student Services A-Z>