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 the Notice of Withdrawal. 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, detailed medical record information regarding your clinical condition will be needed. If you were treated exclusively through UHS, your medical record will be reviewed. If you had treatment outside of UHS, please have your treating provider(s) complete a Health Evaluation Form and submit it as directed. 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 considered in evaluating your request.

The information submitted 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. In most cases, a medical review will be required prior to clearance for readmission. 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, the Medical Withdrawal Committee will recommend 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 and readmission lies with the college/program.

What if Approval is Required Prior to Readmission…
When 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, ask your medical care providers in charge of your treatment to submit a Health Evaluation Form for Readmission. This is reviewed to determine if you have completed appropriate treatment and achieved sufficient clinical stability to be ready to return to academic studies. There is also a Student Request for Readmission for you to complete for the Committee describing what has changed since you received your medical withdrawal.

Once all the information is received, the UCB Medical Withdrawal Committee will review the 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 reviewed with stricter standards and greater scrutiny.

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 the committee 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 will 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 http://students.berkeley.edu/finaid/undergraduates/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>