Auburn Cares

Student Affairs

Medical Withdrawal Overview

During your time at Auburn University, you may experience medical and/or psychological conditions that significantly interfere with your academic and personal success. In these instances, it may be necessary to apply for a medical withdrawal from Auburn to focus on your health. The following guidelines are in place to help undergraduate, graduate, and professional students navigate the process of pursuing a medical withdrawal.

All medical withdrawal requests require the recommendation of a licensed health care professional.

Choose this option if, by recommendation of a licensed health care provider, you plan to not continue enrollment in any of your courses for the current semester because of a physical and/or psychological illness.

Please be aware that a full medical withdrawal results in 0 credit hours for a semester. A full medical withdrawal is also referred to as a medical resignation.

Choose this option when, by recommendation of a licensed health care provider, you cannot continue enrollment in one or more of your courses for the current semester because of a physical and/or psychological illness.

Choose this option when you would like to pursue a medical withdrawal for a past semester.

Medical Withdrawal Documentation Guidelines and Policies

Medical documentation must be provided by a licensed health care professional who has appropriate and comprehensive training, relevant experience, and no personal relationship with the individual being evaluated. A good match between the credentials of the individual making the diagnosis and the condition being reported is expected (e.g., an orthopedic injury might be documented by a physician, but not a licensed psychologist). 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 supporting the medical withdrawal application:

 

  • Statement of the medical/psychological condition and how this condition has impacted the student’s ability to complete their courses this semester
  • Relevant dates of treatment, hospitalizations, surgeries, appointments, etc. as well as the approximate last day the student would have been able to attend class
  • Healthcare provider’s recommendation for a medical withdrawal
  • Determination of when the medical/psychological condition will be successfully resolved so that the student can return to function effectively in an academic environment (if prognosis is undetermined, additional documentation can be provided later when the student requests re-enrollment).

 

When you medically withdraw from Auburn University, a medical clearance hold will be placed on your account if your health care provider does not recommend that you are ready to return to an academic environment for future semesters in their initial medical letter to our office. If you have a medical clearance hold, you will be unable to register for classes until you complete the following:

1: Schedule a re-entry meeting with Auburn Cares by emailing medwithdraw@auburn.edu or calling the Auburn Cares office (334)-844-1305. 

2: Ask your licensed healthcare provider to submit the Medical Clearance Form to Auburn Cares indicating your readiness to return to an academic environment. This documentation can be mailed, faxed, or scanned via email to Auburn Cares:

Mailing Address: Auburn Cares, ATTN: Medical Withdrawal Coordinator, Auburn Cares, 255 Heisman Drive, Suite 1206, Auburn, AL 36849

Fax: (334)-844-1132

Email: medwithdraw@auburn.edu

These steps must be completed 14 days prior to the first day of classes of the semester that you plan to return. If you have any questions about this process, email the Medical Withdrawal Coordinator at medwithdraw@auburn.edu or call the Auburn Cares office (334)-844-1305.

When you medically withdraw from Auburn, it is your responsibility to ensure you are medically prepared to re-enroll.  Although you are eligible to return in a future semester following a medical withdrawal, once your medical withdrawal request is approved, you may not medically withdraw for the same condition the following semester. Auburn Cares may make an exception to this limitation in situations where documented extraordinary circumstances exist.  

This policy does not impact your ability to complete a regular withdrawal from classes, and there will be no limitation on the amount of times you can withdraw from classes through the standard withdrawal process.

Medical Withdrawal FAQ

What do I do if my family member is ill?

If you are requesting a resignation or withdrawal due to the illness of a family member, you will select the family medical withdrawal option on the medical withdrawal application form. Family medical withdrawals must be for the entire semester. Students may apply for a family medical withdrawal from a previous semester up to a year from the semester in question. Please contact Auburn Cares if you have questions about this process.

What if I have a health issue that I believe is impacting my semester but I have not seen a licensed health care provider?

You will need to have a recommendation from a licensed health care provider to support a medical withdrawal. You can start by contacting the Auburn University Medical Clinic or Student Counseling & Psychological Services to meet with a licensed health care provider there.

What is a licensed healthcare provider?

A licensed health care provider is a medical practitioner licensed to treat you for the condition for which you are requesting a medical resignation/withdrawal. Most commonly, it will be your primary care physician, psychologist, or psychiatrist. However, other licensed health care providers, such as nurse practitioners, licensed professional counselors (LPC), licensed clinical social workers, etc. can provide documentation if appropriate for the condition being treated. All of the practitioners in the Auburn University Medical Clinic and Student Counseling & Psychological Services are licensed healthcare providers.

How long does the process take?

Processing a medical resignation or withdrawal is dependent upon sufficient medical documentation to support the request. Because we cannot determine how long a health care provider will take to provide sufficient documentation, we cannot determine how long it will take the request to be processed.

How will a medical withdrawal look on my transcript?

Your transcript will not show that you withdrew for medical reasons. Depending on the determined effective date of the medical withdrawal, your transcript may not show the course(s) at all or may show a W (withdrawal) for the course(s).

Who do I contract if I have a medical clearance hold on my account?

Contact the Medical Withdrawal Coordinator at medwithdraw@auburn.edu or call (334)-844-1305.

I would like to withdraw from my classes but final exams are next week. What should I do?

Consult with your health care provider and follow their recommendation for taking final exams. If you choose not to take exams, you should contact your instructors and determine if incomplete grades are a better option than withdrawing from classes. If you choose to take exams, but still plan to pursue a medical withdrawal, let your instructors know about your plans.

How will dropping my classes for medical reasons impact my financial aid, scholarship, or Veterans benefits?

Anytime you reduce your credit hours, your financial aid may be impacted. Contact Student Financial Services at (334) 844-4634 or finaid7@auburn.edu, the Scholarship Office at (334)-844-7570, or the at Veteran’s Resource Center (334) 844-8167 to determine the financial consequences of dropping some or all courses.

Last modified: February 19, 2024