Undergraduate students normally expect to register continuously each quarter until they graduate. They may, however, discontinue their enrollment at UCSB by following procedures described in Student-Initiated Break in Enrollment below. (Note that summer session is not a regular quarter. You are not breaking enrollment if you do not attend summer session.) In addition, UCSB occasionally cancels or lapses students' registration as noted under Institutional Break in Enrollment. If your enrollment at UCSB is interrupted for any reason, please be sure to read about Returning to UCSB, so that you will know what procedures to follow and deadlines to meet to come back to complete your degree.
Student-Initiated Break in Enrollment
- If you plan to complete a quarter
that is currently in progress, but you do not wish to continue
at UCSB in the quarter immediately following, you may file a Cancel
Registration form with the Office of the Registrar.
- You may cancel your registration any time before instruction begins for the new quarter. If you have already paid fees, they will be refunded; if you have already registered in courses, you will be dropped from them.
- You cannot merely cancel your registration after instruction has begun for the quarter. Once instruction has begun, you must follow the instructions in item number 2, below.
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If instruction has begun for a quarter, and you have paid fees (or signed a fee deferment) or registered for courses, but you find that you cannot continue in that quarter, do not merely stop attending classes. Instead, you must withdraw from UCSB. Failure to withdraw officially will result in failing grades if you do not complete required coursework satisfactorily. To accomplish the withdrawal, you must:
- Secure a petition for Complete Withdrawal from the Office of the Registrar.
- Obtain signatures from the Billing Office, the Office of Student Life, and the college advising office. If you live in university-owned housing, you must also obtain a signature from the appropriate housing office. International students must also secure the approval of the Office of International Students and Scholars. Students who are members of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) must also obtain a signature from the EOP office.
- Submit the completed petition for complete withdrawal to the Office of the Registrar on or before the last day of instruction for the quarter in question. You have not withdrawn until you return the completed form to the Registrar.
Note 1: You cannot withdraw from (or drop) all of your courses using GOLD. Failure to complete steps a through c noted above will result in failing grades for the courses in progress.
Note 2: If you are unable to complete steps a through c above due to serious illness or other problem, you should consult the Office of Student Life (805/893-4569) for assistance.
Note 3: If you withdraw from the quarter after the deadline to drop courses, your record will continue to show the courses you had in progress, with grades of W posted for them. The W grade merely indicates that you were permitted to drop the courses after the deadline. If you later decide to attempt the same courses, the new attempts will not be considered repeats.
Note 4: Your withdrawal from UCSB may have some financial consequences. For information about fee refunds, consult the Office of the Registrar and the Billing Office. For information about financial aid implications, consult the Office of Financial Aid.
Institutional Break in Enrollment
Undergraduate students' enrollment at UCSB will be lapsed or cancelled in the following circumstances:
- Failure to comply with conditions of admission.
- Failure to pay fees and enroll in courses by the published deadlines.
- Failure to respond to official university notices (including failure to remove registration blocks).
- Academic disqualification or dismissal by dean's action. The dean of undergraduate studies notifies students when they become subject to disqualification, either approving their reinstatement on probation or giving them an opportunity to appeal for reinstatement. When an appeal is received, the dean provides notice of the final decision. The dean also notifies students of their disqualification if they fail to meet terms of an academic enrollment agreement (contract).
- Disciplinary suspension or expulsion
by the Student Faculty Committee on Student Conduct. Students
are suspended or expelled only after a formal hearing, and they
are notified of the decision. Consult the Office of Student Life (805/893-4569) if you have a concern about a disciplinary action.
Note: Students are required to pay a prorated portion of all assessed fees up to the date of the lapse in accordance with the fee refund schedule. Financial aid students who have had their status lapsed will have their aid cancelled for the quarter.
