Options for University of Maryland Baltimore County students unable to complete courses due to military service.
The University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) recognizes that students who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces may encounter situations in which military obligations force them to withdraw from a course of study with little notice. UMBC also recognizes that military service, whether active duty, National Guard or Reserve related, comes in multiple forms. Therefore, the University has made several options available to balance the needs of our military students with the requirements of an institution of higher education.
Should you receive orders that will take you out of the immediate area, it is highly recommended, upon that you contact a School Certifying Official in the Registrar’s Office (vacertifying@umbc.edu) to better understand your options. They will be able to discuss the following options with you, and lay out any ramifications when it comes to GI Bill and VA educational benefits. It is also encouraged that you reach out to your academic advisor to understand the implications to your degree progress.
A. Students called to active military service shall initiate the withdrawal process by completing the DocuSign form found at (umbc.edu/go/1334). The student is expected to attach a copy of the written orders to this form. If the student does not have the written orders at the time of withdrawal, the student is expected to send a copy of those orders to vacertifying@umbc.edu, as soon as possible, or risk not being properly withdrawn from classes and receiving the corresponding financial penalty.
B. The student has the following options when withdrawing:
1. Request an “Incomplete” grade at the end of the semester subject to the UMBC Incomplete Grade policy found in the catalog (catalog.umbc.edu) and instructor approval. Any course for which the student receives an incomplete grade will not be eligible for a refund.
OR
2. Withdraw from all courses for the semester. Provided a copy of the student’s orders are available, a full refund of tuition and required fees can be issued. If a student is unable to provide a copy of their active-duty orders prior to activation, Student Business Services may “freeze” the student’s account so that the account will not be negatively impacted for up to one year from the last day of the current semester. Orders must be provided before registration of any future term.
(a) If the student withdraws during the drop/add period, courses will not be displayed and the student will receive no grades on his/her transcript.
(b) If the student withdraws after the drop/add period, there are two options available to that student:
1. If the student is not receiving any financial aid, the Registrar may completely withdraw the student from all classes without incurring any grade; also Student Business Services may remove all tuition and fees for the term from the student’s account. This is contingent upon the student providing a copy of the orders.
2. If the student is receiving financial aid, the student must consult with their Financial Aid counselor ( https://financialaid.umbc.edu/contact/) before determining the best course of action in withdrawing from classes because the student is subject to the applicable state and federal regulations regarding repayment of Title IV funds.
(c) If the student is using GI Bill benefits, the School Certifying Official (SCO) will submit a copy of the student’s orders to the VA to qualify for “Mitigating Circumstances.” This policy can be found in the SCO handbook(https://www.knowva.ebenefits.va.gov/system/templates/selfservice/va_ssnew/help/customer/locale/en-US/portal/554400000001018/content/554400000149088/School-Certifying-Official-Handbook-On-line).
(d) If a withdrawal is chosen, it will be marked as a withdrawal (W) for each class, and a note will be added to the student’s transcript for each semester in which the withdrawals are the result of the student having been called for active duty.
Note: In making the choice between B2 and B3, the student is not permitted to select some courses for incomplete and others to withdraw. The choice of either Incomplete or withdraw will apply to all courses for which the student is currently enrolled. The student must sign the “Request to Withdraw Due to Call Up of Military Personnel to Active Duty.”