Options for University of Maryland Baltimore County students unable to complete courses due to military service
The University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) recognizes 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 relocate you out of the immediate area, it is highly recommended 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 contact your academic advisor to understand the implications to your degree progress.
- Students called to active military service shall initiate the withdrawal process by completing the Military Service Withdraw Request DocuSign form. 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is expected to send a copy of those orders to vacertifying@umbc.edu, as soon as possible, or risk not being properly withdrawn from classes and receiving the corresponding financial penalty.
- The student has the following options when withdrawing:
- Request an “Incomplete” grade at the end of the semester subject to the UMBC Incomplete Grade policy found in the University Catalog and instructor approval. Any course for which the student receives an incomplete grade will not be eligible for a refund.
OR
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- Withdraw from all courses for the semester. If a copy of the student’s orders are provided, then 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 in 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 their transcript.
(b) If the student withdraws after the drop/add period, there are two options available to that student:
- 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.
- If the student is receiving financial aid, the student must consult with their Financial Aid counselor 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.
(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.
In making the choice between requesting Incomplete grades and withdrawing, 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.”
Returning to UMBC
In accordance with federal regulations, 34 C.F.R. § 668.18 and the Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the university will promptly readmit servicemembers who seek readmission to a program that was interrupted due to a uniformed service obligation.
Eligibility
This policy shall apply to: (1) servicemembers who are unable to attend classes for more than 30 consecutive days; and (2) servicemembers who are unable to attend classes for less than 30 days when such an absence would result in a withdrawal from the university.
A student is eligible for readmission if the student performs uniformed service, voluntary or involuntary, in the Armed Forces, including the National Guard or Reserve, active duty, active duty for training or full-time National Guard (under federal authority). The cumulative length of all absences for uniformed service (service time only) must not exceed five years.
Notification
A student must provide oral or written notice of a uniformed service obligation to the Office of the Registrar as far in advance as possible, unless precluded by military necessity. The student must also give oral or written notice of his/her intent to return to UMBC after the completion of the period of service and provide notice that he/she may be entitled to the readmission benefits outlined below.
Notification under this section must be provided, by the student, to The Office of the Registrar at vacertifying@umbc.edu.
Tuition and Fees
A returning student will be charged the same tuition and fees in effect during the last academic year the student attended, unless veterans’ education benefits or other servicemember education benefits will pay the amount in excess. For subsequent academic years, the returning student may not be charged tuition and fees in excess of what other students in the program are charged.
Readmission Requirements
A returning student will be permitted to reenroll in the same academic program, unless the student agrees to a different program. A returning student will be readmitted into the same academic program the student was enrolled in prior to the military service obligation. If the exact program no longer exists, the student must be admitted to the program that is most similar, unless the student requests or agrees to admission to a different program. Returning students will be reenrolled with the same enrollment status, number of completed credit hours, and academic standing as the last academic year of attendance.
If the university determines that a returning student is not prepared to resume the program or is unable to complete the program, the university must make reasonable efforts to enable the student to resume or complete the program at no additional cost to the student. If such efforts are unsuccessful or place an undue hardship on the university, the university is not required to readmit the student.
In accordance with federal regulations, returning students who receive a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge from the Armed Forces (including the National Guard and Reserves) are not eligible for readmission under this policy. However, servicemembers who receive dishonorable or bad conduct discharge may remain eligible for readmission even though they will not be entitled to the benefits outlined in this policy.
Questions: Please email vacertifying@umbc.edu
More information on Readmission