Administrative Withdrawal or Drop Appeal

In this Section

Students who experience extenuating circumstances that prevent them from completing a course should talk with an Academic Advisor about their options. If it is decided that an appeal is warranted, the student will need to complete the College-Wide Appeal form for an administrative withdrawal. A committee will review the appeal to determine if it is accepted or not.

If the appeal for an administrative withdrawal is approved:

  • Failing grades will be changed to an Administrative Withdraw (WX).
  • The college does not offer a refund to a student's account. In rare circumstances such as institutional error, it may be appropriate to offer a tuition credit.
  • The deadline to submit an extenuating circumstances appeal is one year.

Reasons for Appealing Include:

  • Medical (extended physical/mental illness or debilitating injury/accident)
  • Death
  • Unforeseen military orders
  • Other extenuating circumstances
  • Institutional error

Note: A change in employment (or work schedule) does not constitute an extenuating circumstance.

Appeal Process

  1. Meet with a Pathways Advisor to discuss withdrawing from your class(s).
  2. Gather all supporting documentation to upload with your appeal. It's highly recommended you provide supporting documentation whenever possible. Appeals submitted without supporting documentation may be delayed or denied. Documentation may include:
    • FRCC Medical/Mental Health Documentation Form (Required for all medical appeals. Other medical documentation will not be accepted.)
    • Death Certificate, Obituary or Funeral Program
    • Notarized letter from another person who can speak to your circumstance
    • Recommendation from instructor, department chair, or dean
    • Documentation of unforeseen military deployment
    • If you cannot submit documentation electronically you can bring it to the Welcome Center/Information Desk on your campus or contact the Dean of Student Affairs Office. You may also email it directly to the appropriate campus (see email address below). All documentation must be received within 30 days of submitting your appeal online.
  3. Complete the online College-Wide Appeal Form
    • Select "Appealing for an administrative withdrawal or drop due to an extenuating circumstance" as your reason for the appeal. 
    • The committee meets once per month or as needed.
    • Submitting your appeal by a certain time does not guarantee that it will be heard at the next meeting, although every effort will be made to hear your appeal in a timely manner.
    • Once a decision has been made by the committee or if additional clarification is needed, they will notify you via your student issued CCCS email account, accessible through eWOLF. 

Important Note for Students Receiving Financial Aid

We strongly recommend that you speak with the Financial Aid Office to discuss your awards before submitting an appeal for an administrative withdrawal or drop. Unsuccessful coursework or dropping or withdrawing from classes can impact financial aid funding and/or future eligibility. Making changes to your schedule may have financial aid implications resulting in a student having to repay a portion of their financial aid funding.

Additional Information

  • Repeated appeals for the same reason will not be considered.
  • An approved appeal does not guarantee entry or re-entry into any of the college's competitive programs.
  • All information and documentation supplied in the appeal submission will be held confidential. However, if the committee finds it necessary, a staff member may reach out to the student to ensure the student's well-being.
  • Front Range Community College is required by federal laws, including Title IX and VAWA, to report certain activity and incidents. Therefore, any information supplied that should fall within these laws, may be reported to other college departments.