Withdrawal from UCEAP
NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES
Withdrawal at any time requires a written notification to UCEAP. Financial penalties and fees may be significant, so consider the decision carefully.
Withdrawal Before Official Start Date
To withdraw before the official start date: Notify your campus study abroad office.
A predeparture withdrawal is any withdrawal before the official start date of the program as indicated in the UCEAP program calendar.
Before the withdrawal deadline, as specified in the Program Withdrawal Dates and Withdrawal Fees section of the Student Participation Agreement, no UCEAP financial liability is incurred. However, you may be assessed third-party provider withdrawal fees before the withdrawal deadline. These will be assessed to your UCEAP Portal.
If you withdraw or become disqualified from participating in UCEAP after the withdrawal deadline, regardless of the reason for withdrawal, you are subject to the UCEAP withdrawal fee of US $500, program fees, and unrecoverable costs determined by UCEAP. These can include fees assessed by a host institution or third-party service according to deadlines established by those entities. Pay these fees to avoid a block on your University of California records and future registration.
Withdrawal After Official Start Date
To withdraw after the official start date: Contact the study center or UCEAP Systemwide Office. You will need to file a Post-Departure Withdrawal form.
A post-departure withdrawal is any withdrawal after the official start date of the program, as indicated in the UCEAP program calendar. It is a serious matter with the potential for academic, financial, and personal consequences. Leaving the program after the start date is much more formal.
The UCEAP Student Participation Agreement is binding for the duration of the program and carries legal and financial obligations. Release from any of these obligations depends upon the circumstances of the withdrawal. You are expected to attend the full duration of the program. Any requests to shorten participation (e.g., year to semester) in UCEAP are treated as withdrawals.
If you leave the program without submitting a completed Post-Departure Withdrawal form, there may be significant financial and academic repercussions. See more on financial obligations at the end of this chapter.
Instructions to Withdraw
First, consult the study center or UCEAP Systemwide Office for advice and assistance in completing the necessary procedures.
If you are receiving financial aid, contact your UC campus financial aid office to determine the impact of your withdrawal on your financial aid package for the academic year. Contact your UCEAP finance accountant to see how the withdrawal will affect your finances for the program (i.e., withdrawal fees and revisions to your UCEAP Program Fees).
File a Post-Departure Withdrawal form with the UCEAP representative, who will forward it to the UCEAP Systemwide Office for further processing. Failure to submit the Post-Departure Withdrawal form can jeopardize registration privileges for future terms at UC.
The Post-Departure Withdrawal form serves the following functions:
- Official Notice of Withdrawal: It serves as official notice that you have left or are leaving the program and terminates the study center’s responsibility for you.
- Course Disposition: It indicates the disposition of your coursework. Withdrawal from the program while courses are in progress may carry serious academic consequences. Depending on the timing and circumstances of the withdrawal, courses in progress may remain on your record with a notation of “W” (withdrawn) or, in some instances, a grade of F if deemed appropriate by the instructor of record. Early withdrawal from a year program may cancel all academic credit. Partial credit for yearlong courses usually is not possible.
- Effective Date of Withdrawal: It establishes the effective date of withdrawal, which in many cases determines the financial impact. The effective date of withdrawal is based on whichever is later: 1) the day you notify UCEAP that you are withdrawing, 2) the last date of your documented participation in an academic activity (e.g., attended class, took an exam, submitted a paper, or attended a study center organized orientation or counseling meeting, or participated in a scheduled class discussion, tutorial, or counseling session), or 3) In the case of a planned withdrawal at the end of a term, the effective date of withdrawal is the last day of final exams for the term.
TRAVEL INSURANCE COVERAGE
Regardless of the reason, withdrawal will affect your UCEAP travel insurance coverage. If you withdraw predeparture you will not be enrolled in travel insurance and will have no access to benefits, including the trip cancellation benefit. If you withdraw post-departure, you will not receive any premium refund, but you will have access to benefits for the coverage period. UCEAP travel insurance coverage ends 14 days after the official effective date of withdrawal. All students are subject to academic and financial penalties, which include—but are not limited to—unrecoverable program costs and fees assessed by UCEAP, the host institution, and third-party service providers. Some of these nonrefundable costs, such as housing, may be eligible for reimbursement under the trip cancellation benefit, up to the $2,000 policy maximum, if you withdrew for a covered reason. For details, refer to the UCEAP Travel Insurance Policy brochure.
FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS
UCEAP Account Changes
After you are officially withdrawn or dismissed, your UCEAP account will be adjusted to reflect prorated fees and unrecoverable expenses per UC and UCEAP fee refund policy. Once your UCEAP account and financial aid package, if applicable, have been revised, a billing notification or a disbursement notification will be sent to you by email.
Financial Aid Adjustments
If you are a financial aid student, a revised budget will be sent to your campus financial aid office, which may result in a reduction of the amount of your original financial aid package in accordance with Title IV regulations. Due to this revision in the financial aid package, you may be required to reimburse money already disbursed to you. You are responsible for any UCEAP program fees and financial disbursements already received that aren’t covered by the revised financial aid package.
Scholarships and other financial aid are retroactively reduced if you withdraw, are administratively withdrawn, or are dismissed. If these adjustments result in a balance due to UCEAP, you’ll receive an email notice. If payment is not received within 30 days of notification, you may be blocked from registering on your home campus until the balance is paid.
UC Fee Categories and Refund Terms
If your UCEAP student account is revised based on withdrawal, you may receive refunds or credits to your account according to the type of fee or expense. Fee categories and refund terms are as follows:
- UC student services and tuition fees, including nonresident supplemental tuition and UCEAP summer program fees, are refunded according to UC policy procedures. See the Payment of Tuition and Fees and Refund Procedures and locate the refund schedule that applies to you. Schedule B is for quarter, semester, and year programs. Schedule Y is for summer programs and non-standard term lengths like an ILP.
- UCEAP administrative fees are nonrefundable after the program start date.
- Campus fees are prorated and charged by UCEAP term (quarter, semester, year), not by home UC campus term, and are nonrefundable after the program start date.
- Housing fees charged by UCEAP (where applicable) may be refundable. This is determined by UCEAP and the third-party housing providers. Typically, housing fees assessed by UCEAP are nonrefundable after the program start date.
- Student activities and other fees specific to your program that aren’t listed above are nonrefundable unless UCEAP can recover the costs.
- A UCEAP withdrawal fee of US $500 will be assessed.
Estimated Personal Expenses
If you withdraw, you may have incurred personal expenses (airfare, meals, visa, housing, and more.), referred to as Estimated Personal Expenses in the UCEAP Program Budget. You are personally responsible for these costs. Remember that housing providers and other non-UCEAP entities may have cancelation penalties for fees paid directly to them.
Important Note to Financial Aid Students
The impact on financial aid depends on the type of expense and date of withdrawal. A revised UCEAP Program Budget will be sent to your campus financial aid office, and your financial aid package may be revised as follows:
- For all expenses charged to you by UCEAP, you’ll receive a credit on your UCEAP student account for any refundable cost as described in the UC fee categories and refund terms section in this chapter.
- The Estimated Personal Expenses category of the UCEAP Program Budget will be recalculated based on the number of days attended.
- Reductions to your UCEAP cost of attendance and Title IV financial aid regulations regarding withdrawals, as interpreted by your UC campus financial aid office, may cause financial aid take-backs. Your campus financial aid office—not UCEAP—makes this determination. If you have questions regarding financial aid revisions, please contact your UC campus financial aid office.