When can I drop & add courses?

Students may drop and/or add courses during the registration and/or schedule adjustment period. See our list of important dates for more information.

How do I drop & add courses?

  1. Drop/add online using Self-Service via myMid, or,
  2. Complete a Drop/Add form and return it to Registration & Records on either the Harrison or Mt. Pleasant Campuses.

To maintain confidentiality and student account security, we do NOT process drop/add requests via telephone.

 

Will dropping courses affect my financial aid award?

If you receive financial aid grants or loans, you must check with the Mid's Financial Aid team before dropping courses. Dropping courses or dropping at certain times may cause changes to your financial aid award eligibility, requiring you to pay back some of your financial aid.

Request a review and notify Mid team members by completing the Withdraw Status Form so we can best support you and your goals. Complete this form if you plan to withdraw or drop courses and would like to determine what effect it may have on your financial aid and billing. It may also be completed if you have already determined you are going to withdraw or drop courses.

What happens if I want to drop courses after the deadline due to an extraordinary life event?

During a defined period at the beginning of each semester, students may drop courses from their schedule without penalty or charge. Dropping a course removes it from the student’s transcript entirely—as if it were never there.

After this drop period, students may withdraw from courses. A withdrawal from a course places a “W” grade on the student’s transcript and the student is responsible for the entire cost of the course.

NOTE: There are a number of important factors (ex. financial aid implications, Satisfactory Academic Progress toward a degree, etc.) that heavily influence the decision of whether or not to withdraw from a course. Withdrawing from a course is an irrevocable choice and the College strongly encourages students to discuss these decisions with their Mid Mentor and Financial Aid before proceeding.

A backdated drop occurs after the defined drop period and removes courses from a student’s record when such action is warranted based on unusual, unexpected, and extenuating circumstances. In most cases, these circumstances are out of the student's control and prevent the student from completing the courses. In these rare instances, backdated drops allow a student to drop a course (have it removed from their transcript and reverse the charges for the courses) after the normal drop period.

NOTE: As with the decision to withdraw, there are a number of factors that determine whether or not a backdated drop is appropriate for a student (ex. financial aid implications, loan payback, return of funds, etc.). In some cases, receiving a backdated drop may result in the student owing money to the College. The College strongly encourages students to discuss these decisions with their Mentor and Financial Aid before proceeding.

How are Backdated Drops administered?

Students who believe that a backdated drop from their courses is warranted must submit a formal request with proper documentation.

If approved, the course(s) is removed from the student’s transcript and the charge for the course is reversed. The impact of the charge being reversed will depend on the way in which the course was paid for and whether or not the student has an existing balance. The financial impact of a backdated drop can be significant and may change loan status or repayment, Satisfactory Academic Progress, or balances due to the College. Students should discuss the implications with their Mentor and Financial Aid prior to submitting their request for a backdated drop.

Who is eligible for a Backdated Drop?

Backdated drops are fairly uncommon and are a last resort (after working with faculty and making appropriate accommodations) to resolve a situation. Students may be considered for a backdated drop based on unusual, unexpected, and extenuating circumstances. In most cases, these circumstances are out of the student's control and prevent the student from completing their courses.

Backdated drops are typically not granted for a single course from a student’s course load because the circumstances that would warrant a backdated drop would likely mean that the student cannot complete any courses.

Backdated drops are typically not granted after 75% of the course has been completed (about week 12). A backdated drop is generally a last resort to resolve an unexpected circumstance and students near the end of a term should work with their faculty to complete the course on schedule or request an Incomplete grade so they have additional time to complete the course.

While not exhaustive, the following circumstances provide a good set of guidelines for who might be eligible for a backdated drop.

  • US Military deployment
  • Death of an immediate family member
  • Death of the student
  • Verifiable, significant medical situation that substantially impacts the student’s ability to complete their courses
  • Verifiable error on the part of the College
  • Extraordinary event prohibiting the student from completing courses

The following reasons are not accepted:

  • Illness, disease, surgery (depending on duration and impact)
  • Incarceration/parole violation
  • Job change
  • Acceptance into another college
  • Relocation
  • Unaware of College withdrawal or refund schedule
  • Loss of transportation to/from the course
  • Personal/family concerns that impose on study/course time
  • Enlisting in the Armed Forces
  • Issues between the student and the instructor
    • visit Mid Cares! for next steps if you have an issue with an instructor.

What documentation is needed when the request is submitted?

It is vital that the student submit clear documentation of the circumstances that led to their request for a backdated drop. Proper documentation is the only way that the committee can determine the merits of the request.

All information related to the request should be submitted by the student. Requests submitted by another person on behalf of the student should only be submitted in cases of the student’s incapability to submit information on their own.

While each situation is unique, these are the documents that will be necessary in most cases.

  • US Military deployment
    • Provide orders or call-up documents displaying dates of service.
    • Exclusions: New enlistments, foreign military service.
  • Death of an immediate family member
    • Immediate family member is defined as a parent, step-parent, current parent in-law, biological grandparents, child, step-child, adopted child, foster child, sister, half-sister, step-sister, brother, half-brother, step-brother, grandchild, great-grandchild.
    • Provide an obituary, death notice, or death certificate.
  • Death of the student
    • No form or approval is needed - a backdated drop is automatic.
    • Please notify Student Wellness at Mid, wellness@midmich.edu.
  • Verifiable, significant medical situation
    • Provide a letter on the Doctor's or Clinic’s letterhead.
      • The letter should contain
        • A statement indicating why the student was incapacitated and prohibited from returning to college activities (either on campus or online)
        • Dates of care and incapacitation
      • Submitting receipts, appointment reminders, discharge instructions, disability certificates, EOBs, or other notes in place of a doctor’s letter are subject to the interpretation of Mid Michigan College. Please do not submit confidential medical information and be sure to black out sensitive information prior to submission. The College cannot ensure the confidentiality of medical information.
  • Verifiable error on the part of Mid Michigan College.
    • Provide documents related to the situation.
  • Extraordinary event prohibiting you from completing courses.
    • Provide documents related to the event.
    • Exclusions: Mid Michigan College reserves the right to define ‘extraordinary event.’

Important Considerations and Declarations

By submitting a request for a Backdated Drop, you understand and submit to the following

  • You will be submitting all the documentation that you want reviewed.
  • You assume all responsibility for the enrollment and financial aid changes that may result from the approval of a backdated drop. These impacts include, but are not limited to
    • Changes in financial aid eligibility.
    • Changes in the balance of your Mid student account.
    • Changes in your status on current and prior student loan deferments that are based on enrollment.
  • You acknowledge that any financial aid funds that have not yet been disbursed will be held pending a final decision on the situation.
  • You understand that this backdated drop will only be granted once during your time at Mid Michigan College barring any extraordinary situation as determined by the College.
  • You understand the backdated drop is typically applied to ALL courses. Exceptions to this are limited and rare. Certain criteria must be met.
  • This process is not intended for you to see what the potential results are, and then decide if you wish to continue in the course. This process is intended for students who have encountered significant issues and are unable to complete the semester.

What are the financial implications of a backdated drop?

Each situation is unique and students pay for courses in any number of combinations and with multiple sources. Here are a few common payment/refund scenarios, but these examples do not cover every situation. The College strongly encourages students to discuss these decisions with their Mid Mentor and Financial Aid before proceeding.

  • Did you receive Pell Grants, SEOG, Mid Foundation Scholarships, Student Loans, or Veterans Benefits?
    • If yes, the aid you received from the sources listed above will be reviewed during the backdated drop process. The financial aid award you received will be impacted and there may be a balance due to the College after the backdated drop. Future aid cannot be used to pay this balance. Students need to discuss their situation with Financial Aid or Veteran Resources prior to filing a request for a backdated drop.
  • Did you pay for the courses yourself?
    • If yes, the approval of a backdated drop will likely result in a credit to your student account.
  • Do you still owe for the courses?
    • If yes, the approval of this request may result in a reduction in the balance owed when the courses or courses involved are removed from your schedule. A refund is not issued since there was not a payment.

What is the process for receiving a Backdated Drop?

Approval of a backdated drop is not automatic. Each request is reviewed in the context of the information provided along with consideration of the documentation submitted. Generally, the College will not contact the student for additional information but will evaluate the request based on the documents provided.

Backdated Drop Request Process

  1. Student discusses the possibility of a backdated drop with a Mid Mentor, Financial Aid, and/or the Director of Counseling & Wellness Services.
  2. Student assembles the necessary documentation and submits a request for a backdated drop using the appropriate form.
  3. The request is evaluated and the student receives a response within about five business days.
  4. Based on the response, the student follows up with their Mid Mentor for next steps.

Appeals

If the student is dissatisfied with the determination, they may file an appeal with the Appellate Board. The petition must be filed within five (5) business days of receiving the written final determination. Any party that files an appeal must do so, in writing (email is an acceptable method of delivery), to the Vice President of Student Services. Other parties will be notified that an appeal has been filed and forwarded to the Appellate Board for consideration. Within fifteen (15) business days, the Appellate Board will determine if the request is timely and has merit; an Appeal decision will be rendered by the Board within an additional fifteen (15) business days.

The original findings are acknowledged to be reasonably and appropriately determined. Therefore, the only grounds for appeal are

  • If a procedural [or substantive] error occurred that significantly impacted the outcome of the decision.
  • To consider new documentation that was unavailable during the original evaluation and could substantially impact the original decision. A summary of this new documentation and its potential bearing must be included.

Request A Backdated Drop