If you must withdraw from your study abroad program, please carefully read the information below and complete a Withdrawal Request. Please note, your withdrawal from a program is not official until UW Study Abroad receives your Withdrawal Request.
It is important to understand that withdrawing from a study abroad program may have financial consequences and that you will be held to the terms and conditions of all the contracts and documents that you signed.
Typical withdrawals are processed 4-6 weeks from receipt of the Withdrawal Request. While your withdrawal is being processed, you are responsible for paying any study abroad related charges, including late fees, on your UW student account by the deadlines. Any potential reimbursements of program and/or exchange fees will be credited to your student account once the withdrawal is fully processed.
In all cases, the Study Abroad Fee is non-refundable once you have signed a Payment Contract.
Withdrawal process
To withdraw from a study abroad program, you must complete and submit a Withdrawal Request, found in your program application by logging in MyGlobal.
The official date of withdrawal is the date on which you submit the Withdrawal Request. You will receive an email when your Withdrawal Request has been received by UW Study Abroad, and when it has been processed.
If you decide to withdraw from your program, please notify your program director, provider and advisor in addition to filling out the Withdrawal Request.
Withdrawal consequences are dependent on your particular program and withdrawal date. Please carefully read the terms of participation and withdrawal policy for your particular study abroad program, as outlined in your Payment Contract. This contract is located in your program application in MyGlobal.
Find your program application to submit a withdrawal
Petition for Emergency Withdrawal
If you cannot participate in a study abroad program, you may submit an Emergency Withdrawal Petition. If granted, the Emergency Withdrawal may allow for partial relief from your financial obligations to the program.
Circumstances eligible for Emergency Withdrawal Petition submission
- Unanticipated change in financial situation
This includes but is not limited to:- Unexpected significant loss of financial resources
- Unexpected significant increase in financial obligations
Documentation demonstrating the significant change in financial status is required in order for your request to be considered. You must demonstrate that the change occurred after you submitted your study abroad Payment Contract. Examples of documentation appropriate to submit include bank statements, unexpected bills, unemployment paperwork, proof of bankruptcy, or approved tuition forfeiture petition.
- Medical emergency
If you are petitioning to withdraw from your program for medical reasons, submit the Healthcare Provider Verification Form (available at the bottom of the page) and supply all required documentation. It is your responsibility to supply sufficient medical documentation. - Death
If you are petitioning to withdraw from your program due to a death in your immediate family, submit a copy of the death certificate, obituary, or remembrance from the funeral. Your petition must include documentation clearly showing your relationship to the deceased. - Active military duty
If you are petitioning to withdraw from your program due to a call to active duty, please submit an emergency withdrawal petition and a copy of the military activation orders showing dates that conflict with the program dates. - Unusual or extenuating circumstances
If you experience unusual or extenuating circumstances beyond your control that prevent you from participating in your study abroad program, you may submit a petition for emergency withdrawal. You must include verifiable documentation supporting your reason for withdrawal.
Requirements
A complete Emergency Withdrawal Petition includes:
- Withdrawal Request
- Personal Statement
- Supporting Documentation
- Healthcare Provider Verification Form (if applicable)
Useful tips
- Use clear, descriptive language to explain your circumstances.
- Be as specific as possible.
- Include a timeline of events leading to your request.
- Provide verifiable facts that substantiate your claim.
- Explain what happened/what changed, and why.
- Provide official supporting documentation (e.g. on letterhead) that pertains to the situation.
- The petition must be authored by you, not your parent or guardian.
- Include the Healthcare Verification Form, if applying due to a medical emergency.
An Emergency Withdrawal is unlikely to be granted if:
- You did not understand the financial obligations
- You were not eligible for financial aid or did not receive the amount you expected
- You did not receive a scholarship
- You were selected for another opportunity (study abroad program, job, internship, etc.)
- You did not carefully read the program brochure, acceptance emails, or payment contract and you signed the contract anyway
- Your academic plans changed
- Your petition did not include verifiable supporting documentation
- Your petition includes ambiguous or unclear documentation (e.g. documentation in another language without translation)
- You do not include the Healthcare Verification Form and you are withdrawing due to a medical emergency
- You only owe the UW Study Abroad Fee
- You are cancelling due to anxiety about COVID-19. UW Study Abroad and Global Travel Security are closely monitoring the health and safety situation in the locations we plan to send students to. If UWSA cancels your program due to COVID-19, UWSA will not charge you any program fees that it controls. However, if you decide to withdraw from your study abroad program due to general concerns about COVID-19, your petition for emergency withdrawal will not be granted. If you have extenuating medical circumstances related to COVID-19 and your situation has changed from the time you signed your contract, the Emergency Withdrawal Committee will consider your case. Petitions must be accompanied by supporting documentation from a medical professional.
The UW Study Abroad Fee is non-refundable. If you only owe the UW Study Abroad Fee at the time of your withdrawal, UW Study Abroad will not refund the fee, regardless of submitting an emergency withdrawal petition.
How the Emergency Withdrawal Petition process works
- Complete and submit the Emergency Withdrawal Petition requirements in MyGlobal.
- Petitions are reviewed by an Emergency Withdrawal Committee that meets on the first Thursday of every month. For a petition to be reviewed on this date, the petition must be received by Thursday of the prior week.
- A member of the Emergency Withdrawal Committee will communicate the committee’s decision to you within several days of the committee meeting.
- An appeal may be submitted to the Director of UW Study Abroad within 30 days of notification of the committee’s decision.
A complete Emergency Withdrawal Petition will be considered for up to one year from the date you signed the original program Payment Contract. An Emergency Withdrawal Petition must include verifiable supporting documentation to be considered complete. If your petition has been submitted, but does not include supporting documentation at the one year mark, your petition will be denied.