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Withdrawal & Tuition Reimbursement
Students may experience unexpected, nonacademic circumstances that prevent them from completing a term or session. Northern Arizona University provides established withdrawal and refund deadlines for all students. When circumstances fall outside these deadlines, students may submit a Term Withdrawal and Tuition Reimbursement Petition to request an exception to university policy.
The Vice Provost of Academic Operations (VPAO) oversees the process for reviewing and approving withdrawal and reimbursement petitions. The Term Withdrawal and Tuition Reimbursement Committee evaluates completed petitions based on university policy, federal financial aid regulations, and NAU’s academic and financial integrity standards.
Submitting a petition does not guarantee approval. Students are responsible for providing sufficient relevant documentation to support their request.
If you are a newly admitted student who has not paid the enrollment deposit and decided not to attend NAU, please submit a Decline My Offer form with Admissions instead of completing this petition.
Required Petition Components
A petition is considered complete when it includes all of the following:
- Signed Term Withdraw Petition
- A signed Term Withdraw Petition authorizing changes to academic and financial records. Must include a physical (not digital) signature or be submitted from an NAU email address.
- Personal Statement with a clear explanation of:
- The extenuating circumstances
- A timeline of events
- How these circumstances impacted your ability to complete the term
- Supporting Documentation
- Official documentation from a qualified external professional that confirms the circumstances described in the personal statement.
- Submission Within Two Years
- Petitions must be submitted within two years of the last day of the petitioned term. Late submissions are only eligible if a documented university error prevented timely filing.
Petitions can be submitted to enrollmentpetitions@nau.edu.
Petition Review Timeline
Typical processing time: 4–6 weeks
After submitting all required components, your petition will be reviewed by the committee. Tuition reimbursement requests undergo an additional review by university administrators.
Withdrawal & Reimbursement Petition Process Walk-through
Transcript Impacts Accordion Closed
If a petition for a term withdrawal is approved:
- Course grades are replaced with “W”.
- If the student never attended or was enrolled in error, the Office of the Registrar may remove the course from the academic record entirely.
Federal Financial Aid considerations Accordion Closed
Federal financial aid regulations determine how funds are returned when a student withdraws.
- The last date of academic attendance determines the amount of aid that must be returned.
- After a student completes 50% or more of the term or session, tuition is no longer refundable because academic services are considered rendered.
- Participation is measured based on documented academic engagement, consistent with federal definitions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I withdraw before the withdrawal deadline? Accordion Closed
Yes. You may drop your courses in LOUIE without submitting a petition.
- No personal statement or documentation is required.
- Students should notify Campus Living and/or Campus Dining if they have active contracts.
- Online and Personalized Learning students may disregard this step.
We also recommend contacting Student and Departmental Account Services to ensure there are no outstanding charges.
I already withdrew. Can I still request reimbursement? Accordion Closed
Yes, but a reimbursement request after withdrawal also requires a petition.
Follow the same form instructions listed above, selecting the reimbursement option on the form. For questions about possible reimbursement amounts, contact Student and Departmental Account Services.
Can I withdraw after the withdrawal deadline for reimbursement? Accordion Closed
No, a petition is required.
• Flagstaff, Statewide and Online students: Complete the Term Withdrawal and Reimbursement Petition.
• Personalized Learning students: Complete the PL Withdrawal and/or Change of Withdrawal Date Petition.
Submit the form, personal statement, and documentation to the Registrar’s Office at enrollmentpetitions@nau.edu. You will receive the decision at your NAU email address.