Add Drop, Cancel, Withdrawal, and Refunds for Excelsior University Courses

Students registered for Excelsior University courses may add/drop, cancel, or withdraw from them. Refunds will be granted as appropriate, according to the schedule in the Procedures section below.

Course Add/Drop: Prior to term start through Day 3 of term

• Prior to the start of a term and until 11:59 PM Eastern time on Wednesday of the first week of the term, students who are registered for a course may drop it and add a different course. The added course must be scheduled within the same trimester as the original course.
• Students seeking to add/drop should contact their academic advisor prior to starting the process to obtain approval and ensure that they are selecting a new course that fits into their degree plan. Then, they must log in to their MyExcelsior page, click on My Courses and Exams, select Cancel, Add/Drop and Withdraw, and follow the prompts. The add/drop process closes at 11:59 PM Eastern on Day 3 (first Wednesday) of the term.
• Military students (those serving on Active Duty, in the Reserves, or in the National Guard) using tuition assistance who wish to add/drop must submit the tuition assistance form for the new course, or in the case of Army students, have approved TA through ArmyIgnitED. Tuition assistance will not be approved by the branch of service after the start of the course.

Course Cancel: Prior to the start of term through Day 15 of term

• Students who are registered for a course may cancel it before the start of the term and within the first 15 calendar days of the start of the term.
• Students seeking to cancel a course must log into MyExcelsior, click on My Courses and Exams, select Cancel, Add/Drop and Withdraw, and follow the prompts.
• Students may register for INL 102 up to 20 days after the term begins. If students register for INL 102 after the term begins, the refund for INL 102 will be calculated using the date of registration as the first day of the course.
• There is no academic penalty for cancelling a course, and no record of it will appear on the MAP or Excelsior University transcript.
• Students who cancel a course will be granted a full or partial refund of tuition and the technology and academic services fees according to the refund schedule below. Refunds are calculated based on the full cost of tuition and fees. Due to federal regulations, tuition and fees for students residing in California, Maryland, and Oregon will be refunded following their state refund guidelines. Students in these states should contact the Student Accounting Office for details.

• Students who cancel and have used financial aid to pay for tuition and fees must undergo a re-evaluation of their eligibility. This may result in a loss of funds.
• Military students (those serving on Active Duty, in the Reserves, or in the National Guard) using tuition assistance may cancel a course within the first 15 calendar days with no academic or financial liability, through the online withdrawal process. Excelsior University is required to return unearned tuition assistance funds to the military branch of service in accordance with Department of Defense (DOD) policy. In the case of Army students, notice of the cancellation will be transmitted to the ArmyIgnitED account overnight and the TA invoice will be cancelled.

Course Withdrawal: Day 16 until 7 days before the end of term

• Students who are registered for a course may withdraw from it any time between Day 16 of the term until seven calendar days prior to its end. A withdrawal will result in a grade of W on the MAP and Excelsior University transcript. There is a restriction on the number of W grades students may incur; see Limitations on Grade Scale, GPA, and Credit Application for details.
• Students seeking to withdraw from a course must log into MyExcelsior, click on My Courses and Exams, select Cancel, Add/Drop and Withdraw, and follow the prompts. There will be no refund of tuition/fees upon withdrawal.
• Students who withdraw and have used financial aid to pay tuition and fees must undergo a re-evaluation of their eligibility. This may result in a loss of funds.
• Military students (those serving on Active Duty, in the Reserves, or in the National Guard) who withdraw from courses will incur full liability for them.
• Department of Defense (DOD) regulations require Excelsior University to return unearned tuition assistance funds to the military branch of service based on how much of the course was completed. Students using military TA who withdraw from a course may owe a portion of the tuition to Excelsior University and a portion to the military branch. See Return of Unearned Tuition Assistance Funds policy for additional information.
• Military students seeking a withdrawal due to deployment should see Excelsior’s Military Deployment procedure below.

Military Withdrawal Due to Military Deployment/Training 

A Military Withdrawal (MW) withdraws a student from a course and allows a student to receive a grade of MW instead of grade of F. The grade of MW on the academic transcript indicates withdrawal without academic penalty from an Excelsior University course. It is not calculated in the Overall, Academic Probation and Excelsior GPAs, but will appear on a student’s transcript. 

A grade of MW does not relieve the student of financial responsibility. Students should contact their military education center directly to pursue a possible waiver of their tuition assistance liability.  

To be eligible to request an MW, the duration of deployment/training must exceed 14 consecutive days during the course term. In addition, students who request a Military Withdrawal (MW) from a course must meet one the following conditions:  

The student was unable to complete the course and has earned a grade of F due to military deployment/training.  

or  

During a course, student determines that they cannot complete a course due to military deployment/training. 

Requests for an MW can be submitted up to 12 months from the end date of the deployment/training. To request a Military Withdrawal (MW) due to military deployment/training, students should notify the University of their intent in writing as soon as possible through the Ombudsperson Office. Students should submit either a copy of their deployment orders or a “signed” verification letter from their Education Service Officer or Commanding Officer certifying the dates and the length of deployment (temporary duty)/training.  

Documentation can be sent to the following:  

Ombudsperson Office  
Excelsior University  
7 Columbia Circle  
Albany, NY 12203-5159  
Fax: 518-464-8777  
Email: ombudsperson@excelsior.edu