Office of the Registrar

Former Quarter Drop (FQD)

Former Quarter Drop 

The University of Washington Bothell understands that you may face a variety of challenges and obstacles while attending. The Former Quarter Drop (FQD) process was designed to help you address the impact these challenges and obstacles may have on your ability to achieve academic success. The following information outlines how you can use the FQD process to request to drop a class or classes completed in a quarter that has already ended.

Please review the policy and eligibility requirements to determine if this is the right process for you. You may also consider speaking to an adviser to support you through this process if you have questions or need guidance with completing the FQD process.

If you are considering dropping a course in the current quarter, learn more about this by reviewing the Current Quarter Drop (CQD) webpage.

Former Quarter Drop Policy

This process provides students with a method to petition for a grade earned in a former quarter to be changed to a Registrar Drop (RD).  A grade of RD does not impact your cumulative GPA or academic standing. A Former Quarter Drop (FQD) may be granted if you are unable to complete or withdraw from your course(s) because of extenuating circumstances beyond your control. 

Tuition Refund

A Former Quarter Drop is not a petition for a tuition refund and only addresses the student’s enrollment and grades as they appear on the transcript. By default, all tuition forfeiture policies  will apply to a Former Quarter Drop.  Students wishing to petition Tuition Forfeiture, must do so via the Tuition Forfeiture Petition.

Former Quarter Drop Eligibility 

  • The student is incapable of completing their course(s) because of an extenuating circumstance beyond their control. 
  • An extenuating circumstance prevented the student from dropping their course(s) by the published course  drop deadline for the quarter. 
  • The FQD Petition is submitted within one year of the quarter being petitioned. If a student wishes to submit an FQD Petition beyond the one-year deadline, it must be supported by a UW school professional explaining why the petition should be considered past the one-year deadline.
  • Former Quarter Drop Petitions will not be processed once a degree has been conferred.
  • The FQD petition is for circumstances outside of the classroom and should not be used to address grading or academic related issues. See Grading Procedures for additional information. 

FQD Petitions will be reviewed by the Office of the Registrar within 2-3 weeks of the petition’s initial submission date. If the petition is granted, a $20 change of registration fee will be assessed.

Prior to Submitting the Petition

  • Students are responsible for reviewing all the information on this page before completing and submitting the Former Quarter Drop Petition.
  • Separate FQD Petitions with supporting materials must be submitted for each quarter being petitioned.
  • FQDs will not be granted for coursework that has already been applied to a completed degree.
  • Submission of an FQD Petition does not guarantee it will be approved.
  • Students with F-1 Visa status should meet with an adviser in the International Student Services Office to be apprised of any Visa status changes due to FQD approval.
  • Students submitting an FQD Petition within two weeks of the end of the quarter should first consider requesting an “I” (Incomplete) grade from instructors.

Requirements for Submitting the Petition

  • The student must submit a concise statement clearly outlining the circumstances for the FQD Petition (e.g., describing the extenuating circumstance beyond their control) and explaining:
    • How these circumstances affected the student’s ability to complete coursework for the course(s) being petitioned.
    • How these circumstances prevented the student from dropping the course(s) by the drop deadline. When the student is asking to drop just one course, as opposed to all courses, they must explain why they were prevented from dropping only the one course.
    • Academic issues you may have faced as the result of other primary circumstances can be identified in your personal statement, but should not be academic issues such as frustrations with course instruction or with your instructor’s grading of your coursework, as these are not circumstances that justify a Former Quarter Drop. (For addressing these types of academic issues, please review the Grade Appeal Procedure).
    • Please note: The Former Quarter Drop process is not intended for grade renewal on individual courses or for grade forgiveness purposes. Requests made to improve GPA and/or improve opportunity for internal UW admissions application will be denied.
  • Supporting materials help to provide evidence that backs up your personal statement. The following are examples of why a FQD may be requested, as well as suggested supporting materials that may be submitted with the FQD Petition. You may also upload a statement of support from a UW school official such as an adviser or instructor.
    •  Click here for examples of why a Former Quarter Drop may be requested, as well as suggested supporting materials that may be submitted with the FQD Petition.
    • All supporting materials must be in English. Materials not originally written in English must be translated by an accredited translator or a third-party professional, and the translator’s contact information must be included.
    • If you choose to have a healthcare provider complete the UW Healthcare Provider form you have three options for submitting it.
      • Your healthcare provider gives it to you and you upload it with your petition.
      • Your provider can email it directly to uwbreg@uw.edu.
      • If you receive the completed form after submitting your FQD petition, email it to the UWB Office of the Registrar (uwbreg@uw.edu) and we will match it up with your petition.

Submitting the Petition

After submitting the Petition

  • A decision will be sent to the student’s uw.edu email address within two to three weeks after the petition is submitted.
  • Approved petitions will result in the student’s transcript reflecting a grade of RD (Registrar Drop) for the petitioned course(s).
  • Grades cannot be restored once an FQD Petition has been granted.
  • No details of the petition or supporting materials will be shared with anyone outside the FQD Review Board.

Beyond the one year deadline

  • Students who wish to submit an FQD Petition beyond the one-year deadline must petition to drop ALL courses in that quarter. 
  • Students must email their personal petition statement to the Office of the Registrar (uwbreg@uw.edu). Students will then be provided additional instructions on how to submit their Former Quarter Drop outside the one-year filing timeline. The Former Quarter Drop petition form should not be used to submit a petition for a quarter that is not listed on the dropdown menu, unless advised to do so by the UW Bothell Office of the Registrar. 

Resources

Nothing is more important than a student’s health and well-being. Students who may be struggling with medical, emotional, or behavioral issues that are impacting their academic success are strongly encouraged to reach out to one of the following resources for support and to help create a plan to address any struggles being experienced. Below are some key resources at the University of Washington that can help support students in this regard.