Academic Support

Dropping Courses

Consider your options before you drop

If you want to drop a course, you can't just stop attending classes—you'll need to officially drop it. Otherwise, you will receive an F or Incomplete (INC), which counts as 0 in your GPA.

Drop courses before the deadline

  • Each term has a Drop and a W (Withdraw) deadline. See the important dates calendar for more information.
  • If you drop a course before the drop deadline, the course simply disappears from your record, although there may be financial implications.
  • If you drop a course after the drop deadline, but before the W deadline, the course remains on your record with a W.
  • You cannot drop a course after the W deadline; you will receive the grade that you earn in the course, or possibly an Incomplete (INC) if you do not complete a major component of the course or an ILL if that is due to illness.

How to drop a course

Implications of Dropping


What does Dropping with a "W" Mean?


  • 'W' stands for Withdrew after the deadline.
  • A course you withdraw from will appear on your transcript with a 'W' instead of a grade.
  • A 'W' has no effect on your GPA.
  • Having one 'W' on your transcript isn't a bad thing, but having many 'W's on your transcript is not ideal because it could be interpreted as an inability to cope with taking 4-5 courses per term. This matters if you are a full-time student planning to apply for further study, because admission committees can view handling a demanding course load as a strength and an inability to do so a cause for concern.

How it can impact graduation

  • If you drop a course, you will need to make up the credit.
  • Dropping a course may also affect your graduation date.

Financial implications

  • Dropping courses may affect your eligibility for a student loan. Make sure you check the rules for your loan.
  • If you drop a course by the last day to cancel your registration, you'll receive a full refund.
  • If you drop a course after the last day to cancel your registration, you'll only receive a partial refund.
  • The amount of the refund decreases as the term progresses. Beyond a certain point each term, there is no refund. Check the Tuition & Fees section on the Student Accounts website for more information.

If you have a scholarship

  • Many scholarships require you to take a minimum number of courses. Ask the Registrar’s Office about your scholarship rules before dropping a course and meet with an Academic Advisor for help in deciding what to do.

Your international student status

Your varsity status

  • Dropping a course may affect your eligibility to play varsity sports. Ask your coach for information before finalizing your decision.

Are you living in residence?

  • Depending on the number of coures dropped, it may affect your eligibility to live in residence. Find out before finalizing your decision.
Having difficulty in a class?

If you're having difficulty in class, complete a quick self assessment to determine whether or not you should drop a class.