Learning, of course, is the heart of any college experience. Part of that learning is understanding some terms that might be unfamiliar, which isn’t always easy. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

As part of an occasional series, we’ll spotlight phrases that may be unfamiliar in a college setting to add to your college vocabulary. We call it, “Say What?” If there’s a topic you’d like to see covered, please send suggestions to communications@schoolcraft.edu.

To start, we’ll look at Drop vs. Withdraw. There are big differences between the two that can affect your academic progress and your wallet.

Dropping a class

Let’s say you signed up for a class, but early on you realize it’s not right for you and don’t want to take it. Good news: You can drop the and get a refund IF you do so in time. 

Basically, Schoolcraft College builds in a little grace period to make sure you want to take a given course. Check the schedule adjustment period found in Important Dates for that term. In general, you can adjust your schedule before the start of the term (and a little bit after) and can drop your class for a refund through WebAdvisor.

Credit card payments made online through WebAdvisor will be credited to the account used for payment. All other refunds will be issued to the student by check or direct deposit. 

Dropped courses do not appear on the official college transcript, and no grade is issued for dropped courses. So it’s like it never happened. 

Withdrawing from a class

It is better to officially withdraw than to simply stop attending class and receive a failing grade, but withdrawing is a step that shouldn’t be taken lightly. 

If you have extenuating circumstances that prevent you from attending, such as military service, the people at Schoolcraft College are willing to work with you. You can submit a request through SC aware. Please be prepared to provide documentation that supports your request.

Otherwise, in most cases, if you officially withdraw after the refund/schedule adjustment period has ended, you won’t get a refund. You can officially withdraw using WebAdvisor.

Also, if you withdraw, you will receive a “W” grade on your transcript. “W” grades are not considered when calculating the grade-point average but may impact a student’s satisfactory academic progress as it relates to financial aid. Therefore it is highly recommended you contact Financial Aid prior to withdrawing from any classes.

If you have further questions, visit the registration web page for more information or call 734-462-4426.