Registration Exceptions

Students may be able to submit a Registration Exception if they wish to request a late withdraw from a course due to documented extenuating circumstances.  Late withdrawals are not backdated.

View Registration Exception Forms

Note: Be sure to select the correct form from the database

• Registration Exception Form - Late Withdraw - Current Student
• Registration Exception Form - Late Withdraw - Non-Current Student

Important Information

• Read the exception form carefully. Make sure the exception is signed and dated when complete and successfully submitted. It is an electronic form routed directly to our office.
• Provide accurate student and course information on the exception form. 
• Please do not make a request for multiple semesters on one registration exception form. Requests for multiple semesters require separate exception forms.
• Student Statement: The student statement should explain the nature of your request and what extenuating circumstances prevented you from completing this change before the official processing deadline for the course(s). If a student is making a selective request, they must clearly explain how their circumstances affected one or some of their courses and not all. Documentation must be provided.
• Supporting Documentation: Provide documentation that supports the extenuating circumstances presented in your student statement. There should be a documented reason as to why you were unable to withdraw by university deadlines.
• Medical Documentation: If you are providing medical documentation, a letter from a medical professional on letterhead is required. The information should include an explanation of the circumstances and a timeline relevant to the term the request is being made for.  Please do not include the medical documentation form that is related to the tuition refund appeal process. This document will not be accepted. This is a separate form, for another process and a different office.
• Additional Information: The Office of the University Registrar reserves the right to request additional information from the student or others and will take the time to thoroughly conduct research as part of the review process. An instructor statement is NOT required. If we have specific questions for instructors or an academic advisor, we will contact them. Information from third parties is advisory only. The Office of the University Registrar reviews and makes the final decision for Registration Exception Forms. This is a review process, and an approval is not guaranteed. 
• Approved Late Withdrawal: An approved late withdrawal is processed as of the date of approval. Withdrawals are not backdated. A withdrawal is not a guarantee of any tuition credit. Please note that any changes to registration, may cause changes in your student account and financial aid.
• Some of the reasons not appropriate for a Registration Exception:
  • Academically Dismissed: When a student is academically dismissed, they are notified of their student status. In addition, they are provided with the instructions regarding appealing the dismissal through the college office. The registration exception form is not a means to remove an academic dismissal from the student record. Students are expected to decide to remain in courses or withdraw online prior to published university deadlines. If they wish to remain in courses, they should seek assistance form their instructor and/or academic advisor if there are challenges during the term to discuss best options, prior to any deadlines and prior to possibly being academically dismissed.
     
  • Financial issues: The Registration Exception process is not to be used to resolve financial hardship or financial aid issues. Students should not register for courses to obtain the desired amount of credit hours solely for the purpose of becoming eligible for Financial Aid and then seek to withdraw or switch courses, after university deadlines.
     
  • Grades or dissatisfaction with the instructor: The Registration Exception Form is not the appropriate process to dispute or appeal grades. This process is also not appropriate for dissatisfaction with the instructor or the method of instruction. Please contact your college office or the Student Ombuds for assistance. A request to drop/withdraw will not be considered for courses with passing grades, IP, or IN administrative marks.
     
  • Incomplete Grades:  If you wish to pursue an incomplete grade for a course, you must do so through your instructor, prior to the end of the semester. In addition, students are unable to request a late withdraw through the registration exception process. An incomplete or in progress grade will stand.Deciding to make an attempt to complete a course, though the student is experiencing extenuating circumstance, and discovering after university deadlines that they will not be successful, is not a an appropriate reason to request a late withdraw. Computer errors, loss of internet connection, change in employment, being unaware of published university deadlines, incorrect deadline date on a syllabus, lack of books or supplies, poor performance, dissatisfaction with a grade earned or instructor issues are not valid reasons for this request.
     
  • Holds: If a student has a hold, they should indicate whether they contacted the office that initiated the hold and when. Students should resolve these matters as soon as possible, in order to complete registration activity prior to university deadlines.
     
  • If a student requested to late add a course they should not submit a 2nd exception form to late withdraw the same course, unless under extraordinary documented circumstances.
     
  • Unable to complete the course due to financial reasons or seek to request a refund. The university does not offer a refund appeal process due to extenuating circumstances, as of Fall 2020.  Kent State University offers tuition insurance through GradGuard. This option can be purchased at the beginning of each term. To obtain a quote or learn more about selecting this optional tuition insurance from GradGuard visit their website or call 877-794-6603.

Students may be able to submit a Registration Exception Form to request a re-add for a course that was accidentally withdrawn or dropped due to the Bursar cancellation process. When submitting the form students must provide the email for the instructor of record. Emails are available in the class search function after clicking on the CRN for the course one is interested in.

Students may request to late add course after week 2 or equivalent when they have missed the deadline to late add a course. Please be aware that if there is a financial hold on the student account, a course may not be added until the hold has been resolved. An email will be provided to the student, if any additional steps or processes need to be taken before a class is added late.

View Registration Exception Forms

Note: Be sure to select the correct form from the database

• Registration Exception Form - Late Add or Re-Add Courses - Current Student
• Registration Exception Form - Late Add or Re-Add Courses - Non-Current Student

Important Information

• Student Statement:  Attach a typed detailed statement, explaining the nature of your request, why the request is being made and what extenuating circumstances prevented you from completing this change before the official processing deadline for the course(s).  Please note if you are requesting to audit a course.
   
• Instructor:  The new Registration Exception Form- Late Add or Re-Add will route directly to the instructor based on the instructor email provided by the student on the exception form. The instructor will mark on the form if they are in favor of the late add or re-add.
   
• Late adds are considered only if the instructor is in favor of the late add and verifies:
  • Student has participated in class and has a reasonable chance to successfully complete the course by the end of the term
  • If the student has not participated in class it should be understood what is expected (catching up with missed assignments, additional work etc.) and that there is a reasonable chance that the student will be successful in completing the course.
  • The new Registration Exception Form – Late Add/Re-Add will route directly to the instructor of the course to indicate if they are in favor of the registration.
     
• Open Learning courses: Students may request to late add open-learning courses after the first week with this form.
   
• Re-Add: Circumstances for which a student may request to re-add a course:
  • Classes were dropped due to schedule cancellation due to non-payment and the student is unable to re-add online.
  • Student accidentally drops or withdraws the wrong course.
     
• Pass/Fail or Audit: Undergraduate students wishing to take coursework on a pass-fail basis should complete the Pass/Fail or Audit Grade Request Form by the published deadlines. Only one course per semester may be taken pass-fail. (NOTE: Some courses such as Kent Core or graduate courses cannot be taken pass-fail.)
   
• Online Late Registration Request:
  • Students will use the online Late Registration Request when attempting to add to their class schedule during the 80% drop window. This request form cannot be used for Open Learning courses. After the 80% drop window, students will need to use a Registration Exception Form.

Students may be eligible to submit a Registration Exception Form - NF Final Graded Courses Current Term - Late Drop (no 'W' on the academic record) that includes a tuition credit approval. 

This request is only for the current term courses that have a final grade of NF or verified as never attended. THIS FORM CAN ONLY BE USED TO REQUEST A LATE DROP due to never attending. 

A “drop” is when a course is dropped from the student’s schedule during the 100% or 80% tuition credit periods. There is no W, “Withdrawal,” on the academic record. A “drop” is different from a “withdrawal.”  A withdrawal is when a course is withdrawn after the second week of the term or equivalent and a W is posted on the official transcript.

View Registration Exception Forms

Note: Be sure to select the correct form from the database

• Registration Exception Form - Current Student - NF Grade Related Request - Current Term

This form is to be completed if you wish to be officially withdrawn from a PRIOR TERM  class(es) that is currently graded as NF (Never Attended - F) or verified as never attended. If the application is approved, you will be officially withdrawn resulting in a 'W' on the official academic record and a corresponding tuition credit for the particular course(s). 

Please note a tuition credit may not result in a credit on your student account. The instructor(s) of record may be asked to provide verification that the student never attended and never submitted any coursework by sending an email to RegPetition@kent.edu. The Office of the University Registrar will not consider requests regarding a term, prior to Fall 2008.

View Registration Exception Forms

Note: Be sure to select the correct form from the database

• Registration Exception Form - Non-Current Student - NF Grade Related Request - Prior Term 
• Registration Exception Form - Current Student - NF Grade Related Request - Prior Term

A Drop/Delete (drop at 100% tuition credit) of a course may only be considered during the semester of the course and due to never attending. A drop/delete is removal of a course from the academic record. The deadline for a late request is the last day of the course. Requests will not be considered during finals week or beyond. This request is made with the NF Final Graded Courses Registration Exception Form – Current Term. Please be aware a review may take longer than usual if additional information is required or when the instructor needs to be contacted and we are waiting on a response or completion of a required administrative task. It is the student’s responsibility to drop courses by published university deadlines if they do not intend to continue in a course or are unable to continue in a course for any reason.

View Registration Exception Forms

Note: Be sure to select the correct form from the database

• Registration Exception Form - Current Student - NF Grade Related Request - Current Term

A few reasons not appropriate for a late drop request:

• Students are unable to make a request for a late drop/deletion with 100% tuition credit due to extenuating circumstances, perceived quality of instruction or dissatisfaction of an academic experience, changing their mind about taking a course, not being aware of published university deadlines, financial reasons, incorrect drop deadline date on a syllabus, job related (promotion, changing shifts, changing jobs), poor grades etc. 
   
• Students are unable to make a request to late drop/deletion of a course with 100% tuition credit because they have changed their major and no longer need the course, course placement or advising issues.
   
• Students are unable to make a request for a late drop/deletion of a course with 100% tuition credit due to late submission of an academic transcript from another school for a review of transfer work, late posting of transfer credit, not being aware of transfer work or the completion of the transfer review process. There may be a consideration of a late withdrawal only. A “W” would be on the record and there would not be any tuition credit.

The university does not offer a refund appeal process due to extenuating circumstances, as of Fall 2020.  Kent State University offers tuition insurance through GradGuard.  This option can be purchased at the beginning of each term. To obtain a quote or learn more about selecting this optional tuition insurance from GradGuard visit their website or call 877-794-6603.

Students may be able to submit a Registration Exception Course Section Changes if they have course section changes (same course, different section), level changes of a course (undergraduate and graduate level), or approved credit hour change for variable credit hour courses.

View Registration Exception Forms
 

Note: Be sure to select the correct form from the database

• Registration Exception Form - Course Section Changes - Current Student
• Registration Exception Form - Course Section Changes - Non-Current Student

Important Information

• A student may need to request a change from one course section to another. Even if the courses are the same, there may be additional fees assessed based on the dates of dropped/withdrawing and adding of a course.
• In addition, tuition and fees associated with a course vary based on the campus and method of instruction. Changing course of the exact same subject does not necessarily mean that there will not be any charges. 
• Student Statement:  Attach a typed detailed statement, explaining the nature of your request, why the request is being made and what extenuating circumstances prevented you from completing this change before the official processing deadline for the course(s).
• Instructor statement:  Please have the instructor of the course(s) email RegPetition@kent.edu, from their KSU email address, if they are in favor of your request. The instructor should include the course subject, course number, section and CRN and any other relevant information.
• Supporting Documentation: Provide documentation that supports the extenuating circumstances presented in your student statement.
  • COURSE SECTION CHANGE (exact same course but different section) - Only with the approval of the instructors and if it is related to verified university error
  • LEVEL CHANGE (Undergraduate to Graduate level or vice versa) - Only with the approval of the instructors and if it is related to verified university error
• Inappropriate reasons to change grade mode:
  • Poor performance in a course (change from standard letter grade to P/F or audit)
  • Performing better than expected (change from audit or P/F to standard letter grade)
  • Earning a poor grade on mid-term, project or paper and wishing to change grade mode.
• Changing credit hours:
  • Verification is needed from the instructor that you are completing the amount of course work equal to the credit hours.
  • It is inappropriate to request to change credit hours for financial reasons. A student cannot request to change credit hours late in the term because of fees and wishing to reduce their bill.

Students who are involuntarily called to active duty may submit a Military Call-Up Registration Exception Form. Students must submit a copy of their military orders with the petition. Please review additional information on Military Call-Up guidelines and reenrollment.

View Registration Exception Forms

Note: Be sure to select the correct form from the database

• Registration Exception Form - Non-Current Student - Military Call-Up
• Registration Exception Form - Current Student - Military Call-Up

For additional questions or status update email RegPetition@kent.edu. 

When to Submit

Students will use the Registration Exception Form when requesting registration/schedule adjustment transactions to their class schedule after published University deadlines for the class(es). Access the Detailed Class Search from the Schedule of Classes. After locating the course, click on the "Registration Deadlines" link to determine course-specific dates.

Submit Your Exception

Be sure to thoroughly review the registration exception requirements and carefully complete your forms. Be certain that you submit all the critical documentation.

Thereafter, be certain to check in with these other offices because this request and decision could impact other information related to your student record and future opportunities and financial obligations.

Advising 

We strongly encourage students to discuss their academic progress and options with their academic advisors. We also encourage students to communicate any questions, concerns or options regarding coursework with their instructors.

Financial Aid

If you are a recipient of financial aid and scholarships, we advise that you contact the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center to discuss any implications if this exception is approved. Approval may affect current and future financial aid awards. It could result in repayment of financial aid received. It may also affect your eligibility to retain insurance coverage.

Bursar Account

Any registration activity may have an effect on your student account. Please contact the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center to inquire about any charges or fees that may be assessed due to a registration request. Dropping a course and adding a different section of the same course does not mean that additional fees will not be assessed.

Refunds

Review the  Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center website regarding tuition credits and Bursar Refund Appeal process. An approved drop or withdrawal through the registration exception process does not mean that the student is eligible for a refund.

Copies

Students are responsible for retaining copies of any and all materials submitted to the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center. Paperwork will not be returned to you. Medical and sensitive documentation is shredded after the review process. We do not forward documents to other offices. You must make copies if you intend to use materials for another process.

Decision Timeframe

Depending on the request, allow 1 to 14 business days for review, research, decision and processing. Current term exceptions are reviewed first. Retroactive requests for prior terms may take longer. If you have questions regarding the status of your registration exception, please email RegPetition@kent.edu.   

If all necessary information and documentation is provided from the beginning, the exception process is completed much faster. Delays occur when forms are incomplete and when relevant information and documentation is missing. If your exception is pending, you must follow-up as soon as you are able to provide the requested information, if it is needed from the student. There are times when the Office of the University Registrar has directly contacted faculty and/or staff and await additional information.

Communication

Decisions are communicated through the student’s KSU email account. If they are a former student we ask that the student provide the best phone number and personal email address, which will be verified. A mailing address may also be included.

Incomplete Registration Exceptions

Incomplete exceptions may be returned to the student. 

Pending

If any additional information/documentation is needed the exception will only remain pending for 1 week. A decision will be made. The request will be considered not sufficient to review/approve due to being incomplete, and therefor denied.

Return for Revision

If any request form is returned to the student for correction, a deadline will be indicated in the return message. If the updated form or the correct form (in the cases of the wrong form being submitted) is not received by the deadline, we will be unable to consider the request. 

Registration Exceptions that are not approved

All students are granted a one-time opportunity to appeal the decision. Appeal decisions are final. Email RegPetition@kent.edu, for details.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY REGARDING UNIVERSITY AND DEPARTMENT POLICIES

It is the responsibility of the student to fully understand the information presented in the current Kent State University Catalog and to know and observe all policies and procedures of the University. Regulations may not be waived nor exceptions granted because a student pleads ignorance of policies or procedures. 

Students should make themselves aware of all published University Registration and Withdrawal deadlines. While academic advisors and other staff will assist students in every way possible, the responsibility for following all policies and meeting all requirements and deadlines rests with the student.

OBLIGATION OF THE UNIVERSITY REGISTRAR AND DEADLINE

• The university is obligated to ensure the integrity of the academic transcript as an accurate historical document. Therefore, in order for the academic transcript to reflect the actual history of a student’s experience at the university, an exception to university policy is warranted only in cases involving documented unusual or extenuating circumstances.
   
• An exception is a request for exception to university policy and review and/or approval by the Office of the University Registrar is not guaranteed.  Students may submit an exception in a reasonable period of time, typically within the term under consideration. Registration may be reviewed retroactively at the discretion of the University Registrar not to exceed two years (2) from the end of the term in which the requested action is sought. Requests more than two (2) years from the end of the term under consideration are not guaranteed to be reviewed and/or approved.
   
• For further information regarding the Registration Exception process, please email RegPetition@kent.edu.

Role of Instructor, advisor, and third parties

Statements and approvals are advisory and are not binding on the decision of the Office of the University Registrar.