Medical Refund (FAQ)

Qualifying Circumstances

A request may be granted to students who:

• Experience a serious or unexpected physical or behavioral health condition during the semester that significantly affects their ability to participate in courses.
• Experience a pre-existing, recurring, or chronic health condition that has worsened after the start of the term for which the refund is requested.
• May need to provide care to an immediate family member who is experiencing a serious or unexpected physical or behavioral health condition.
• Have experienced the death of an immediate family member.
• Approval is not guaranteed, and it will be granted on a case-by-case basis.

Non-Qualifying Circumstances

Typically, requests are not granted to students who:

• Did not participate in the course prior to the qualifying event.
• Are going through disciplinary proceedings or are suspended or expelled from UW-Platteville.
• Have experienced the death of a loved one who is not an immediate family member.
• Provide care to someone who is not an immediate family member.
• Experience medical situations that were known before the start of the semester with no substantial worsening in symptoms.
• Experience medical situations where the student could have reasonably anticipated or have taken more timely action.
• Experience medical situations for which the University could have provided accommodations.

1. Complete the Term Withdrawal Form and select “Medical/Behavioral/Mental Health” for the reason you are withdrawing. Please fill out as much information as possible. If you do not have a piece of information, leave the space blank.
    
2. Once your Term Withdrawal Form is processed by the Registrar's Office, you will be sent a link for the Medical Refund Request Form. 
   • Provide a statement. Within your application, provide a statement regarding the circumstances that necessitate your withdrawal. 
   • Attach Supporting Documentation. In the Medical Refund request form, attach documentation that supports your circumstances. Examples include:
     • Include a supporting letter from a licensed healthcare provider, professional victim advocate, or healthcare records that correlate with and support the request for the term of medical withdrawal.
     • In the case of pre-existing, recurrence, or worsening of condition(s), documentation must show that the recurrence or worsening began after the start of the term for which the withdrawal is requested.
       In the case of the death of an immediate family member, provide an obituary or death certificate.

**Medical Refund Request Forms submitted without supporting documentation will not be reviewed.**

To officially complete a Medical Refund request, your healthcare provider will need to submit a signed letter on official letterhead (prescription pad notes will not be accepted) covering the following areas:

1. How long has the healthcare provider been seeing you concerning this issue?
2. What is the diagnosis? (Please do not include medical records.)
3. Describe how the student is prevented from completing classes for the term in question.
4. What is the suggested treatment and timeline?
5. In the case of a pre-existing, recurring, or chronic health condition, documentation must show that the
   recurrence or worsening of the condition(s) began after initiation of the term for which the withdrawal
   is requested.
6. Recommendation for a medical refund request from UW-Platteville for the term in question.

Students may apply for a Medical Refund up to one year after the end of the term in question (e.g., requests for the spring 2023 must be submitted no later than the spring 2024 semester).

Whenever possible, requests for Medical Refund should occur during the term in which the medical condition arose. For applications submitted after the end of the term, transcript adjustments may be the only possible remedy; tuition adjustments may not be possible.

Medical Refund requests undergo a multi-step review. Students will receive communication regarding which step in the review process their application is in.

Step 1: The Dean of Students Office will review your Medical Refund Request to ensure it has been completed in its entirety.

Students may be contacted via email and asked to meet with a Dean of Students Office representative or to provide additional information for review.

Step 2: After the Medical Refund Request form has been reviewed by the Dean of Students Office, all submitted requests are processed by the Medical Refund Committee. The committee determines if the requests meet the Medical Refund guidelines. The Medical Refund Committee meets once a month. Students will receive written communication if their request for a Medical Refund has been approved or denied.

If students have questions about their request, they may contact the Dean of Students Office at 608.342.1854 or deanofstudents@uwplatt.edu 

All students are expected to thoroughly read the UW-Platteville financial policies including reviewing the Academic Calendar and information on the fee assessments for dropping or withdrawing from classes. All students, regardless of circumstances, are subject to the published UW-Platteville tuition and fee policies. Students can refer to the Financial Agreement signed at the time of enrollment.

In some instances, a Medical Refund may also result in the proration of tuition and segregated fees for that term. This process is in accordance with the UW System Medical Withdrawal Policy, 807.

The last date of class attendance shall also be used by the Financial Aid Office to make award and/or repayment decisions. Please note that if you are covering all or part of your charges with financial aid and you withdraw from all of your courses, you may be required to return a portion of your award.

Financial Aid is awarded to students under the assumption that they will complete the courses they are enrolled in. This means that each day a student is enrolled and attending classes, they “earn” a portion of their financial aid. When a student withdraws from all classes before the 10th day of the semester, they have not earned all of their financial aid, and a portion may be sent back to the Department of Education. You may check the Academic Calendar for more information. If you have more questions about the financial aid charges you might see after withdrawing, you can contact the Financial Aid Office.

Students who request a Medical Refund should continue to pay all outstanding balances as shown on their PASS accounts. Students are encouraged to work with the Cashier's Office to make payment arrangements during the application process.

The Dean of Students Office will help you navigate this process. If you are uncertain about whether you would like to complete a Medical Refund Request Form, please contact our office. We would be happy to talk to you before making a determination on your Medical Refund Request. You can also contact us via email at deanofstudents@uwplatt.edu or via phone at 608.342.1854.

Sometimes dropping classes can have unanticipated consequences. Thus, a decision to drop classes or withdraw from the University should not be taken lightly. We encourage students to first explore course accommodations, incomplete grades, or other options before dropping courses or withdrawing. When students are granted an “incomplete” from their instructor, they are given extra time (typically no longer than one semester) to complete the final assignments and receive a grade. See the Incomplete Policy for more information.

To help determine if a Medical Withdrawal is right for you, we encourage you to contact:

• Your academic advisor or the Assistant Dean or Director in your school/college to discuss dropping courses or withdrawing.
• A financial aid advisor to discuss the implications that dropping classes or withdrawing may have on your financial aid award package.
• The Dean of Students Office to consult about Medical Withdrawals, to receive assistance in navigating this process, and to receive general support related to finances, health, community resources, and your overall success.

Here are some things you should consider before dropping courses:

• Financial aid awards. When students withdraw from or stop attending courses, their financial aid awards may be recalculated. If a student received a refund to cover living expenses, they may have to repay this. A tuition adjustment does not cover this balance.
• Future financial aid awards, especially with regard to completing, and meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements.
• Repayment of outstanding student loans
• Military benefits
• Assistantships, scholarships, grants, student-teaching placements, internships, etc.
• On-campus employment
• Access to on-campus housing. Students must be enrolled in courses to live on-campus.
• Access to Student Health Center
• Access to University Counseling Services
• Meeting academic degree time frame requirements
• Insurance premiums and eligibility
• Tax dependent status
• Visa status, study abroad, etc. Consult with the International Programs Office or Education Abroad Office if you are uncertain about how you may be impacted.

To withdraw from all courses, complete the Term Withdrawal Form. This form is only to be used when dropping all courses in the term/semester. A separate form must be completed for each term. Refer to the Academic Calendar for specific deadline dates.

The “WD” notation stands for withdrawal, and it serves a record-keeping function. “WD” notations have no impact on your GPA or ability to re-enroll in classes in a future term.

The last date of class attendance shall also be used by the Financial Aid Office to make award and/or repayment decisions. Please note that if you are covering all or part of your charges with financial aid and you withdraw from all of your courses, you may be required to return a portion of your award.

If you have questions on the impact a term withdrawal will have on your financial aid package, contact the Financial Aid Office.

Students who withdraw from the university should continue to pay all outstanding balances as shown on their PASS accounts. Students are encouraged to work with the Cashier's Office to make payment arrangements.

The Registrar's Office or the Dean of Students Office will help you navigate this process. If you are uncertain about whether you would like to complete a term withdrawal form, please contact either office. They would be happy to talk to you before making a determination on your Term Withdrawal.