NOTE: University Health Services (UHS) doesn't provide doctor's notes.
General Information
Before You Pursue a Medical Withdrawal
Because a medical withdrawal can affect so many aspects of your academic progress, you are encouraged to first consider other options that might enable you to stay in school, e.g., talk to your college or academic program advisor to explore academic adjustments such as a reduced course load, or taking incompletes, to prevent having to withdraw from school.
- If your medical condition is a disability, physical or psychological, the Disabled Students Program (DSP) is a very valuable resource. DSP is authorized to offer a range of academic accommodations appropriate to your needs as an undergraduate or graduate student. For more information about the Disabled Students Program, visit the DSP website.
- University Health Services (UHS) can provide appropriate medical documentation to accompany your request for an academic adjustment or accommodation; however, UHS does not make decisions about your academic status. This applies to graduate as well as undergraduate students.
Students who withdraw from the university will need to be re-admitted by their academic department. Students considering withdrawal should consult with their department to be fully informed on the process for returning to UC Berkeley.
- All students can request a personal withdrawal from their College/program. Consult with your academic advisor about initiating a personal withdrawal while a medical withdrawal request is under review. This will lock in a refund date for non-financial-aid students if a medical withdrawal is not approved.
Other areas that may be impacted by withdrawing from school include:
- Financial Aid: For general concerns, contact Cal Student Central at 120 Sproul Hall, (510) 664-9181. You may also want to speak with a financial aid representative about any money that may be owed.
- Housing: If you are in student housing, make sure you contact Housing and Dining regarding your withdrawal. Charges will apply until you make the proper notification, move out of campus housing, and turn in your key.
- Registration fees: Office of the Registrar Cancellation & Withdrawal
- Visa/immigration status: If you are an international student (on an F-1 or J-1 visa), you should talk to an advisor by scheduling an In-Person BIO Advising Appointment.
- Course registration: A withdrawal will cancel all enrollment, current and future. You may not attend the summer session while on withdrawal status.
- Student Health Insurance coverage (SHIP) remains active in the current semester if paid for.
PLEASE NOTE: Withdrawals may impact a student’s ability to enroll in the subsequent semester due to college deadlines or professional school policy. Please check with your program advisor. In addition, if there is a health block on your withdrawal, you cannot sign up for classes until you are medically cleared. Once the withdrawal is approved, it is final and cannot be reversed, so please make sure all of your questions are answered before proceeding with your request.
Explore all of these ramifications carefully before you initiate the medical withdrawal process.
Withdrawal Process
Medical withdrawals are considered for the current or previous semester. To be eligible for a medical withdrawal, you must have registered and paid a percentage of your fees for the semester. If a semester hasn’t started yet, you may cancel your registration through Cal Central. See information on retroactive withdrawals in the FAQ below.
Early Semester Medical Withdrawals are considered for the upcoming semester. If approved, the student must cancel their registration before the start of the semester, and no fees will be required. The review process is the same as for all medical withdrawals. An early medical withdrawal is for students who get sick right before a semester begins. See information on insurance eligibility in the FAQ below.
Information Required
- Detailed medical record information, including diagnosis and treatment.
- Your UHS medical record may be reviewed with a Release of Information Form
- If you were treated in the community or at the UHS Counseling & Psychological Services, request that a Health Evaluation Form be completed by your provider.
- If you are a UC Berkeley International Student, please contact the UC Berkeley International Office (BIO), as there may be implications for your VISA status when applying for a medical withdrawal. Please consult with a BIO personnel before proceeding with a medical withdrawal.
- For BIO Students (F-1 / J-1), you will also need to submit the 3rd page of the BIO Withdrawal Form.
- You may also submit a brief explanation (up to one page) of the reasons you are requesting a medical withdrawal.
Medical Withdrawal and Health Clearance Forms are available at:
- The UHS Social Services office, Rm 2280 at the Tang Center, 2222 Bancroft Way. You may also call 510-642-6074 to arrange to receive paperwork via mail or fax. Our confidential fax number is 510-643-0211. View hours of operation.
All information should be sent to Social Services, along with a copy of the Release of Information Form you sign, so your provider can communicate with us.
The above information is reviewed to determine if the medical condition warrants a medical withdrawal. The withdrawal determination is based on the severity and onset of your condition and its impact on your ability to attend classes over a period of time. The medical and/or mental health condition is usually so severe that it prevents a student from participating in academic work for a significant portion of the semester (typically a month or more). The medical withdrawal documentation is also reviewed to determine what, if any, medical documentation will be necessary for health clearance when you seek to return to school. The Committee evaluates readiness to return by considering ongoing treatment over time, along with current medical status information provided by your treating providers.
*Summer Session: Students on a medical withdrawal and who have a health block will not be able to enroll in the summer session until they are medically cleared to return to school and the Medical Withdrawal Committee removes the health block.
Eligibility to Return to UC Berkeley
In taking a medical withdrawal, a student agrees to the terms and conditions for health clearance set out by the UCB Medical Withdrawal Committee, including any requirement for additional medical documentation. The review of medical documentation when a student seeks to return to the University is designed to determine sufficient stability and readiness to resume academic studies. Review for readmission must be supported by documentation from medical and/or mental health providers that proves significant resolution and stabilization of the condition(s) that led to the withdrawal in the first place. The UCB Withdrawal Committee only reviews whether or not you are medically eligible for readmission.
For graduate students: only your academic program, with the Graduate Division's agreement, can readmit you. Students in clinical programs (e.g., Optometry) may need additional approval from the Patient Care Review Committee to ensure they are ready to perform clinical work alongside their academic coursework.
Once your health has stabilized and you are ready to return to school, please take the following steps:
- Submit a Medical Clearance Application Form. This should be filled out completely by the student. Additionally, the student will need to sign a Release of Information Form so the Medical Withdrawal Committee can review the case documents.
- Please ask your medical care provider in charge of your treatment to complete and submit a Health Evaluation Form for Medical Clearance or copies of your complete medical records.
- Contact your School or College to make sure you are clear on all DEADLINES and required paperwork.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who grants a request for a medical withdrawal and readmission eligibility?
The Medical Withdrawal Coordinator at UHS reviews the initial medical withdrawal request. Many withdrawal recommendations are made by the Coordinator; however, repeat requests, appeals, complicated withdrawals, and most requests for medical clearance and retroactive action are reviewed by the UCB Medical Withdrawal Committee. The Committee comprises the UHS medical director, UHS managers from the Counseling and Social Services units, and the medical withdrawal coordinator; campus administrators representing key Colleges, Student Affairs Case management, the Graduate Division, and the Berkeley International Office.
Once a conclusion is reached, a recommendation is made to your College or academic program as to whether or not the medical documentation supports withdrawal from school. The medical information you provide is confidential, and we report only to your College/program our recommendation to accept or not accept the withdrawal as “medical,” and whether medical clearance will be required before readmission. The final decision to accept a medical withdrawal recommendation (and whether to readmit) lies with the College/program.
The UCB Withdrawal Committee will review all available information and documentation to determine if you have achieved sufficient stability to be ready to return to academic work. Please do not seek medical clearance until your health is stable. Subsequent requests for medical withdrawals for the same condition are reviewed with stricter standards and greater scrutiny.
What about retroactive medical withdrawals?
Generally, medical withdrawals are considered for the current semester or the one preceding it (summer session excluded unless it is a required term for the academic program). For any more remote requests, e.g., retroactive action more than 12 months, the Medical Withdrawal Committee requires a statement from the student explaining the circumstances that delayed the request. In addition, there must be strong medical documentation of treatment for the semester in which the student wants to withdraw. Additional medical/mental health records may be required as part of the review process.
What If I Get Sick During the Summer or Winter Break?
The university offers an Early Medical Withdrawal process for students experiencing an unexpected health situation and who are unable to attend the next semester. Contact Social Services to see if you qualify. If you do, you will be advised to cancel your registration for the upcoming semester and be placed on official medical withdrawal status. You will be able to purchase SHIP for one semester as long as you were on it the prior semester. You will likely have a health block and will need to receive clearance to return to your studies, as is the case with most medical withdrawals.
What are my options if a request is denied?
The Committee will review a request up to two times. If the initial request is denied and the student can provide additional, new documentation, an appeal will be accepted. If the request is denied again, the matter is closed. Therefore, it is important to submit the strongest documentation possible with the initial request.
What about insurance coverage and ongoing care?
If you purchased the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) and have withdrawn from school on the first day of instruction or thereafter, your insurance coverage remains active through the semester in which you withdrew. All students are eligible to purchase one additional semester of Berkeley SHIP directly following the semester in which they withdrew. You may continue to use the Tang Center for your medical care. If you are out of school beyond the semester you withdraw in, and the consecutive semester, you will need to obtain insurance other than SHIP or pay out of pocket for medical care.
If you take an early semester withdrawal, you are eligible to buy SHIP insurance for the upcoming semester as long as you were already on SHIP the prior semester. Please contact SHIP to set up payment for the insurance and for more information.
While you are covered by Berkeley SHIP, except for emergency or urgent care services, you must obtain an approved referral before seeking medical care outside of the Tang Center. Please contact the Student Health Insurance Office at 510-642-5700 or stop by the office located in room 3200 in the Tang Center for additional insurance information. If you have waived Berkeley SHIP, you will be referred to community providers for care under your primary insurance plan.
Fee adjustments for withdrawals?
All fee adjustments for withdrawals are applied to students' Cal Student Central accounts and may be applied to any outstanding debts. Late fees are not refundable. Students who withdraw and who are participating in the Deferred Payment Plan are likely to have a remaining financial obligation to the University.*
*Taken from the Office of the Registrar's website.
Can I backdate a withdrawal?
All withdrawals have a financial impact, which may be unintended. Students receiving financial aid should always consult with the Financial Aid office to understand how it may affect their aid package. The Medical Withdrawal Committee may consider a backdate for a withdrawal when the submitted medical/mental health documentation supports that a student was no longer participating in the semester after a certain date. Financial aid is based on the date the student submits the medical withdrawal request. Tuition and fees are also determined by this date unless a backdate is approved.
Due to the fiscal impact on the university, backdating is only possible for the current semester or the prior semester. Students who request two consecutive withdrawals will not be considered for a backdate in more than one semester, even if withdrawals are supported in both semesters.
Please visit Financial Aid & Scholarships or contact Cal Student Central, 120 Sproul Hall, 510-664-9181, for information on how financial aid is handled.
Note: If you are in student housing, make sure you contact Housing and Dining regarding your withdrawal. Charges will apply until you make the proper notification, move out of campus housing, and turn in your key.