Undergraduate Students Leaving for and Returning from Military Service

Military Service Withdrawal & Return Process

Students who are called to military service, or who anticipate activation, are entitled to certain rights as defined by the University Senate. To ensure proper coordination of benefits, registration, and academic records, students must follow the process below.

Step 1: Contact Student Veteran Affairs (Required First Step)

All students must begin the process with Student Veteran Affairs, housed in the Office of the Dean of Students.

750 S. Halsted Street,
248 SCE
Chicago, Illinois 60607

312-996-5112
https://dos.uic.edu/student-veterans-affairs/

Student Veteran Affairs will:

• Review activation orders or official military notification
• Provide education benefits counseling
• Explain withdrawal and return options
• Forward necessary documentation to the Registrar

Students receiving VA educational benefits must submit an appeal form https://dos.uic.edu/student-veterans-affairs/benefits-and-forms/ prior to deployment. All returning veterans must meet with Student Veteran Affairs before re-enrollment.

Step 2: Registrar Processing

After documentation is received from Student Veteran Affairs, the Office of the Registrar will:

• Process withdrawal from courses and the university
• Review tuition and fee adjustments or refunds
• Coordinate academic record updates
• Reactivate enrollment upon return

Students should not contact the Registrar separately unless directed to do so.

Transcript Notation

Students called to active military service may withdraw from the University without academic penalty. “Withdrawal Due to Military Service” will appear on your transcript to indicate the reason for withdrawal.

Official activation or deployment orders must be provided to Student Veteran Affairs to initiate the withdrawal process. Upon verification, the withdrawal will be processed in coordination with the Office of the Registrar, and the options outlined below will apply.

Withdrawal Policies for Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate students withdrawing to enter military service may choose one of the following options:

1. Full Withdrawal with Refund
   • Withdraw without academic penalty and receive a full refund of tuition and fees.
   • CampusCare Notice:
     • If a student enrolled in CampusCare elects to cancel registration and withdraw, the student is responsible for reimbursement of any claims paid by CampusCare on the student’s behalf prior to the effective date of cancellation. We recommend reaching out to CampusCare if you have any questions.
2. Twelfth-Week Credit Option
   • If deployment occurs after completion of the 12th week of the semester, students may:
     • Receive credit for courses in which a grade of C or better has been earned
     • Receive the grade earned at the time of withdrawal
     • Receive a grade of W for courses below C
   • Students selecting this option are not eligible for a full tuition and fee refund.
   • Nursing students and students in programs with licensing, credentialing, or accreditation requirements are not eligible for the twelfth-week credit option.

Policy for Graduating Seniors

Graduating seniors called to military service may be considered for degree conferral at the discretion of their college and major department.

To be eligible, students must:

• Be in their final semester
• Have completed at least two full semesters in residence at UIC (excluding the term of withdrawal)
• Have met all graduation requirements except those remaining in the final term

A senior in good standing who withdraws from the University at any time to enter Military service as a result of state or national emergency, and who does so enter within ten instructional days and who lacks no more than one-sixteenth of the total semester hours required for the degree, may, at the discretion of the student’s college and on approval of the major department concerned, be recommended for such degree. No such student who has acquired hours under the twelfth weeks rule adopted by the Senate, however, shall be considered eligible for this privilege.

“At any time” shall be interpreted to mean “during any semester in residence or the interim between semesters.” It is not intended that students who, after these rules are operative, stay out of college for any semester, and who thus do not make continuous progress to their degrees, shall be eligible for the privilege extended in these rules.

Returning to UIC After Military Service

Undergraduate students who withdrew to enter military service:

• May take a leave of absence for up to five years
• May return without applying for readmission

Students admitted to UIC as first time students, but deployed before attending classes:

• May defer admission for up to 24 months after returning
• May enroll without reapplying

All returning students:

• Receive priority registration (after required check-in)
• Receive priority for on-campus housing, including temporary housing if needed