Drop or withdraw from a class

At Parkland College, the terms drop and withdrawal refer to different processes. Dropping a course means the removal of a class from the student's schedule and transcript within the drop deadline. The drop deadline is the Sunday following the start of class at 11:59 pm. A drop from a course generates a full refund of tuition and fees.  Withdrawal from a course means you removed the class from your schedule after the drop deadline. The course remains on the transcript. There is no refund for withdrawals.

If you have questions about whether you should withdraw from a class, please contact Academic Advising at academicadvising@parkland.edu or 217/351-2219.

If you want to know when refunds are processed, please contact the Business Office at businessoffice@parkland.edu or 217/351-2233.

If you have any technical problems with dropping a class, please contact Tech Support at techhelp@parkland.edu or 217/353-3333.

Drop a Class

You can only drop a course up until midnight Sunday after the first day of class. Check the College Calendar for specific dates. A dropped class is removed from your record and the tuition is refunded. The student can drop the class by coming to Admissions (U214) or on their own:

Drops can be completed using Student Planner.

  • Go to Parkland Self-Service
  • Log into your ParklandOne account.
  • Click on Student Planning.
  • Click on Go to Plan & Schedule on the right.
  • Click the arrows to move to the term you want.
  • In the Calendar view, click on the blue Drop button for the course(s) you wish to drop.
  • Please check your schedule after the drop is completed to make sure it has been removed from your schedule. Any concerns, please email registration@parkland.edu

Withdraw from a Class

You may withdraw from any class until 5 pm on the last business day of the week before the last week of instruction (this does not include final exams). Check the College Calendar for specific dates. Once Parkland begins summer hours, the last business day at Parkland will be on Thursdays. A withdraw will show a W on your transcript and there is no refund for tuition.

Speak to your instructor before you decide to withdraw. Many times students withdraw from a class when they are still able to successfully complete the course, but do not have accurate information on their progress.

To withdraw, you must do the following:

  • Download and complete the withdraw form.
  • Obtain a signature form your instructor(s) for each class you'd like to withdraw from.
  • Obtain a signature from Financial Aid and Veterans Services.
  • Return the fully completed form to the Admissions Office (U214) or email to registration@parkland.edu

A signature from Financial Aid is required on all withdraw requests to make sure that all students understand that there may be financial consequences for withdrawing from the class. We do not want any student to be missed. If a student is receiving financial aid, changing their class schedule may affect it. 

Please check with the Office of Financial Aid and Veteran Services prior to making schedule changes or withdrawing from classes. 

Financial Aid and Veteran Services Contact Information:

Office: U286 Phone: 217/351-2222 Fax: 217/373-3807 Email: finaid@parkland.edu

Physical or Financial Hardship

A student may choose to submit a withdrawal request based on significant unforeseen physical or financial hardship. Experiencing hardship does not automatically result in a refund. Parkland will work to assist students when they choose to re-enroll and work to limit debt owed by students.

Types of hardships shall include but are not limited to:

  • Serious injury or illness
  • Chronic illness
  • A medical issue of a family member in which the student must become a part-time or full-time caretaker.
  • A mental health condition.
  • A sudden or consistent lack of transportation issue
  • A significant cost of living increase

Students who need to withdraw and are experiencing a hardship will need to do the following:

  1. Complete and submit the Withdrawal form to Admissions and Records.
  2. Email academicexceptions@parkland.edu to provide more information regarding your hardship.

Once your case has been reviewed, you will receive more information on submitting additional information or documentation.

Instructor Initiated Withdraw

If you choose not to attend multiple class periods, the instructor can choose to withdraw you from class prior to midterms. There will be a W on your transcripts and no refund on tuition. Some instructors may let you remain in the class and award the grade you earn.