Friday, May 6th, is the last day a graduate student may withdraw from the university or drop a class, with required approvals. It is also the last day to submit master’s report, recital, thesis, doctoral dissertation, or treatise to the graduate dean. If you’re thinking about dropping a class, don’t forget about the impact it could have on your immigration status.
All F-1 and J-1 students must be enrolled full-time to maintain a valid immigration status. To be considered a full-time student, undergraduates must be enrolled for 12 credit hours and graduate students for 9 hours in the fall and spring semesters. Dropping below full-time would cause you to lose your immigration status.
Under very special circumstances, an international student could be allowed to drop to less than full-time without an effect on his or her immigration status. If you believe that you might qualify, please schedule an appointment to speak with an International Student Advisor to discuss your case. You will need to get the permission of an International Student Advisor before you drop the class.