What Do You Want to Change?

Late Registration begins with the first weekday of instruction. It can also be defined as adding classes when not currently enrolled in any units. This includes adding units after being disenrolled from all classes for missing the payment deadline.

• Check your student financial account balance and fee payment due date in the CSUN Portal after adding classes.
• See also “Add Classes” just below.

If you are receiving financial aid, adding units after the 20th weekday of fall or spring classes (i.e., after Week 4) will not increase your financial aid award. Learn more at What Affects My Aid: Enrollment Requirements.

Please finalize your schedule by the 20th weekday of fall or spring instruction, when recorded enrollments become official. Refer to Late Schedule Change Deadlines.

Helpful guides:

• Add Classes
• View Financial Account Information
• What Affects My Financial Aid: Enrollment Requirements

Adding classes can result in increased tuition fees and nonresident tuition if applicable.

• Permission numbers are required to add all classes starting with the second week of fall and spring classes.
• Be mindful of the maximum unit load policy.
• Check your student financial account balance and fee payment deadline in the CSUN Portal each time you adjust your schedule.
• Pay before the payment deadline to avoid being disenrolled!

If you are receiving financial aid, adding units after the 20th weekday of fall or spring classes will not increase your financial aid award. Learn more at What Affects My Aid: Enrollment Requirements.

Please finalize your schedule by the end of the Late Registration Period, when recorded enrollments are considered official.

Helpful guides:

• Add Classes
• View Financial Account Information
• What Affects My Financial Aid: Enrollment Requirements

Drop Classes

Dropping is also called withdrawing.

IMPORTANT

• Reducing the number of enrolled units may affect your eligibility for campus housing, financial aid, veterans education benefits, international student status and more.
  
  • Financial aid students who reduce the number of units or completely withdraw (including medical withdrawal) may be subject to award reduction, cancellation or REPAYMENT. See What Affects My Aid: Enrollment Requirements.
  • Reducing units or withdrawing from courses may also impact Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
  Before dropping, consult the appropriate offices listed at Information Regarding Potential Impact of Change in Academic Schedule for guidance.
• Nonattendance does not constitute a withdrawal, nor does stopping payment on a check for tuition and other fees constitute a request for a refund.
• Drop the classes you no longer want. Failure to follow formal withdrawal procedures may result in the assignment of failing grades, an obligation to pay tuition and other fees, and the need to apply for readmission to the university (see Withdrawal Policies).

Please see the “Complete Withdrawal” row on this page for additional considerations.

Last Day to Drop

NEW! Beginning fall 2026, the last day to drop or swap a class is the end of the third week of instruction. This deadline applies to all students — undergraduate and graduate students. Find exact dates in the Registration Calendar.

Grade of "W"

Students whose request to drop one or more classes is approved after the 20th day of fall or spring instruction will receive a grade of "W" (authorized withdrawal) on their permanent record.

Refund Eligibility

Depending on the situation, you might be eligible for a refund. The last day for a partial refund (i.e., when you are go from more than 6.1 enrolled units to 6.1 units or less) is the end of the third week of fall or spring classes while prorated refunds are available through the 60% point in the term. Visit Refund Information.

Helpful guide: Drop or Swap a Class

Swap Classes

Swapping is adding and dropping at the same time. You exchange a class in which you are currently enrolled for a new one in the same transaction.

• Swapping has an advantage over dropping: If the swap doesn’t work, you won’t risk losing the enrolled class.
• If you swap classes online after the partial refund deadline (third Friday of fall or spring classes), you may momentarily incur an extra charge for additional units (e.g., 9 units instead of 6 units). If this happens to you and you intended to enroll in 6.1 or fewer units, please contact Records & Registration.
• To swap classes of equal unit value after the deadline to drop, request both changes on the same form to avoid additional fees, including nonresident tuition if applicable.

Helpful guide: Drop or Swap a Class

Graduate students must take all courses for a letter grade.

For undergraduate students, and if the course allows it, you can change from a letter grade to Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) or vice versa.

• Earning a grade of CR/NC is not permitted for some courses. View a list of courses that must be taken for a letter grade in the University Catalog at Credit/No Credit Grading.
• If you plan to attend a graduate, medical, pharmacy, or similar professional school, CR grades might not be accepted. Be sure you understand the undergraduate coursework letter grade requirements for the graduate programs you are interested in.

Before changing to CR/NC grading, review Credit/No Credit Grading and consult your academic advisor.

Tutorial: How to Change Grading Basis in Self-Service Registration

What to Know About Complete Withdrawals

• Withdrawal procedures are governed by university withdrawal policies.
• Withdrawals can be partial (i.e., dropping one or more, but not all, classes), but they are usually complete withdrawals (i.e., dropping all classes for the term).
• Academic advisement is strongly recommended for all students who are considering a complete withdrawal.

The following information pertains to fall and spring semesters.

• If you are a new student and you do not enroll for a term or you withdraw from all classes before the 20th weekday of instruction of that term, you will need to reapply for admission to CSUN. See Academic Leave.
• Depending on your situation as a continuing student, you might be eligible for academic leave if you completely withdraw from all classes before the 20th weekday of instruction.
• New! Approval is required to withdraw from one or more classes after the third week of instruction. See below.
• Withdrawals after the fourth week of instruction, beginning with Week 5, are approved only for serious and compelling reasons.
• After the 20th weekday of instruction, a grade of “W” (authorized withdrawal) will be assigned for courses approved for withdrawal.
• Depending on the situation, you might be eligible for a refund. Visit Refund Information.

NEW LAST DAY TO DROP! Starting with the fall 2026 semester:

• The last day to drop, swap or completely withdraw from classes without approval is the end of the third week of fall of spring classes.This applies to all students.
• Beginning with the fourth week, approval is required to withdraw using the appropriate form. See Late Schedule Change Forms.

Find drop deadlines by term in the Registration Calendar.

Withdrawal requests are not considered for:

• Courses associated with disciplinary action by the Office of Student Affairs.
• Students who have taken final exams.
• Retroactive withdrawals beyond one year of the conclusion of the semester for which the withdrawal is requested.

Before withdrawing, please review General Timeline and Procedures.

A medical withdrawal usually constitutes complete withdrawal from the university for the academic period in question. Medical withdrawals may be granted solely for established medical purposes and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Learn more about medical withdrawals at General Timeline and Procedures. Also review the Information Regarding Potential Impact of Change in Academic Schedule. For assistance, contact the appropriate office and use the appropriate forms listed below:

• Office of Undergraduate Studies: Use the Late Schedule Change Forms for Undergraduate and Second Bachelor's Students.
• Graduate Evaluations: Use the “Late Change in Academic Schedule” form at Graduate Studies Evaluations: Forms.

Process

The medical withdrawal forms you’ll need to use depend on the timing of your request:

• At any time after classes begin, throughout the term and retroactively: Complete the “Medical Withdrawal: Student Consent and Health Care Provider Guidelines” form and attach the verification letter from your health care provider.
• During the first three weeks of fall or spring classes, you may drop classes online without approval. However, to have a medical withdrawal notated on your student record before the deadline to drop online, you’ll need to complete the appropriate undergraduate or graduate student form.
• When access to drop classes online ends, you’ll need to file the appropriate undergraduate or graduate student form.
• Beginning with the fall 2026 semester, the last day to drop classes for any reason online is the end of the third week of instruction. Visit the Registration Calendar for exact dates.

Partial and complete medical withdrawals should be requested directly from the offices of Undergraduate Studies or Graduate Evaluations. Please refer to instructions on the appropriate undergraduate or graduate student form.

IMPORTANT

So that the medical withdrawal can be recorded, do not drop courses online during the online self-service registration period.

If you are seeking a complete or partial medical withdrawal for yourself, or to care for a family member, please follow the steps at Late Schedule Changes: General Timeline and Procedures.