Students often ask us, “what does a grade of ‘W’ mean on my transcript?”

It means you dropped a course after the 1st week of the semester, after the end of the add-drop period. Each semester the registrar provides specific deadlines for dropping a course “with a ‘W’ instead of an ‘F.’” – be sure to review the current academic calendar for specific dates and times.

But what does the ‘W’ mean? The ‘W’ indicates that a course has been dropped between the 2nd and 10th week of a semester. A course that has been dropped with a ‘W’ does not impact your GPA calculation, and it is not uncommon for students to graduate with 1 or 2 W grades on their transcript. That being said, the total number of ‘W’s’ on a transcript may be a concern to a potential employer or a graduate school.

What if dropping a course results in less than full-time semester status (12 hours)? Changing your registration status from full-time to part-time can have serious Financial Aid implications. Be sure to visit the Academic Services Office before dropping a class that would change your status to part-time.

What about SAP Plans? Students with SAP Plans should not change their schedule without consulting an advisor. Failure to do so may result in the loss of financial aid. Contact Academic Services immediately to schedule an appointment if you are struggling and/or considering dropping a course – preferably as early as possible.

Got any other questions about W grades? Ask in the comments and we’ll answer them here!