Classes can be dropped by one of the following methods:
- Online in your student center at SF State Gateway
- By calling Student Services at (415) 405-7700
Students can drop a course online if it is not in the withdrawal period.
Drops cannot be requested through email.
Students are not automatically dropped for non-attendance.
For more information on drop deadlines and refunds, see Open University, and Calendar and Deadlines.
Students who miss the Drop Deadline for academic courses must officially withdraw from the course by following the guidelines on the Registrar's Office Dropping and Withdrawing page. (An academic course offers units rather than CEUs.) The effective date of a refund or withdrawal is the day the request is received by the College of Professional & Global Education. If you do not see the option in your Student Center to submit a withdrawal request and/or you are enrolled in one of the classes below, please fill out the Withdrawal Petition and email the completed form to sfsucel@sfsu.edu.
Classes Excluded from Student Center Withdrawal Process
Please use the Withdrawal Petition form.
| Subject | Catalog | Section |
|---|---|---|
| COUN | 325 | 01Z |
| MATH | 124 | 01Z |
| COMM | 150 | 01Z |
| BUS | 300GW | 19Z |
| ACCT | 100 | 11Z |
| ECON | 102 | 07Z |
| ISYS | 263 | 02Z |
| BUS | 450 | 03Z |
| C J | 200 | 06Z |
| C J | 435 | 04Z |
| C J | 330GW | 07Z |
| C J | 530 | 01Z |
| C J | 230 | 09Z |
| C J | 300 | 09Z |
| C J | 400 | 03Z |
| C J | 501 | 02Z |
| PSY | 303 | 02Z |
| PSY | 463 | 01Z |
| PSY | 371 | 15Z |
| PSY | 330 | 02Z |
| PSY | 400 | 04Z |
| PSY | 472 | 01Z |
| PSY | 493 | 03Z |
| PSY | 461 | 02Z |
| PSY | 371 | 16Z |
| C J | 330GW | 08Z |
| C J | 300 | 10Z |
| COUN | 325 | 02Z |
| RRS | 240 | 01Z |
| S ED | 899 | 03Z |
The following tables apply to paid and unpaid tuition charges for either a refund or removal of charges. A $20 processing fee applies to all refunds of paid tuition charges for each class dropped.
If course is cancelled, the entire course fee will be refunded. Credit card convenience fees are not refundable.
To determine the add deadline, please review our Calendar and Deadlines information.
For Open University refund policies and procedures, see Open University Registration.
Refund checks are mailed to students approximately three to four weeks on average after the date the add/drop form is received by the College of Professional & Global Education. According to CSU regulations, credit card accounts cannot be credited.
Do not put a stop payment on a check or credit card charge to drop or withdraw from a course. This results in a financial obligation to SF State for the course fee, plus an additional $20 charge.
To find the refund code for your class, see the class schedule:
All Terms
| Refund Code | Full Refund | 75% Refund | 60% Refund | No Refund |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEL_SFDV | Class dropped on or BEFORE the 31st calendar day from class start day | Class dropped between the day before class start to the 30th calendar day from start day | N/A | Class dropped from class start date |
| CEL_SFDS | Class dropped on or BEFORE the 31st calendar day from class start day | Class dropped between the day before class start to the 30th calendar day from start day | N/A | Class dropped from class start date |
| CELALI16 | 100% before first day of instruction | N/A | Class dropped between first day of class and the 20th calendar day from start day | Class dropped AFTER the 20th calendar day from start day |
| CELALI8 | 100% before first day of instruction | N/A | Class dropped between first day of class and the 10th calendar day from start day | Class dropped AFTER the 10th calendar day from start day |
| CELALI4 | 100% before first day of instruction | N/A | N/A | Class dropped on or beyond class start day |
| CELALI10 | 100% before first day of instruction | N/A | Class dropped between first day of class and the 12th calendar day from class start date | Class dropped AFTER the 12th calendar day from class start day |
| CELALI5 | 100% before first day of instruction | N/A | Class dropped between first day of class and the 6th calendar day from class start date | Class dropped AFTER the 6th calendar day from class start day |
| CEL_1 | Before first day of instruction | N/A | N/A | Class dropped on or beyond class start day |
| CEL_2 | Last day to add | N/A | N/A | Class dropped AFTER full refund deadline |
| CEL_1SUM | Before first day of instruction | N/A | N/A | Class dropped on or beyond class start day |
| CEL_2SUM | Last day to add | N/A | N/A | Class dropped AFTER full refund deadline |
| CEL_OU | Last day to add | N/A | N/A | Class dropped AFTER full refund deadline |
| CEL_OUS | Last day to add | N/A | N/A | Class dropped AFTER full refund deadline |
| CEL_ACSL | Last day to add for Session 1 | N/A | N/A | Class dropped AFTER full refund deadline |
| CEL_ACSU | Last day to add for R4 Session | N/A | N/A | Class dropped AFTER full refund deadline |
| CEL_WINT | First Day of Winter Session | N/A | N/A | Class dropped AFTER full refund deadline |
| CEL_R1 | Last day to add for R1/R3 Session | N/A | N/A | Class dropped AFTER full refund deadline |
| CEL_R2 | Last day to add for R2 Session | N/A | N/A | Class dropped AFTER full refund deadline |
| CEL_8A | Varies depending on key dates | N/A | N/A | Class dropped AFTER full refund deadline |
Call (415) 405-7700
Transfer of fees is permitted for adding and dropping if the transaction is submitted in person on one add/drop form, or by phone to the College of Professional & Global Education by the Drop Deadline. (See Calendar and Deadlines for add/drop deadlines.)
If the amount of the added course exceeds the amount of the available refund for the dropped course(s), the non-refundable portion of the dropped course fees can be applied toward total fees due. These non-refundable fees are not included in any subsequent refund calculation. After the Drop Deadline, students must withdraw from courses which earn academic credit and there is no refund or transfer of fees.
Financial aid recipients are obligated to remain enrolled in and pass a certain number of units. Upon a financial aid recipient's withdrawal from school, SF State is required by the federal government to calculate, collect, and return a portion of federal financial aid grant or loan funds received by the student.
The calculated returned aid funds are credited to outstanding federal loan balances and grant programs received by the student. The student's portion of the calculated amount attributable to a Title IV loan program may be repaid by the student according to the loan's terms. The student's portion of unearned aid attributable to a grant is reduced to 50%. The student has 45 days to enter into repayment arrangement with SF State or with the U.S. Department of Education.
The portion of financial aid to be returned is determined by the percentage of financial aid not earned by the student. The percentage of unearned aid is calculated using the following formula:
Total Number of Calendar Days in the Semester Not Completed by the Student divided by Total Number of Calendar Days in the Semester
During the first 60% of the enrollment period a student "earns" Title IV funds in direct proportion to the length of time that he or she remains enrolled. A student who remains enrolled beyond the 60% point earns all aid for the period.
A student who withdraws from the University before the 60% period (approximately before the 10th week of classes) may be required to return all or a portion of the federal financial aid funds. The amount to be returned will be based on the formula stated above by calculating the financial aid funds that were used to pay the student's registration fees and campus housing obligations as well as the portion directly disbursed to the student.
Note: For a student who withdraws without notifying the University, the withdrawal date is the midpoint of the semester. College of Professional & Global Education students who withdraw/drop past the date for 100% refund are subject to financial charges based on college refund policies.
For subsidy students, refunds will be processed back to the subsidizing agency based on regular refund guidelines (see Calendar and Deadlines).
To be eligible for a full refund, a course must be dropped the business day (Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.) prior to the first class meeting, and according to all rules and regulations of the College of Professional & Global Education.
We cannot transfer funds from one course to another. Because payment is authorized by a third party, adds and drops must be separate transactions, handled strictly as described above. Adds and drops need to be approved by the subsidizing/contracting agency since each student's academic plan and course tuition is binding to the contract and/or subsidy agreement.
If a course is cancelled, a refund to the subsidizing agency will be processed automatically.