Don’t Let Your Athlete Withdraw From Classes!

A question that we often receive early in the school year is whether an athlete can withdraw from some or all of their classes without an eligibility “penalty.” Generally, reasons for this include having second thoughts about their college choice, or due to an injury or illness.

If your athlete has already started attending their college classes this Fall as a full-time enrolled student, I hope you’ll keep the following in mind:

• If your athlete is taking a full-time course load, withdrawing from just one class may not harm their eligibility if they can replace it or have enough courses to still be considered full-time.
  
• However, withdrawing from all of their classes will likely negatively impact their eligibility now and possibly in the future at their current college or at a new college that they may transfer to.
  
• Dropping a course later in the term to avoid a failing grade that will negatively impact an athlete’s GPA may be OK depending upon their circumstances. However, you should encourage your athlete to finish the semester (or quarter) instead of withdrawing from their courses.
  
• If your athlete withdraws from all courses, they’ll lose all their academic credits for this term which will most likely damage future eligibility.

To discuss a potential withdrawal situation and how it could impact your athlete’s eligibility, https://informedathlete.com/services/eligibility-issues-consult/schedule a confidential Eligibility Consult online, e-mail rick@informedathlete.com or call our office at 913-766-1235.