Admissions and Records

Extenuating Circumstances Petition

A formal request for an exception to or waiver of college procedures. Extenuating circumstances include verified cases of illness, accident, or other circumstances beyond your control. All petitions are reviewed by the Academic Standards Committee. Per FERPA, all supporting documentation is held strictly confidential.

This page will help you identify your petition type and what documentation you need. The form link is further down this page, after the reason descriptions — review those first so your submission is complete.
Financial Aid Notice: Approval of this petition may affect your Financial Aid for the applicable term or any future term if standards of academic progress are not met. If you receive financial aid, review your eligibility with the Financial Aid Office before or after submitting.

Common Reasons for Submitting this Petition

Current Semester — Time-Sensitive

Excused Withdrawal (EW)

You may qualify if you had to drop a course due to circumstances beyond your control

An EW allows a student to withdraw from a class without penalty. The EW notation does not affect a student's grade point average (GPA) and is not counted toward academic progress, academic status notice, or dismissal. See the Excused Withdrawal section below for full qualifying criteria.

Documentation that may be required
  • Medical documentation
  • Police reports
  • Employer job transfer documentation
  • Court documentation
  • Death certificate

Military Withdrawal (MW)

You may qualify if you received orders to report for military service during an active semester

Students called to military service during an active semester can have an "MW" recorded on their academic transcript in place of a grade.

Required documentation
  • A copy of military orders showing the date to report for active duty or departure

Prior Semester — Record Correction

Never Attended / Attended Once

You may qualify if you never attended or only attended one class meeting and were not officially dropped

Students who did not attend or only attended one class meeting may be eligible to petition for a "No-Show" drop. Note: A No-Show drop may affect financial aid eligibility and/or program participation. Must be submitted within two years of the date the grade was assigned.

Required documentation
  • Faculty verification of non-attendance via email or written correspondence — must be sent from the faculty member's official campus email (Fullerton College Directory)
  • If unable to contact the faculty member, contact the Division Office for assistance

Grade Change — Stopped Attending

You may qualify if you stopped attending due to circumstances beyond your control and did not formally withdraw

Petition to adjust a grade resulting from stopping attendance without formally withdrawing. Must be submitted within two years of the date the grade was assigned.

Required documentation
  • Faculty verification confirming your last day of attendance before the refund deadline — must be from the faculty member's official campus email (Fullerton College Directory)
  • If unable to contact the faculty member, contact the Division Office for assistance

Missing Grade

You may qualify if you attended the course for the entire semester but no grade appears on your unofficial transcript

If you completed a course but do not see a grade on your unofficial transcript, submit this petition so Admissions & Records can follow up to resolve the issue.

Required documentation
  • Faculty verification of attendance

Fees & Other Requests

COTOP Notification / Email

You may qualify if you believe you never attended a course listed in the COTOP notification

The Chancellor's Office Tax Offset Program (COTOP) collects past-due fees from your Fullerton College account. Outstanding balances may be deducted from your State of California tax refund or lottery winnings. If you believe you never attended a course listed in the COTOP notification, you may submit a petition for review.

Other

Use this option only if your situation is not covered by any of the options above

Includes P/NP deadline exceptions and other requests not listed. Please review the options above first to verify your circumstances do not meet any of the other listed options. Describe your situation fully in the Student Explanation section of the form.

Required documentation
  • Applicable official documentation supporting your request

Do you know the reason for your petition and have your documentation ready?

Submit the Extenuating Circumstances Form

You will need your myGateway login to access the form. You can petition for up to 4 courses on a single submission.

Excused Withdrawal (EW)

What Is an Excused Withdrawal?

An Excused Withdrawal (EW) is granted when a student must drop a course due to circumstances beyond their control. An EW grade does not impact academic probation, dismissal, or course repetition, and is not counted toward academic progress or dismissal.

Financial Aid & Refunds

While an EW grade does not affect academic standing, it may impact federal financial aid eligibility. Contact the Financial Aid Office to understand how this may affect you. An approved EW is generally not eligible for a refund.

In accordance with Title 5, Section 55024(e), an EW may be granted for circumstances including but not limited to:

Personal & Family

  • Chronic or acute illness
  • Verifiable accident
  • Death of an immediate family member
  • Caring for a seriously ill family member

External Circumstances

  • Relocating for a job outside the area
  • Involvement in an immigration case
  • Natural disaster directly affecting the student
  • Being released from jail or prison before the term ends
    • Note: An EW cannot be granted if non-completion was due to a behavioral violation or if the student requested and was granted a mid-semester transfer.
  • Other significant situations that prevent course completion

In some cases, you may need to provide documentation to Admissions & Records, but it is not always required.

Verifiable Documentation

If this petition is submitted for medical reasons, legible documentation from a physician must accompany the petition.

Each petition type has its own documentation requirements — see the cards in the Common Reasons section above for specifics. In general, accepted documentation may include:

  • Medical documentation or a doctor's note stating you are unable to complete coursework
  • Police reports or court documentation
  • Employer job transfer documentation
  • Death certificate
  • Faculty verification of attendance or non-attendance (must come from the faculty member's official campus email — find contact info in the Fullerton College Directory)
  • Military orders
  • Any other documentation proving that course completion was impractical

What Does "Impractical" Mean?

The Chancellor's Office defines "impractical" as impossible due to reasons beyond the student's control. This determination is made by the Fullerton College Admissions & Records office. If you cannot reach a required faculty member, contact the Division Office for assistance.

What Happens After You Submit

  1. Confirmation: You will receive a confirmation email once your petition is received by Admissions & Records. Ensure your form is complete — missing information may delay processing.
  2. Review: Your petition and any supporting documentation will be reviewed by the Academic Standards Committee.
  3. Decision: You will be notified by email of the committee's decision within 30 business days. Check your student email regularly.

Questions? Contact the Admissions & Records office at admissions.fullcoll.edu/ar-hours-services/ or visit us in person.

Are you ready to submit?

Submit the Extenuating Circumstances Form

You will need your myGateway login to access the form. You can petition for up to 4 courses on a single submission.