Student Petition Types | Student Petitions at Penn State University (2024)

After the withdrawal period has passed for a term, a student must prepare a petition to withdraw retroactively. (See Policy 56-30)

A Retroactive Withdrawal request is when a student is requesting to withdraw from all courses on the transcript for a term.

All students who are requesting a retroactive withdrawal, AND received federal student aid at any time while at Penn State, must complete the Student Aid Review for Retroactive Withdrawal form. The form was developed to help avert financial hardships that can occur when students have a petition approved for retroactive withdrawal from one or more term(s). Following are details and instructions for completion of the form.

STUDENTS REQUESTING RETROACTIVE WITHDRAWAL AND RECEIVED FEDERAL STUDENT AID AT ANY TIME WHILE AT PENN STATE (AT UNIVERSITY PARK AND AT CAMPUSES OTHER THAN UNIVERSITY PARK)

Consequences could include the loss of eligibility for previously awarded Financial Aid. These students can receive a tuition bill from the University after losing aid for terms already completed. View the Student Aid Review for Retroactive Withdrawal form.

Instructions: Students who are petitioning for retroactive withdrawal AND received federal student aid at any time while at Penn State are required to complete and sign the first page of the Student Aid form, which includes contact information, details about aid received, and the term(s) for which they are requesting a retroactive withdrawal. After completing the first page, students will email, mail, fax, or deliver the form to the Office of Student Aid at University Park. A Student Aid staff member will evaluate the impact of the retroactive withdrawal(s) on Financial Aid and complete the upper part of the second page of the form. An appointment (in person or by phone) will be arranged for the student to learn about the financial consequences of the requested action, and after discussing with the student, a Student Aid staff member will sign the form. If the student decides to proceed with the petition, they will sign and date the bottom part of the second page and give the form to the authorized college/campus petition submitter to be included with the petition when it is submitted to the Senate Office.

If the student has received federal student aid, the completed form will need to be uploaded into SUPR using the Student Aid Browse button. If the student has not received aid, no consultation with Student Aid is required and no form is required to be completed or uploaded to SUPR.

For specific questions about The Student Aid Review for Retroactive Withdrawal form, please contact the Office of Student Aid.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS PETITIONING FOR RETROACTIVE WITHDRAWAL

All International students (both at University Park and at other Campuses) need to discuss implications for immigration and sponsorship before submitting a petition for retroactive withdrawal. Office of Global Programs staff members will be emailed via SUPR each time an international student submits a Retroactive Withdrawal petition, and will reach out to the student.

Please include the following documentation with a Retroactive Withdrawal petition:
REQUIRED

• Current Transcript
• Student Request Letter completed using the Student Letter Template
• Documentation Supporting Extenuating Circ*mstances – Must be official with Letterhead and Signature. If using Emails, include Email Header. (Examples: Medical or Mental Health Documents; Death Certificates or Obituaries; Instructor or Adviser letters, etc.)
• LionPATH summary (if student claims that actions were taken within LionPATH to complete the request but for some reason the request wasn’t completed) Please answer YES to the question on the first page of the petition eForm: Does this involve a LionPATH interaction or problem? SUPR will send the petition to the Registrar’s office LionPATH Queue to get a summary when that answer is YES.
• Student Aid Review for Retroactive Withdrawal form (If student is petitioning for a retroactive withdrawal and answers YES to the question on the second page of the petition eForm: “While a student at Penn State, have you ever received student aid for any term?” the form, with signatures from the Office of Student Aid on the second page, will be uploaded by the student/petition submitter)
• Withdrawal Form

OPTIONAL

Letter From Authorized Petition Submitter (if desired)

After late drop period has passed for a term, students must prepare a petition to late drop a course retroactively. (See Policy 34-89)

If a student is requesting to drop all courses scheduled for term, this is a Retroactive Withdrawal.

Please include the following documentation with a Retroactive Late Drop petition:
REQUIRED

• Current Transcript
• Student Request Letter completed using the Student Letter Template
• If request is for the current term, provide a copy of the student’s schedule
• If one of the reasons for the petition is because of a hold on the student’s account, provide documentation of hold
• Documentation Supporting Extenuating Circ*mstances – Must be official with Letterhead and Signature. If using Emails, include Email Header. (Examples: Medical or Mental Health Documents; Death Certificates or Obituaries; Instructor or Adviser letters, etc.)
• LionPATH summary (if student claims that actions were taken within LionPATH to complete the request but for some reason the request wasn’t completed) Please answer YES to the question on the first page of the petition eForm: Does this involve a LionPATH interaction or problem? SUPR will send the petition to the Registrar’s office LionPATH Queue to get a summary when that answer is YES.
• If petitioning for a retroactive late drop of one course from a corequisite or concurrent pair of courses, a letter from the academic unit must be provided with the results of the override request OR if there was no override request, a statement of whether or not the college would have approved the override request, and if not, why.
• Registration-Drop/Add Form

OPTIONAL

• Letter from Authorized Petition Submitter (if desired)

** Retroactive Late Add is for terms Fall 2016 and Forward **

After the late add period has passed for a term, students must prepare a petition to late add a course retroactively. (SeePolicy 34-87)

Students who arealready registered for a termand want to add a course or courses, should prepare a petition for Retroactive Late Course Add.Students requesting to add all scheduled courses for a semester/sessionprior to Fall 2016for which they were not registered, should prepare a petition for a Retroactive Late Registration. (Retroactive Late Registration is only available for semesters/sessions prior to Fall 2016).

Please include the following documentation with a Retroactive Late Add petition:

REQUIRED

• Current Transcript
• Student Request Letter completed using the Student Letter Template
• If request is for the current term, provide a copy of the student’s schedule
• Documentation Supporting Extenuating Circ*mstances – Must be official with Letterhead and Signature. If using Emails, include Email Header. (Examples: Medical or Mental Health Documents; Death Certificates or Obituaries; Instructor or Adviser letters, etc.)
• LionPATH summary (if student claims that actions were taken within LionPATHto complete the request but for some reason the request wasn’t completed)Please answer YES to the question on the first page of the petition eForm: Does this involve a LionPATH interaction or problem? SUPR will send the petition to the Registrar’s office LionPATH Queue to get a summary when that answer is YES.
• If petitioning for a retroactive late add of a course for which prerequisite was not completed successfully, a letter from the academic unit must be provided with the results of the override request OR if there was no override request, a statement of whether or not the college would have approved the override request, and if not, why.
• Grade Change Form(s) for each course(if request is for current termand grade is not yet available, instructor can provide grade change form with a NG grade and change NG to letter grade when it’s available OR student can wait until grade is available to submit the retroactive late add petition to include the grade change form with assigned grade.)
• Registration-Drop/Add Form

OPTIONAL

• Letter From Authorized Petition Submitter (if desired)

** Retroactive Late Registration is only available for terms prior to Fall 2016 **

A Retroactive Late Registration request is only available for semesters/sessionsprior to Fall 2016.(Students MUST register for all courses scheduled.) (SeePolicy 34-20) Students requesting to add all courses for a termfrom Fall 2016 to present, should prepare a petition for Retroactive Late Course Add.

Students must have sufficient funds available to pay tuition and fees prior to submitting the request. Any type of financial aid (grants, scholarships, federal or alternative loans) that is processed by the Office of Student Aid and paid directly to Penn State CANNOT be used as payment towards a retroactive registration.

Please include the following documentation with a Retroactive Late Registration petition:

REQUIRED

• Current Transcript
• Student Request Letter completed using the Student Letter Template
• Copy of student’s schedule for applicable semester/session (Acquire schedule from Registrar’s office atrecords1@psu.edu) – Adviser or Authorized Petition Submitter only)
• Documentation Supporting Extenuating Circ*mstances – Must be official with Letterhead and Signature. If using Emails, include Email Header. (Examples: Medical or Mental Health Documents; Death Certificates or Obituaries; Instructor or Adviser letters, etc.)
• LionPATH summary (if student claims that actions were taken within LionPATHto complete the request but for some reason the request wasn’t completed)Please answer YES to the question on the first page of the petition eForm: Does this involve a LionPATH interaction or problem? SUPR will send the petition to the Registrar’s office LionPATH Queue to get a summary when that answer is YES.
• If petitioning for a retroactive late registration of a course for which prerequisite was not completed successfully, a letter from the academic unit must be provided with the results of the override request OR if there was no override request, a statement of whether or not the college would have approved the override request, and if not, why.
• Grade Change Form(s) for each course
• Registration-Drop/Add Form

OPTIONAL

• Letter from Authorized Petition Submitter (if desired)

A grade change must be made within one year after the end of the term in which the course was taken. After that time, students requesting a corrected grade must submit a petition for a Retroactive Corrected Grade. (SeePolicy 48-30)

Please include the following documentation with a Retroactive Corrected Grade petition:

REQUIRED

• Current Transcript
• Student Request Letter completed using theStudent Letter Template
• Documentation Supporting Extenuating Circ*mstances – Must be official with Letterhead and Signature. If using Emails, include Email Header. (Examples: Medical or Mental Health Documents; Death Certificates or Obituaries; Instructor or Adviser letters, etc.)
• Grade Change Form(s) for each course

OPTIONAL

• Letter from Authorized Petition Submitter (if desired)

Students who were registered for a course (or courses) but for some reason never attended/participated, may petition for a retroactive Administrative Course Cancellation. This only applies if the student never attended/participated in any classes for the course(s) in reference. (SeeAdministrative Policy C-2)

If the student did not attend/participate in any coursesfor an entire term, this would be a retroactive AdministrativeRegistrationCancellation.

Please include the following documentation with a Retroactive Administrative Course Cancellation petition:

REQUIRED

• CurrentTranscript
• Student Request Letter completed using the Student Letter Template
• If request is for the current term, include student’s schedule
• Documentation Supporting Extenuating Circ*mstances – Must be official with Letterhead and Signature. If using Emails, include Email Header. (Examples: Medical or Mental Health Documents; Death Certificates or Obituaries; Instructor or Adviser letters, etc.)
• LionPATH summary (if student claims that actions were taken within LionPATHto complete the request but for some reason the request wasn’t completed)Please answer YES to the question on the first page of the petition eForm: Does this involve a LionPATH interaction or problem? SUPR will send the petition to the Registrar’s office LionPATH Queue to get a summary when that answer is YES.
• Administrative Course Cancellation Form(s) for each course (Acquired from the Department) with student and instructor signatures
  • If an instructor signature cannot be attained to verify a student’s non-participation, advisers and authorized petition submitters should contact theRegistrar’s Officefor verification.
  • Authorized petition submitters are permitted to sign administrative course cancellation forms on behalf of the student and the instructor. Submitters should sign their name and write “on behalf of student” and “on behalf of instructor.”
    • When submitters are signing on behalf of an instructor, they must include email communication from the instructor that gives them permission to sign on their behalf (Uploaded in the SUPR Registrar Documents area).

OPTIONAL

• Letter from Authorized Petition Submitter (if desired)

Students who were registered, but for some reason never attended/participated in any courses for the entire term, may petition for a retroactive Administrative Registration Cancellation. This only applies if the student never attended/participated in any courses for the entire term. (See Administrative Policy C-2)

These cases are usually seen when a student intends to petition for a tuition adjustment through the Bursar’s Office. The Faculty Senate office does not handle requests for financial issues.

Please include the following documentation with a Retroactive Administrative Registration Cancellation petition:
REQUIRED

• Current Transcript
• Student Request Letter completed using the Student Letter Template
• If request is for the current term, include student’s schedule
• Documentation Supporting Extenuating Circ*mstances – Must be official with Letterhead and Signature. If using Emails, include Email Header. (Examples: Medical or Mental Health Documents; Death Certificates or Obituaries; Instructor or Adviser letters, etc.)
• LionPATH summary (if student claims that actions were taken within LionPATH to complete the request but for some reason the request wasn’t completed) Please answer YES to the question on the first page of the petition eForm: Does this involve a LionPATH interaction or problem? SUPR will send the petition to the Registrar’s office LionPATH Queue to get a summary when that answer is YES.
• Administrative Course Cancellation Form(s) for each course (Acquired from the Department) with student and instructor signatures
  • If an instructor signature cannot be attained to verify a student’s non-participation, advisers and authorized petition submitters should contact the Registrar’s Office for verification.
  • Authorized petition submitters are permitted to sign administrative course cancellation forms on behalf of the student and the instructor. Submitters should sign their name and write “on behalf of student” and “on behalf of instructor.”
    • When submitters are signing on behalf of an instructor, they must include email communication from the instructor that gives them permission to sign on their behalf (Uploaded in the SUPR Registrar Documents area).

OPTIONAL

• Letter from Authorized Petition Submitter (if desired)

The ability to petition for a Stay of Academic Suspension requires: 1) engagement with an academic recovery plan while in Academic Warning, documented in the official University advising system; and 2) having15 or fewer recovery pointsafter all grades are reported for the current term (see University Faculty Senate policy54-00and administrative proceduresI-1andH-3).

Petitions for a Stay of Academic Suspension must be submitted to the Faculty Senate by the end of the business day after the last day of final exams. Units of enrollment will set earlier deadlines to receive student material for review and submission to the Faculty Senate. Students should check with their enrollment unit to verify appropriate deadline (please seeUniversity Park petition contactsandOther Campus petition contacts).

Whatever students cite as the extenuating circ*mstances that affected their academic performance needs to be documented in some way. Please do not submit petitions for a Stay of Academic Suspension without documentation.

All Stay of Academic Suspension petitions must include a letter from an adviser providing a narrative of the student’s engagement plan and challenges.

Appeals for a denied petition for a Stay of Academic Suspension can only be accepted up until the last day of the deadline for original submissions (described above).

Please include the following with a Stay of Academic Suspension petition:
REQUIRED

• CurrentTranscript
• Student Request Letter completed using theStudent Petition Letter Template
• Academic adviser letter that includes verification of recovery points (Viewrecovery points calculator), details of academic recovery plan, how the student engaged with the plan during the term, and level of support for petition (acquired by student prior to submitting)
• Documentation Supporting Extenuating Circ*mstances – Must be official with Letterhead and Signature. If using Emails, include Email Header. (Examples: Medical or Mental Health Documents; Death Certificates or Obituaries; Instructor or Adviser letters, etc.)

OPTIONAL

• Letter From Authorized Petition Submitter (if desired)

The ability to petition for a Reduction in Length of Academic Suspension, from two consecutive terms to one term, requires students to have15 or fewer recovery pointsafter all grades are reported in their last term (see University Faculty Senate policy54-00and administrative proceduresI-1andH-3). Students should submit their petitions through the Unit of intended re-enrollment following academic suspension.

Petitions for a Reduction in Length of Academic Suspensionmust be submitted to the Faculty Senate no later than the late drop deadline of a regular session course of their first term of academic suspension. Dates are available on theUniversity’s academic calendar. Students should check with their enrollment unit to verify deadline.

Whatever students cite as the extenuating circ*mstances that affected their academic performance needs to be documented for a petition to be considered.

All Reduction in Length of Academic Suspension petitions must include a letter from an academic adviser supporting the student’s request for a shortened length of suspension.

Appeals for a denied petition for a Reduction in Length of Academic Suspension can only be accepted up until the last day of the deadline for original submissions (described above).

Please include the following with a Reduction in Length of Academic Suspension petition:

REQUIRED

• Current Transcript
• Student Request Letter completed using the Student Letter Template
• Academic adviser letterthat includes verification of recovery points(Viewrecovery points calculator), and supporting the student’s request for a shortened length of suspension (acquired by student prior to submitting)
• Documentation Supporting Extenuating Circ*mstances – Must be official with Letterhead and Signature. If using Emails, include Email Header. (Examples: Medical or Mental Health Documents; Death Certificates or Obituaries; Instructor or Adviser letters, etc.)
• Documented support (a letter) from the unit to which student will re-enroll upon return from suspension (acquired by student prior to submitting)

OPTIONAL

• Letter from Authorized Petition Submitter (if desired)

The ability to petition for a Stay of Academic Dismissal requires: 1) engagement with an academic recovery plan while in Academic Warning, documented in the official University advising system; and 2) having18 or fewer recovery pointsafter all grades are reported for the current term (see University Faculty Senate policy54-00and administrative proceduresI-1andH-3).

If a petition for a Stay of Academic Dismissal is approved by the Faculty Senate committee, the student will be placed in Academic Suspension for two consecutive terms (including summer) and required to follow the re-enrollment and return from suspension process for their intended college/campus.

Petitions for a Stay of Academic Dismissal must be submitted, with review by the appropriate unit of enrollment,no later than the late-drop deadline of a regular session course of their first term of academic dismissal(dates for these deadlines are published on theUniversity’s academic calendar). After this point, students wanting to return earlier (from Academic Dismissal) would petition the Faculty Senate for early consideration of Academic Renewal.

Whatever students cite as the extenuating circ*mstances that affected their academic performance needs to be documented in some way. Please do not submit petitions for a stay of Academic Dismissal without documentation.

All Stay of Academic Dismissal petitions must include a letter from an adviser providing a narrative of the student’s engagement plan and challenges.

Appeals for a denied petition for a Stay of Academic Dismissal can only be accepted up until the last day of the deadline for original submissions (described above).

Please include the following with a Stay of Academic Dismissal petition:

REQUIRED

• CurrentTranscript
• Student Request Letter completed using theStudent Letter Template
• Academic adviser letterthat includes verification of recovery points(Viewrecovery points calculator), details of academic recovery plan, how the student engaged with the plan during the term, and level of support for petition (acquired by student prior to submitting)
• Documentation Supporting Extenuating Circ*mstances – Must be official with Letterhead and Signature. If using Emails, include Email Header. (Examples: Medical or Mental Health Documents; Death Certificates or Obituaries; Instructor or Adviser letters, etc.)
• Documented support (a letter) from the unit to which student will re-enroll upon return from suspension (acquired by student prior to submitting)

OPTIONAL

• Letter from Authorized Petition Submitter (if desired)

Academic Renewal permits a former student to resume study without being penalized for their past unsatisfactory scholarship. To qualify for Academic Renewal, a student must have a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) below a 2.00, and have taken no course work at Penn State for a minimum of four calendar years. (SeePolicy 54-90)

A waiver of the Academic Renewal policy may be requested when a student is seeking re-enrollment to the University and has not had a period of at least four years during which they were not enrolled in Penn State credit courses and/or the student’s previous cumulative grade-point average (GPA) was not below a 2.00.

Please include the following with an Academic Renewal petition:

REQUIRED

• Current Transcript
• Student Request Letter completed using the Student Letter Template
• Supporting documentation (Examples: transcript from community college showing academic success and/or documentation of extenuating circ*mstances that affected academic performance in the past (medical, mental health, etc.))
• Academic Renewal Form

OPTIONAL

• Letter From Authorized Petition Submitter (if desired)
• Support letters or emails from faculty or advisers with Letterhead and Signature or Email Header (Strongly Recommended)

Senate Policy 49-70 Supplemental Satisfactory Grade/Passing Grade/No Grade Grading System – Baccalaureate and Associate Degree Candidates was enabled for Spring 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021 terms only. These are the only terms for which the Senate Committee on Education will accept petitions.

Full Review Process Petitions
For Full Review Alternative grading petitions, students must have some extenuating circ*mstance that prevented them from making an informed choice regarding the alternative grading system before the deadline to choose alternative grading, and provide documentation to support that.

REQUIRED

• Current Transcript
• Student Request Letter completed using the Student Petition Letter Template
• Students must have some extenuating circ*mstance that prevented them from making an informed choice regarding the alternative grading system before designated deadline, and provide written documentation to support that
• LionPATH summary (if student claims that actions were taken within LionPATH to complete the request but for some reason the request wasn’t completed). Please answer YES to the question on the first page of the eForm: “Does this involve a LionPATH interaction or problem? SUPR will send the petition to the Registrar’s Office LionPATH Queue to get this summary when that answer is YES
• Alternative Grading Form

Requests for exceptions to other Senate policies may arise on occasion. Any action that varies from the established Policies and Rules for Undergraduate Students needs to be petitioned for approval by the Senate Subcommittee on Undergraduate Petition Review. If a unique petition request is encountered, you may contact Senate Office Staff to assist you in determining documentation required based on the student’s situation, but the following is required for all petitions in the “Other” category.

Please include the following with petitions that fall into the “Other” Category:
REQUIRED

• Current Transcript
• Student Request Letter completed using the Student Letter Template
• If request is for the current term, provide a copy of the student’s schedule
• Documentation Supporting Extenuating Circ*mstances – Must be official with Letterhead and Signature. If using Emails, include Email Header. (Examples: Medical or Mental Health Documents; Death Certificates or Obituaries; Instructor or Adviser letters, etc.)
• Registrar Forms (if applicable)