CHES Academic Bankruptcy
 
Academic bankruptcy involves a student's request to retroactively withdraw from one academic term of study because of extreme personal, emotional, or financial circumstances so devastating that it was impossible for the student to perform academically at a level approximating the usual record of achievement. The summer sessions are considered one academic term. The following specific regulations apply to any petition for academic bankruptcy:
  • Only currently enrolled students are eligible to request academic bankruptcy.
  • Academic bankruptcy is never granted for the academic term in which the student is currently enrolled, nor for the previous academic term.
  • Academic bankruptcy is only granted for coursework completed during an academic term at The University of Alabama. Transfer and placement credits are not eligible for academic bankruptcy.
  • Petitions must be filed prior to graduation.
  • No more than one petition for academic bankruptcy may be approved during the student's academic career at The University of Alabama.
  • If the petition is approved, the grades for all courses taken during the academic term in question will be recorded as "W" (Withdrawn). A notation will be added to the student's transcript to denote the Academic Bankruptcy and the approval date.
  • The application for academic bankruptcy is filed in the dean's office of the academic division in which the student is enrolled. Once a student has been enrolled in an academic division for two terms, that division has the authority to grant academic bankruptcy for a term in which the student was enrolled in another academic division.
 
CHES Academic Bankruptcy Procedure:
Academic bankruptcy petitions are reviewed by the CHES Academic Bankruptcy Committee. The committee meets twice a year, once in the Fall semester and once in the Spring semester. The committee makes recommendations to the Dean of the college who holds the right to approve, deny, or to defer the petition. Once a decision has been made, the student will be notified. Petitions for academic bankruptcy are submitted through this form and are due by the first Friday in October for Fall review and the first Friday in April for Spring review.

Be prepared to include the following information in the submission for the petition:
  • The specific semester for which bankruptcy is requested.
  • A statement describing the reasons and circumstances causing you to seek academic bankruptcy for the specified term. Make sure to address the specific extreme personal, emotional, or financial circumstances impacting the specified semester. Include the ways in which academic bankruptcy for the specified semester will benefit you in achieving your immediate and long-term goals.
  • Documentation (supporting evidence) for reasons stated in the statement.
 
If you have questions regarding the Academic Bankruptcy contact Luke Taylor (lktaylor1@ua.edu). If you have questions regarding submission process contact Destini Russell (ddrussell1@ua.edu).