Students are generally expected to know when the last day to drop a class is and govern themselves accordingly. However, students who have extenuating circumstances such as an extended illness or equivalent distress that prevents them from completing their classes and that causes them to fail to meet the deadline for withdrawing with an automatic assignment of a non-punitive "W" grade may request either a late drop or Late Withdrawal Petition from the Office of the Registrar.

• Following the general withdrawal deadline, by the last day of classes for the term as stated in the academic calendar (before the start of the final exam period), students may request a late drop by securing the permission of the instructor and the dean/second level approver of the school offering the class via Late Drop/Add after 1st week via one.iu.edu).
• Once the final exam period for any term has begun, students may only submit a Petition for Late Withdrawal (obtained from the Office of the Registrar) to seek a non-punitive "W" in a course. The Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs alone decides on Late Withdrawal Petitions. 
• The deadlines for filing a Late Withdrawal Petition are March 15 for the immediately preceding fall semester, September 1 for the immediately preceding spring semester, and November 1 for the immediately preceding summer session(s). Requests for late withdrawal from terms before the immediately prior term will be accepted at the sole discretion of the Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs. Petitions submitted after the deadlines may be summarily denied for untimeliness.  
• A desire to avoid a low grade is not an acceptable reason for requesting a late withdrawal.
• Approval is not automatic and will be based on the criteria described in the policy. Students are expected to provide appropriate documentation to substantiate their reasons for seeking late withdrawal.
• A completed withdrawal form, if approved, will be dated and processed as of the date it was originally submitted by the student to the Office of the Registrar.