Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon Portland Community College

How to drop a class

Financial aid students

financial aid stop lightBe careful: dropping a class can reduce your award. You may even have to pay money back. Talk to financial aid before you drop or withdraw.

VA benefits students

Before you drop, ask the Veterans Education Benefits Office if it will affect your benefits.

F-1 International students

Be careful: dropping a class can cause you to fall out of status. Talk to OISS before you drop or withdraw.

If you change your mind about a class, you can drop it from your schedule and receive a full refund as long as you do it before the drop deadline. Even if you don’t attend the class, you must drop the class or you will be held liable for the charges on your account.

How to drop

  1. Log in to MyPCC.
  2. Click Register for classes in the Term-to-Term Checklist.
  3. Click Add or Drop Classes.
  4. Choose the term of your class.
  5. Choose Drop from the drop-down menu.
  6. Click Submit Changes.

screenshot of look up classes page with action drop down circledscreenshot of term-to-term checklist with drop and withdraw deadlines circled

When to drop

The drop deadline depends on how long your class is. To see the drop deadline for your class, log in to MyPCC and click See your drop and withdraw deadlines in the Term-to-Term Checklist. Dates for a specific term may be adjusted due to emergencies or closures. For current dates, review the academic calendar.

Deadline to drop by class length
Length of class Deadline to drop Refund? Effect on transcript
Full-term classes
8-12 weeks
By 10pm on the second Tuesday of the term full refund no mark on your transcript
Short-term classes
2-7 weeks
By 10pm on the first day of class
Less than two week classes By 10pm on the day before the first day of class
Community Ed classes Drop deadlines vary for Community Ed classes. See more about the refund and drop policy for Community Ed classes

After the drop deadline

You can only drop until the drop deadline – after that it’s called withdrawing, and it has different consequences. You have to pay for the class, and it will show up as a W on your transcript. W grades do not affect your GPA (see grading guidelines) but they can affect your academic standing.

How to withdraw

  1. Log in to the MyPCC Home tab.
  2. Click Register for classes in the Term-to-Term Checklist.
  3. Click Add or Drop classes and choose the current term.
  4. Choose Withdraw from the drop-down menu.
  5. Click Submit Changes.

When to withdraw

The withdraw deadline depends on how long your class is. To see the withdraw date for your class, log in to the MyPCC Home tab and click See your drop and withdraw deadlines in the Term-to-Term Checklist.

Length of class Deadline to withdraw Refund? Effect on transcript
11-12 weeks By the tenth Saturday of the term no refund W on your transcript
2-10 weeks By 10pm on the last day of class
Less than two week classes Before the first day of class

After the withdraw deadline

After the withdrawal deadline, the instructor must assign you a grade for the course. If you experience a sudden and unexpected circumstance that prevents you from meeting the withdraw deadline, you can appeal for an exception. To submit an appeal, send an email to pccregistrar@pcc.edu. Use your PCC email account and include the reason for the appeal and the CRN for the class. You must also submit documentation about your circumstances before we can review your appeal. Attach documentation to your email or fax to 971-722-7135. We’ll send an email to your MyPCC email address within 30 days to let you know the outcome. For removing tuition charges, see tuition appeals.

Related information

Will ‘t my instructor drop me?

You are responsible for dropping or withdrawing from your classes. However, if you don’t go to class, your instructor may choose to give a “No Show”, which means you’ll lose your seat in the class. If you stop attending without formally dropping or withdrawing, you will receive a grade assigned by the instructor and you will be held liable for all charges on your account.

What if my class is canceled?

If your class is canceled after you register, you will receive a full refund. Sometimes classes are canceled due to factors such as insufficient enrollment, personnel availability and budget requirements. We regret any inconvenience this might cause, and will do our best to help you adjust your schedule.

Dropping non-credit classes

Drop deadlines vary for Community Ed and CEU classes. To drop a Community Ed class, see the refund and drop policy for Community Ed classes.