Withdrawals Procedure

1.  Purpose & Scope

This procedure sets out the step-by-step process for managing student withdrawals, both voluntary and College-initiated, and for processing applications for re-registration. It applies to all students of the College, including undergraduate and postgraduate students (full-time and part-time), as well as those enrolled on government-funded initiatives such as Springboard+, apprenticeship programmes, and international students subject to immigration requirements.

2.  Withdrawal Procedures

2.1. Voluntary Withdrawal

Students wishing to withdraw voluntarily must follow these steps:

• Advise Student Support that they wish to withdraw or complete a Withdrawal Form.
• The Retention Officer contacts the student to see if any supports can be offered to help them re-engage with their course such as deferrals, academic supports, financial supports, or referral to academic staff.
• If the student is sure they wish to withdraw and, if they haven’t already, they must

submit a completed Withdrawal Form to the Student Support and Retention Officer.

• The Student Support and Retention Officer will process the form and send a confirmation email to the student.
• A weekly report of withdrawn students will be shared with relevant departments, including Fees, Springboard+, and International Support.
• A report will be provided to the college Registrar after week 6 and at the end of each academic semester.
• Students should be advised that the timing of a withdrawal may affect their fee liability and HEA/SRS funding status. The main census points are normally in October and March, and withdrawals processed after these points may result in fees being charged or may affect funding eligibility.

2.1.1.  If the Student Does Not Submit a Withdrawal Form

• Domestic Students: The Retention Officer contacts the student to request the form. If the student does not send a form confirming their withdrawal they will not be withdrawn and will remain a registered student.
• International Students: The Retention Officer, upon notification from International Support, follows the same procedure as for domestic students. Immigration authorities will be informed where necessary.
• Springboard+ Students: The Springboard+ team in NCI will notify the Student Support and Retention Officer if a student wishes to withdraw. If no form is submitted within two weeks, the Retention Officer processes the withdrawal and sends confirmation to the student.
• Apprenticeship Students: The Apprenticeships team in NCI will notify the Student Support and Retention Officer if a student wishes to withdraw. If no form is submitted within two weeks, the Retention Officer processes the withdrawal and sends confirmation to the student.

2.2. Withdrawal Due to Non-Engagement

Each semester students classified as Not Engaged are withdrawn for various reasons including:

• to ensure their Free Fees government funding is not drawn unnecessarily;
• to ensure they are fulfilling the requirements of their student visa.
• This process also identifies at-risk students who can be offered support to re- engage with their programme.
• Non-engagement withdrawals must also consider the HEA/SRS census deadlines. Students who are disengaged approaching census dates must be reviewed to ensure accurate HEA reporting and to avoid inappropriate funding claims.

2.2.1.  Identification of Non-Engaged Students

• Students with two or more NP (Not-Present – student did not submit assessment or attend exam) modules in a semester are flagged by the Student Support and Retention Officer.
• The Student Support and Retention Officer contacts these students via email and phone to offer support and clarify their intent to continue.

2.2.2.  Withdrawal Process for Non-Engagement

• If the student does not respond to two emails and two phone calls and is listed as NP for all modules, they are added to the No Response Students List.
• This list is reviewed and approved by the Welfare Manager or Registrar.
• Once approved, the Retention Officer processes the withdrawal and informs the student.
• Immigration authorities will be notified in the case of international students.

2.3. College-Initiated Withdrawals

• Students withdrawn for exceeding their limit of attempts to progress from a stage of their programme are not permitted to re-register unless they have been granted exceptional circumstances by the college registrar.

• The Student Support and Retention Officer checks outstanding fees and updates the status once all requirements are met.

   

3.  Re-registration Procedures

The below relates to voluntary withdrawals and withdrawals due to non-engagement.

3.1. Voluntary Re-registration

Students seeking to re-register who have been withdrawn for 2 or more years must re- register with the Admissions Department. The following procedures apply to students who have been withdrawn for less than 2 years:

• Domestic Students
  • Students must contact the Student Support and Retention Officer to initiate re-registration.
  • Outstanding fees must be cleared before re-registration.
  • The Retention Officer assesses the student’s motivation and ability to return to study and, if satisfied, updates the student’s status to “Registered.”
  • Students who wish to re-register can only do so once, if they are withdrawn by the College at any previous stage.
• International Students
  • Students must contact International Support to provide in writing their request to re-register in their programme and an explanation as to why they wish to re-register.
  • Outstanding fees and immigration compliance must be resolved.
  • International Support assesses the student’s motivation and ability to return to study and, if satisfied, the Retention Officer updates the student’s status to “Registered.”
• Springboard+ Students
  • Students must contact Springboard+ to discuss re-registration eligibility.
  • Outstanding fees must be cleared before re-registration.
  • The Retention Officer assesses the student’s motivation and ability to return to study and, if satisfied, updates the student’s status to “Registered.”

3.2. College-Initiated Withdrawals

• Students who have exceeded the maximum of two years to complete the stage of study but have not made 4 attempts to pass each element may be granted an exemption by the Registrar and be permitted to attempt the year of study for a third time.
• The Student Support and Retention Officer checks outstanding fees and updates the student’s status once all requirements are met.

4.  Appeals and Queries

• Students who have been withdrawn from the college for any of the points as listed in section 3.2 have the right to appeal their withdrawal.
• Students wishing to appeal a withdrawal decision can do so by submitting an application form within two weeks of receiving written notification of withdrawal – Withdrawal Appeal Form.
• Queries relating to the status or administration of a withdrawal or re-registration request may be directed to the Student Support and Retention Officer or the relevant office (International, Springboard+, Apprenticeships, or Finance).

5.  Compliance and Monitoring

• Compliance with this procedure is overseen by the Registrar, with operational monitoring carried out by the Student Support and Retention Officer.
• A weekly withdrawals report is generated by the Student Support and Retention Officer and circulated to the Registrar, Finance, International Support, Springboard+, and Apprenticeships.
• A Week 6 Withdrawal and Engagement Report is submitted to the Registrar each semester, highlighting voluntary and College-initiated withdrawals, non- engagement concerns, and emerging reasons for withdrawal.
• A Semester Withdrawal Summary Report is produced at the end of each academic semester for review by the Registrar and the Executive. This report will analyse:
  • numbers and types of withdrawals (voluntary, non-engagement, disciplinary, progression-related);
  • withdrawal reasons as provided by students;
  • timing of withdrawals in relation to HEA/SRS census deadlines (normally October and March);
  • impacts on student progression and retention.
• Insights from these reports will be used to inform enhancements to College policy, practice, and student support interventions.
• Periodic audits may be carried out by the Registrar’s Office to ensure adherence to this procedure and alignment with the Withdrawals Policy.
• Non-compliance with this procedure (e.g., late or inaccurate reporting, failure to follow withdrawal steps, incomplete HEA/SRS data) will be escalated to the Registrar for corrective action.

Contact Information

For further assistance, students may contact:

• Student Support and Retention Officer: studentsupport@ncirl.ie 
• International Support: internationalsupport@ncirl.ie 
• Fees Office: fees@ncirl.ie 

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