Before enrolling in classes, an individual must be admitted to the College. Refer to the Schedule of Classes at www.nvcc.edu/schedule for specific instructions on how and when to register.
Students may register by using NOVAConnect, the online Student Information System, at www.nvcc.edu/novaconnect. Individuals who do not have their own computer with web access are welcome to use the computers at any NOVA campus or other location, such as at a public library. The Student Services Center at each campus also has staff members who can assist with registration.
Registering, Dropping, or Withdrawing from Courses
Schedule changes are effective at the time they are processed.
Drop Initiated by Student
Students who change their mind about taking a course must drop the course and process the drop online through NOVAConnect. Otherwise, the student will be charged for the course and may receive a failing grade. Students may drop a course and receive a refund up until the “last day to drop with a tuition refund (census date)” as noted on the academic calendar.
Cancellation of a Section or Course by the College
In the event that the college needs to cancel a course or section, students enrolled will receive a tuition refund unless they transfer to another course. All students in a cancelled course will be notified of the cancellation via their NOVA email. The number of credits for the replacement course will determine whether a student owes the College additional tuition or is entitled to an adjusted refund.
Drop due to Administrative Deletion
Students who enroll in a course are expected to attend every class. Students who do not attend at least one class meeting or participate in an online learning class by the “last day to drop with a tuition refund (census date)” may be administratively deleted from the class. This means that there will be no record of the class or any letter grade on the student’s transcript. In this situation, the student’s class load will be reduced by the course credits, and this may affect his or her full-time or part-time student status. This, in turn, can impact financial aid, veterans benefits, and F-1/M-1 status. The student’s tuition will not be refunded.
Withdrawal from a Course
Students may withdraw from a course within the first 60 percent of a session without academic penalty and will receive a grade of W. Students may withdraw from a course through NOVAConnect. NOVA Online students may contact the NOVA Online registration office at 703-323-3347 or onlinereg@nvcc.edu.
Late Withdrawal for Mitigating Circumstances
Withdrawal after the first 60 percent of the session will result in a grade of F, except under mitigating circumstances that must be documented on the course withdrawal form, approved by the instructor and dean, and submitted to the Student Services Center. Students may withdraw after the 60 percent point only if they are in good academic standing in the class. This documentation will be retained electronically. See “Grading System ” in “Academic Policies and Information ” section for an explanation of grades. The student’s money will not be refunded for courses from which he or she withdraws. To obtain a refund, students must have dropped the classes within the published tuition refund deadlines. A student may request a voluntary late withdrawal from the College for emergency and severe medical and/or psychological reasons for mitigating circumstances. Mitigating circumstances must have been severe, not foreseeable and/or could not have been reasonably prevented during the time period in question. Examples of situations that may fall into this category include:
- A major medical emergency or severe, extended illness occurring during the semester the student is registered which requires hospitalization, is life-threatening, or is contagious and a danger to the remainder of the College community. The student must have been absent more than 10 percent of the session length. A written verification by the attending physician is required.
- Death of the student or a member of the student’s immediate family (mother, father, sister, brother, husband, wife, grandparent or child). An obituary or death certificate is required.
- Mobilization, deployment, change of duty station or call to active duty for military students. A copy of the military orders is required.
The student will complete the Late Withdrawal for Mitigating Circumstances Form (125-047) with appropriate documents attached. NOVA Online students may contact the NOVA Online registration office at or 703-323-3347 or onlinereg@nvcc.edu. Any documentation from medical or mental health personnel should be detailed enough for the dean of students to make an informed determination. The form will be submitted to the Office of the Dean of Students.
If the withdrawal is approved by the Dean of Students and the Academic Dean, a grade of W will be assigned to the student’s records. In most cases, Late Withdrawal for Mitigating Circumstances applies to all courses in which the student is currently enrolled. Withdrawal from fewer than all courses will be considered in extenuating circumstances.
Students may request consideration for a tuition refund by following the Business Office procedures.
If the withdrawal is approved by the dean of students, the dean will forward the information to the registrar, financial aid (when appropriate), and the Business Office. The Office of the Dean of Students will notify the affected faculty that the student has been withdrawn.
Late withdrawal requests must be submitted by the end of the following semester:
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Last day of spring semester for the previous fall semester
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Last day of summer sessions for the previous spring semester
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Last day of fall semester for the previous summer session
Medical/Emergency Withdrawal
A student may request a voluntary withdrawal from the College for emergency and severe medical and/or psychological reasons. Examples of situations that may fall into this category include
- an extended illness or major medical issue occurring during the semester the student is registered which requires hospitalization, is life-threatening, or is contagious and a danger to the remainder of the College community. The student must have been absent more than 10 percent of the session length. A written verification by the attending physician is required.
- a psychiatric/psychological emergency or severe, extended illness occurring during the semester the student is registered which requires hospitalization or that prevents the student from attending classes. A written verification by the attending mental health therapist is required.
- death of the student or a member of the student’s immediate family (mother, father, sister, brother, husband, wife, or child).
The student will complete the Late Withdrawal for Mitigating Circumstances Form (125-047) with appropriate documents attached. NOVA Online students may contact the NOVA Online registration office at or 703-323-3347 or onlinereg@nvcc.edu. The form will be submitted to the Office of the Dean of Students. If the withdrawal is approved, a grade of “W” will be assigned to the student’s records. Any documentation from medical or mental health personnel should be detailed enough for the dean of students to make an informed determination. Students may request consideration for a tuition refund by following the Business Office procedures.
If the withdrawal is approved by the dean of students, the dean will forward the information to the registrar, financial aid (when appropriate), and the Business Office. The Office of the Dean of Students will notify the affected faculty that the student has been withdrawn.
Withdrawal as a Result of Military Service
Military students who are mobilized or ordered to active duty, and request to be withdrawn from the College after the census date may contact their campus dean of students for assistance with the process of withdrawal from the College and tuition refund.
The military student needs to provide the dean with his/her name; Student ID number; and a copy of his/her military orders, deployment orders, or documentation indicating he or she must leave the area for service. If the service member used Tuition Assistance (TA), the service member must contact militaryservices@nvcc.edu regarding dropping/cancelling TA due to military-related duties or assignments. If the military member used VA benefits, it is the member’s responsibility to contact the College veteran’s office veteranmilitaryservices@nvcc.edu. If the member needs guidance through this process, he/she should contact the Office of Military Services at militaryservices@nvcc.edu.
Withdrawal by Students Receiving Veterans Benefits
Students who have received any veterans’ benefits must also report their withdrawal to the veteran’s advisor. The Late Withdrawal for Mitigating Circumstances Form (125-047) must include the student’s last date of class attendance. Failure to follow established procedures could affect his or her future eligibility for veterans’ benefits. For more guidance, contact any campus veteran’s advisor. NOVA Online students using military or veteran benefits may contact the Military Services office at 703-293-8133 or militaryservices@nvcc.edu.
Withdrawal as an International Student
Degree level students must enroll in 12 credit hours per semester to be considered full time. If you find that you must withdraw from a course you should talk to an international student advisor before you withdraw. F-1 regulations give the College the authority to authorize exceptions to the full course of study requirement only for limited and specific reasons.
Withdrawal Policy for Students with Federal Financial Aid
Students who have received federal financial aid (Title IV) funds and have withdrawn from all their courses within the first 60 percent of their period of enrollment, or who drop, withdraw, or stop attending a course while not simultaneously attending another are subject to the mandatory refund policy for federal student financial aid (Return to Title IV or R2T4). Students must complete an official withdrawal (Form 125-047) and submit it to the Student Services Center. Students must include their last date of attendance in the course. The current financial aid handbook outlining complete details may be found on the financial aid website at www.nvcc.edu/financialaid or at any campus Student Services Center. Financial aid recipients who stopped attending all courses and did not complete the “official” withdrawal process, but who can produce an instructor-documented last date of class attendance (i.e., last exam, last paper, etc.), will have R2T4 calculated based upon their last reported date of attendance.
For financial aid recipients who stopped attending all their courses and their last date of attendance is unknown, the calculation of federal refunds returned will be based upon the midpoint (50 percent) of the period of enrollment. Students who did not attend beyond the census date of a course will have their financial aid recalculated based upon the enrollment level of courses in which attendance beyond the census date was established. Such students may be liable for repayment of federal funds.
Financial aid applicants who withdraw from courses may have difficulty subsequently in achieving the satisfactory academic progress standards for financial aid (see Satisfactory Academic Progress on the financial aid website or in the Student Services Financial Aid Handbook). Failure to follow established procedures could affect a student’s future eligibility for financial aid benefits.
NOVA Online Enrollment
Students may enroll in NOVA Online courses through NOVAConnect. Most courses have multiple sections starting throughout the semester. Details are available by calling NOVA Online at 703-323-3347 or checking the NOVA Online website.
Students taking their first online course at NOVA should also complete NOVA Online’s on-demand virtual orientation: online.nvcc.edu/orientation/. Part 1 of the Orientation will cover Student Services information, focusing on getting started in courses, accessing the Canvas course site, identifying tips for success, and student support services. Part 2 will show the student a sample Canvas course and demonstrate the course navigation.
Check the NOVA Online website or contact the NOVA Online Hotline at 703-323-3347 or onlinereg@nvcc.edu for registration information.
When registering for sequential courses, such as ENG 111 and ENG 112 , students should sign up for only one course at a time.
Course Schedule Changes During the First Week of a Session
Dropping a course will change course load and can also impact financial aid benefits, veterans’ benefits, F-1 status, etc.
Schedule adjustments are allowed during the first week of classes ONLY if students have documented mitigating circumstances. Students who find themselves in this situation must talk to the appropriate academic dean. Students will need to complete a Registration with Permission During the First Week of Class Form (125-070) and submit supporting documentation to the appropriate academic dean for approval. The academic dean is the only person who can grant permission for schedule adjustment. Tuition is charged for courses added.
Students who enroll in an entry-level regular course for which there is a preparatory developmental course and then have difficulty in keeping up with the regular coursework in the first week (7 calendar days) may, with the approval of the instructor, initiate a drop and enroll in a developmental course that is more suited to their current skills. This must be documented on a Registration with Permission During the First Week of Class Form (125-070) and approved by the academic dean. In making the transfer from the regular course to the developmental course, the student will be charged additional tuition on a per-hour basis for any additional credit hours. If the exchange results in fewer credit hours, the student qualifies for a tuition refund only if the transaction occurs before the last day to drop with a tuition refund for the session.
After in-class diagnostic testing in ENF, or ESL, students may transfer from one developmental course to the appropriate level course in the same discipline, as determined by the diagnostic. This transfer occurs during the first week of classes only with permission from the academic dean and should be documented on a Registration with Permission During the First Week of Class Form (125-070). No change in tuition occurs if the change from one developmental course to another developmental course occurs within the same discipline and the credit-hour values of the courses remain identical. Any credit hours that are added as a result of this course exchange will result in additional tuition on a per-hour basis. If the exchange results in fewer credit hours, the student qualifies for a tuition refund only if the transaction occurs before the last day to drop with a tuition refund for the session.
Course Section Changes After the First Week of a Session
Students may request a change from one section to another of the same course within the same semester after the last day for a tuition refund for the session if they can justify mitigating circumstances. This justification must be recorded on a Change of Section After First Week of Session Form (125-014) and approved by the instructors of the sections involved and their academic dean. If such changes are approved, no additional tuition will be charged.
To change from a campus course to a NOVA Online course after the last day for a tuition refund, students must receive approval from the academic dean, who will make the decision in consultation with NOVA Online. If the change is approved, there is no refund eligibility for the online course.
Hold on Student Records/Service Indicators
A hold or service indicator will be placed on a student’s official record under certain conditions. Nonpayment of financial obligations, such as tuition, College fines, and other debts will result in a hold on the student’s record. Disciplinary action, academic suspension, or dismissal may also result in a hold on one’s enrollment. A hold will restrict a student from enrolling, having transcripts or grade reports issued, or receiving other College services.
Auditing a Course
Students may audit a course and attend without taking examinations. Audited courses carry no credit and do not count as a part of one’s course load, which will affect a student’s status if he or she receives financial aid or veterans benefits or holds an F-1/M-1 visa. Students who wish to change status in a course from credit to audit or from audit to credit must complete the Auditing a Class Form (125-012) and have it signed by the instructor and the academic dean within the add/drop period for the course (no later than the census date). Students may also audit NOVA Online courses with the instructor’s permission. The instructor may still require a certain level of attendance or completion of some assignments; students should follow the guidelines on the course syllabus or negotiate expectations with the instructor early in the semester.
Students who wish to earn credit for a previously audited course must retake the course by reenrolling in the course for credit and paying normal tuition to earn a grade other than “X.” Advanced standing credit will not be awarded for a previously audited course.
The regular tuition rate is charged. However, senior citizens auditing a course do not need to pay tuition so long as they follow the process outlined under Admission Information .
Complete instructions for auditing a class can be found on Form 125-012, available on the College website.
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