Student guidance for Programme Withdrawal requests on Portico

This guidance is also available to download in pdf format:

Student guidance How to submit a Programme Withdrawal request.pdf

Student guidance How to submit a Programme Withdrawal request.pdf

This guide covers: 

• how to submit a Programme Withdrawal request on Portico;  
• how to check the status of an in-progress Programme Withdrawal request on Portico; 
• how to add a comment or upload a document to an in-progress Programme Withdrawal request on Portico. 

Withdrawing from your studies is a big decision and it is important that you carefully consider the impact of it before submitting your withdrawal request. Once you have withdrawn, it will not be possible to re-register on the same programme at UCL except in exceptional circumstances.  

Before submitting a Programme Withdrawal request, please visit our Before you withdraw webpage for information and guidance designed to help you make the right decision for you.   

Submitting a Programme Withdrawal request on Portico  

1. Log in to Portico and click on the MyStudies tab in the navigation bar.  
   

   

2. Click Withdraw from your programme in the Change of Circumstances section.  
   

   

3. Click the Submit Withdrawal Request button.  
   

   
     

4. A pop-up box will launch to provide information about the support available to you from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services. They provide a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space to discuss issues that are affecting your studies and help you to consider all options so you can make an informed decision that is right for you.  
   Click Continue to proceed with your withdrawal request. 

5. You will now be shown a “Before you get started” checklist covering the actions you must complete before submitting your request. These are:  

• Discuss the request with your Personal Tutor / Postgraduate Tutor / Supervisor; 
• Confirm that you understand that once your withdrawal has been completed, you will no longer be registered as a student at UCL; 
• Confirm that you have read the withdrawals guidance and regulations in the Academic Manual (note that the regulations in the Academic Manual apply to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught students only)  
• Confirm that you have read the Fee liability guidance for withdrawing.  
  
  Once you have completed these actions, click Yes and then click Continue.  

6. The Request Form will launch. 
   Complete the form (the pink fields are mandatory) and then click Complete.   

• Reason for withdrawal (mandatory field): select from the drop-down list. 
• Last date of attendance (mandatory field): enter the latest date that you engaged with your Programme (e.g. attended a lecture or submitted an assignment). 
• ‘I have discussed this withdrawal with’ (mandatory field): enter the name of the staff member who you discussed the withdrawal with. 
• Withdrawal statement: you may wish to add further information about your reason for withdrawal here. 

7. The Request Details screen will launch showing a summary of your request. 
   You should check that the details are correct.  

• If you need to make any amendments, click Back to return to the Request Form. 
• If the details are correct and you wish to proceed, click Submit. 
  
  
  

8. The Request Submitted screen will launch once you have successfully submitted your request. You will receive an email confirmation that your request has been submitted from <autoreplystudentrecords@ucl.ac.uk> to both your personal and UCL email address.  
   Once you submit your Withdrawal request, it will be reviewed by your Department and you will receive confirmation that your request has been processed within 10 working days. Please note that you will remain registered on your programme until your request has been processed.  

9. Click Exit to return to the Programme Withdrawal homepage where your request will now show in the In-Progress Requests section. You can check the status of your request on this page at any time and you will also receive email notifications at the following points in the process:  

• When you submit your request. 
• When your request has been processed. 
• If any documents or comments are added to your application by staff reviewers.  
• If your request is cancelled.  

Note for Student visa holders: If you hold a Student visa, UCL is required to inform UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) of any changes to your student status and withdraw sponsorship of your visa. This means that once your withdrawal has been processed, you will receive an email to confirm that sponsorship has been withdrawn and it is advised that you should leave the UK within 60 days of UCL’s report to UKVI. Further information can also be found on the UCL Immigration & Visa website.   

Checking the status of an in-progress Programme Withdrawal request  

You can check the status of your Programme Withdrawal request at any time on the Programme Withdrawal homepage as follows:   

1. Log into Portico and click on the MyStudies tab in the navigation bar.  
   

   

2. Click Withdraw from your programme in the Change of Circumstances section.
   

   
    

3. Your Programme Withdrawal homepage will launch, and you will see your request in the In Progress Request section with details of your request and the status of the request / percentage complete.  

4. Click View Request to show the details of your request.  
   You can expand the Additional Documents and Comments sections by clicking on the relevant section of the screen. This will enable you to view any comments or documents that have been added to your request on this screen and you can also add comments or documents if requested.  

5. Click View Request Progress to show the steps complete and the steps remaining on your request.  

The request stages are: 

• Request submitted; 
• Pending department approval;  
• Department approved;  
• Request approved – pending processing by Student Records;  
• Request complete. 

Adding a comment to an in-progress Programme Withdrawal request  

If a staff member requires any information to support your request, they will add a comment to your request. You will receive an email to notify you that there is a new comment on your request. 

You can view the comment and add a comment in response by following the steps below:  

1. Log into Portico and click on the MyStudies tab in the navigation bar.  
   

   

2. Click Withdraw from your programme in the Change of Circumstances section.  
   

   

3. Your Programme Withdrawal homepage will launch and you will see your request in the In Progress Request section. 

4. Click View Request.  
   

   

5. Click Comments to expand this section and view any comment(s) added.   
   

   

6. To add a comment, click Add Comment and enter your comment in the comments field. You should then select the name(s) of the staff members from the list of recipients who you want to be notified that you have added this comment – if you are replying to a comment already added by a staff member, this would usually be the name of the person you are replying to.  
    
   Note that all staff members on the list of recipients will be able to see the comment that you add, but only the staff members who you select will receive an email to notify them that you have added this comment.   

7. Click Submit. 
   

   

8. You will then see a confirmation screen to review your comment before you click Submit on the confirmation screen to proceed or click Back to return to the previous screen to edit your comment.  

9. Once you have submitted the comment, you will be returned to the Request Details screen and the comment that you added will show in the Comments section.  

Adding a document to an in-progress Programme Withdrawal request 

Sometimes supporting documents or information are required to process your request. If this is the case, you will receive an email confirming what you need to upload. Follow the steps below to do this: 

1. Log into Portico and click on the MyStudies tab in the navigation bar.  
   

   

2. Click Withdraw from your programme in the Change of Circumstances section.  
   

   

3. Your Programme Withdrawal homepage will launch and you will see your request in the In Progress Request section. 

4. Click View Request.  
   

   

5. Click Comments to expand the comments section and view the comment(s) that have been added for you.
   

   

6. To add a document, click on the Additional Documents bar to expand the Additional Documents section.
   

   

7. Click Upload Documents.
   

   

8. The Programme Withdrawal Request Documents screen will load. Click Browse My Computer, select the file that you wish to upload from your folders and click Open.
   

   

9. The Programme Withdrawal Request Documents screen will reload and once uploaded, you will see your file in the documents section with file status “Successfully Uploaded”. You can add multiple documents as required.
   Once you have added all documents, click on the List of recipients field and select name(s) of the staff members from the list of recipients who you want to be notified that you have added this document –this would usually be the name of the person who asked you to add the document(s). Note that all staff members on the list of recipients will be able to see the document that you add, but only the staff members who you select will receive an email to notify them that you have added this document

10. Click Submit.
    Click Submit on the confirmation screen if you are happy to proceed or Back if you wish to return to the previous screen to change your document(s).

11. Once you submit the document, you will be returned to the Request Details screen: the document(s) will now be listed in the Additional Documents section and the selected recipients will receive an email notification to inform them that you have uploaded the document(s).