For Summer Abroad and Global Internships, please review the Appeals Process here.
Summer Sessions Exception & Appeals Process
Enrollment deadlines and policies are strictly enforced. In cases where a student is unable to complete a course due to exigent circumstances beyond their control, requests for exceptions to enrollment policies and refunds may be submitted for review. Students must be withdrawn from the course prior to submitting an appeal, as exceptions will only be considered in circumstances where a student is/was unable to continue in a course.
A failure to understand Summer Sessions policies will not be considered for an Appeal.
Timeline
Appeal Requests for Summer open after the first refund deadline has passed in early June and close in mid-September, after Summer Sessions has ended. The link will be published here when it is open.
The Summer 2026 Appeals Deadline is Friday, September 18, 2026. Please note that the appeal review and adjudication can take up to 6-8 weeks.
Prior to submitting an Appeal
- We recommend that students pay all of their fees; if the student's appeal is approved, the tuition paid will be refunded. This avoids holds on student's records and negative impact from collections efforts.
- Students must be dropped or withdrawn from the Summer Sessions course(s) for which they are requesting a refund BEFORE submitting their appeal.
Submitting An Appeal
Complete the Appeal Request E-Form (link published June-September of every year) and attach all supporting documentation.
It is essential to disclose all information, reasons for the appeal, and all supporting documentation regarding your case in the initial appeal. Subsequent appeal requests providing new information, different reasons for the appeal, or new supporting documentation are not eligible for review.
Fees other than tuition (Campus Fee, Registration Fee, Document Management Fee, Class Pass Fee, etc.) are non-refundable as soon as your first session starts. Appeal requests for the de-assessment of these non-refundable fees are not likely to be considered.
We honor the confidentiality of all supporting documentation, as well as your overall student records.
Note: You will need to use your UC Berkeley CalNet to login. Students whose CalNet has expired should reach out to Summer Sessions for assistance.
Required Documentation for the Most Common Appeals
Medical
For a medical situation, we require verification of the severity of the condition (verification of how the condition affects your ability to perform university-level coursework), not a detailed description of the condition itself. We require a letter, typed on official letterhead, from the physician or another personal healthcare provider or the form used by the Tang Center at UC Berkeley. The letter must be signed by the physician. Emails or unsigned letters on plain stationery are not acceptable.
Death in the Family
We require a copy of the death certificate (or verification of death from the hospital or attending physician), and the deceased's relation to the student.
Other Reasons
A failure to understand Summer Sessions policies will not be considered for an Appeal. Students must show that they faced exigent circumstances beyond their control that resulted in being unable to complete the course or unable to drop a course prior to the refund deadlines. Supporting documentation is required for all appeals.