Degree-seeking students who miss one or more quarters of registration (excluding summer), who fail to request return after an approved period of leave of absence, or who request to withdraw from their program, will be discontinued from The Graduate School (TGS). Those who are discontinued are not enrolled and are not considered active students. Students who fall into this category and who wish to return to the graduate program from which they were discontinued must submit an Application for Former Student to Re-Enter no less than four weeks before the start of the winter, spring, summer, and fall quarters. The application must be approved by the appropriate individual in the student's program and by The Graduate School in order to be processed.

Those who have previously been enrolled in The Graduate School at Northwestern University as degree-seeking students but have had a break in their enrollment resulting from withdrawal or failure to continuously register will be subject to a re-entry fee of $250 plus $100 for each fall, winter, and spring missed quarter of enrollment up to a cap of $1000.

Students in the bachelor’s/master’s combined degree program who do not continue in the master’s program in the quarter following conferral of the bachelor’s may apply to re-enter the master's program within five years of admittance to the combined degree program and will be assessed a $75 fee.

Students in an approved dual degree program who were actively enrolled in the non-TGS portion of the dual degree and who otherwise would have qualified for TGS 514-0 Continuous Registration Exception in the missed quarters of enrollment will be subject to a $250 fee.

Non-degree students seeking readmission to a non-degree program must submit the Application for Former Student to Re-Enter but will not be assessed a fee.