Academic concessions

What is an academic concession?

An academic concession may be granted for a student when an unexpected situation or circumstance prevents them from completing graded work or exams.

Types of academic concessions granted may include: 

For complete details on academic concessions, please visit the UBC Academic Calendar.

Are you eligible for an academic concession?

You may request an academic concession for:

  • Unanticipated changes in personal responsibilities that create a conflict
    These may include family care, paid employment, religious practices, or military duty that conflict with academic requirements and are beyond your control.
  • Medical circumstances
    This can cover a mental or physical health issue that emerges or recurs during a term.
  • Compassionate grounds
    A concession may be granted when a student experiences a traumatic event, sexual assault, or death in the family or of a close friend.

Registration time zone: Registration times are listed in the Pacific Time Zone. If you're registering from outside this time zone, make sure you know when registration opens in your location.

If you have a disability or ongoing medical condition

If you have persistent physical health difficulties, an ongoing medical condition, or a disability that affects your studies for more than one term, you may request an academic accommodation.

Request a concession

Requests should be made as early as reasonably possible. We understand that some issues may make it impossible for you to report until you've received medical attention or support for a traumatic event.

Depending on the situation, your advising office or course instructor will manage your request.

Read the course syllabus

To see the options for making up missed work in your course, check the course syllabus. 

If the work you missed is optional (e.g., it's one of several quizzes and two can be missed without penalty), you may not need to make up the missed work.

Check with your advising office

Find information from your faculty about requesting an academic concession: 

If you don’t see your faculty in the list above, contact your faculty’s academic advising office.

Other reasons to contact academic advising

  • You’re unsure whether you’re eligible for an academic concession
  • Your circumstance or situation lasts more than a few days
  • You continue to face difficult life events repeatedly

Do I need to submit documentation?

In some cases, submitting a “self-declaration of absence” to your faculty’s academic advising office or your instructor may be enough.

Example cases include, but are not limited to:

  • Sudden illness that keeps you from attending an exam
  • Arm injury the week a paper is due
  • Death in the family 
  • Mental health crisis

Talk to your academic advisor about your specific situation, and to find out your options.

Tuition adjustment or refund

If you’ve received an academic concession, or withdrawn from a course under extenuating circumstances, you may be eligible for a tuition adjustment or refund. 

If you have questions

Talk to your Academic Advisor for questions related to academic concessions and next steps.

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