Dates and Deadlines
Winter Session 2026
Course section numbers 013W – 014W
Monday, October 13
Winter Session courses available to search
Monday, November 3
(12:01 a.m.)
Winter Session registration opens
Use CU Boulder Class Search or Buff Portal.
All current students may enroll in Continuing Education (CE) classes, which includes Winter Session, starting on this date, regardless of your assigned Main Campus enrollment dates.
Saturday, December 13
(12:01 a.m.)
Winter Session courses are viewable in Canvas for waitlisted and enrolled students
Monday, December 15
(12:01 a.m.)
Classes begin
Monday, December 15
(11:59 p.m.)
Last day to join a waitlist
Last day to add a class
Monday, December 15
(11:59 p.m.)
Last day for waitlist auto-enrollment
The system will auto-enroll students in their waitlisted course if a seat becomes available, they are eligible, and next on the waitlist prior to this deadline.
Starting December 16 at 12:01 a.m., students on the waitlist are no longer auto-enrolled in the course and late add approval from the instructor is required at this time to be enrolled in the course. Approval is rarely granted and is at the discretion of the instructor. Students will need to fill out a CE Course Request form and attach the instructor's approval to be added to the course. If granted approval and after completing a CE Course Request form, select Spring under Course Info > Session and 2026 under year. Deadline December 16 at 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, December 16
Class waitlists are canceled
Waitlisted students lose access to online course materials within 48 hours of being dropped.
Tuesday, December 16
(4:30 p.m.)
Last day to submit instructor approval for a late add
Contact the course instructor. If approved, attach emailed approval to a CE Course Request. Approval is rarely granted and is at the discretion of the instructor.
Tuesday, December 16
(11:59 p.m.)
Last day to drop an individual class without penalty*
For directions on how to drop a class, refer to the Office of the Registrar's page Drop a Class; no W notation is recorded or tuition assessed .
Important: If you are having trouble dropping a course in Buff Portal, please forward your drop request to ceregistration@colorado.edu for assistance. Email requests received by the deadline will be honored.
Thursday, December 18
(11:59 p.m.)
Last day to drop with 60% tuition adjustment*
For directions on how to drop a class, refer to the Office of the Registrar's page Drop a Class; a W notation is recorded and 60% tuition refunded.
Friday, December 26
(11:59 p.m.)
Last day to drop a Winter Session class via Buff Portal**
For directions on how to drop a class, refer to the Office of the Registrar's page Drop a Class; a W notation is recorded and full tuition and fees are assessed .
Friday, December 26
(11:59 p.m.)
Last day to change a class's grade mode to or from pass/fail
This change can be made using CU Boulder Class Search, Buff Portal, or by emailing ceregistration@colorado.edu.
Sunday, January 4
(11:59 p.m.)
Last day to withdraw from all courses in the session^
Students can submit their request via the online withdrawal form or by emailing ceregistration@colorado.edu; a W notation is recorded and full tuition and fees are assessed.
Important: If you are only in one Winter Session class, this is the most common action.
Sunday, January 4
(11:59 p.m.)
Last day to petition to drop individual classes late
A W notation is recorded and full tuition and fees are assessed.
Students with questions about petitioning should connect with their college and academic advisor, or schedule an appointment with a CE Academic Advisor to discuss further.
Students who withdrew due to extenuating circumstances may be eligible to petition for financial consideration and should connect with a CE Academic Advisor to discuss further.
Important: This is uncommon, and only applies if you are in more than one Winter Session course.
Monday, January 5
Classes end
Important:If you are having trouble dropping a course in Buff Portal, please forward your drop request to ceregistration@colorado.edu for assistance.
* Students may be eligible for a possible tuition adjustment or refund.
** Drop by 11:59 p.m. online using Buff Portal. If you are concerned that your drop request on Buff Portal may not have gone through correctly, please email ceregistration@colorado.edu before the deadline to request to be dropped from your course. A notation of W will appear on your transcript.
^ Withdraw from all Winter Session courses between December 27 through January 4, 2026 (11:59 p.m.) by emailing ceregistration@colorado.edu or submitting the online withdrawal form. A notation of W will appear on your transcript and there is no refund.
Petitioning is designed to provide students who experience unavoidable, extenuating circumstances, the opportunity to waive a University policy that, if enforced, would result in unsatisfactory academic progress or financial consequences. Students with questions about petitioning should connect with a CE Academic Advisor to discuss further. Students who withdrew due to extenuating circumstances may be eligible to petition for financial consideration and should connect with a CE Academic Advisor to discuss further.
Grade replacement is applied automatically at the end of each term for eligible courses and students. More information on retaking a course for grade replacement can be found on the Office of the Registrar’s site here.