How to Drop a Course in IITM BS (and What It Costs)

You can drop an IITM BS course only within 4 weeks of the term start date. IITM keeps Rs 2,000 for each foundation course and Rs 4,000 for each diploma or degree course you drop. The rest goes into your student wallet, not your bank account. These drop rules do not apply if you are continuing after the qualifier in the same term.

The rules are the same in the Data Science (DS) and Electronic Systems (ES) handbooks.

The deadline to drop

• Dropping: allowed within 4 weeks of the term start date. Not a day later.
• Adding: not allowed once the registration window closes. So you cannot swap a dropped course for a new one after that.
• Fee receipt: it is made only after these 4 weeks, once all courses and fees are final.

How much you get back

IITM keeps a fixed admin charge per dropped course. The handbook shows it with a few example amounts:

The pattern is simple. You get back what you paid minus the admin charge. If you paid the admin charge or less, you get nothing back. A project course has a much smaller charge of Rs 500.

The "you paid" amounts are just examples. The handbook says the admin charges stay the same under the revised fees for students joining from the January 2026 term. For current course fees, see how much each level costs.

Where the refund goes: your student wallet. It is not sent to your bank. You can use it to pay for courses when you register in the next term.

Three ways to drop, three results

• Dropping some courses: you carry on with your other courses as normal.
• Dropping all courses: you can come back and register in the next term. But the term still counts, as a term with 0 courses. Our post on student status explains academic probation.
• Quitting: you get the fee paid minus the deduction, and you are removed from the programme. Your official email access is cancelled.

A term with 0 courses is still a term on your record. Check the foundation level checkpoints to see how such terms count before you drop everything.

If you write exams outside India

Students who write exams from outside India pay an exam facilitation fee when they register. If such a student drops all courses in a term:

• The facilitation fee for Quiz 1 is kept in full.
• Half of the facilitation fee for Quiz 2 and the end term is refunded.

The handbook does not say how the facilitation fee is handled if you drop only some courses. Ask the support team in that case.

Who cannot use these rules

The handbook says this drop policy is not for students who are continuing after the qualifier in the same term. If that is you, ask the support team before you try to drop.

The handbook also does not say what grade or mark, if any, shows on your record for a dropped course.

Common questions

Can I drop a course in week 5?

No. Dropping is allowed only within 4 weeks of the term start date, and the handbook says not beyond that. Make your decision in the first month of the term.

Can I get the refund in my bank account?

No. The handbook says the refund goes to your student wallet and is not paid to your bank account. It is adjusted against your fees when you register next term.

If I drop a course, can I add a different one instead?

Only if the registration window is still open. Once it closes, adding courses is not allowed, even if you drop one. For how registration works each term, see registering from term 2 onwards.

I paid a reduced fee. Will I get anything back?

Look at the table. If what you paid for the course is equal to or less than the admin charge (Rs 2,000 for foundation, Rs 4,000 for diploma or degree), the refund is Rs 0.