When the car breaks down in the middle of a term

Keeping up while the car is in the shop

Email each instructor as soon as you know you will miss class or arrive late, and ask how to keep up. Attendance rules are set in each syllabus, and many instructors will share notes or recordings when they hear the reason early. Keep the repair estimate in case an instructor or the dean of students asks for documentation.

Look for a temporary way in. A classmate who lives nearby, the campus ride board, a transit route with a shuttle at the end, or a student fare pass for a few weeks can carry you through. If some of your courses have an online section, ask the department whether a switch is possible this late in the term.

Short-term help from the college

Many colleges keep emergency grants or short-term loans for students facing an unexpected bill, usually through the financial aid office or the dean of students. Applications tend to be short, and decisions can come within days. Bring the repair estimate and a note on how the car gets you to class.

A large repair can also be raised as a special circumstance. The financial aid administrator can use professional judgment to adjust the transportation part of your cost of attendance when you document an unusual cost, which may change what you can borrow for the term. The office decides, and it can only work with the papers you bring.

Talk to the aid office first so you know the cost of each choice.

Before you drop a class

Dropping or withdrawing can look like the simplest fix, but it has aid consequences. Falling below half-time can stop loan money and start a loan's grace period, and withdrawing from every class can mean returning part of the aid already paid. Talk to the aid office first so you know the cost of each choice.

If you decide to drop a course, check the academic calendar for the refund deadline and the last day to withdraw with a W rather than a failing grade. Your academic advisor can tell you how the change affects your progress toward a degree.