Fall Edition 2017 > Academic Policies and Procedures > Leave of Absence Policy

Leave of Absence Policy

Students may be granted a leave of absence (LOA) for a period of one term up to one year. A written request must be submitted and approval obtained from the appropriate academic administrator and the campus Executive Director. The request must outline the reason and duration of the LOA. If a student does not return from a LOA within the specified timeframe and no prior arrangements have been made to extend, then the individual will be withdrawn from the University. The withdrawal date for an approved LOA is the date on which the student fails to return.

An institutional leave of absence is not considered an official leave of absence under federal Title IV regulations. When a student takes an institutional LOA, they are considered ineligible for Title IV purposes. As a result, a return to Title IV calculation will be done and the student will be reported to their lender as less than half time enrolled. The time on a LOA will be counted against the six month grace period for entering repayment on federal financial aid loans. The student will enter repayment if they do not return from their leave within six months.  

If a student begins a leave of absence after the Add/Drop deadline or before completion of the course, the student will be considered withdrawn from the course for satisfactory academic progress purposes. The course from which the student took leave will be considered as attempted and not completed.

Taking a leave of absence may affect a student’s ability to progress in their program. Reentering after a leave of absence is based on the availability of space and will follow the University Reentry Policy.