Leave of Absence Policy
Students may be granted a leave of absence (LOA) for a period of one term up to one year. A "Leave of Absence Request Form" must be completed, signed, and submitted to the Student Services Department. 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a LOA within the specified timeframe and no prior arrangements have been made to extend, then the individual will be withdrawn from the University.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, as determined by the institution's records.
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 When a student takes an institutional LOA, they are deemed to have withdrawn as of the last day of documented attendance prior to the LOA and become ineligible for Title IV purposes. As a result, a return to Title IV calculation will be done and the student will be reported to the Department of Education as less than half time enrolled. The time on a LOA will be counted against any six month grace period for entering repayment on federal financial aid loans. Students should refer to the "Withdrawal and Refund Policy" and the "Return of Title IV Funds Policy" in the University catalog for a full explanation of the financial consequences of withdrawal or Leave of Absence.
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a leave of absence after the Add/Drop deadline or before completion of the course, the student will be considered withdrawn from the course for satisfactory academic progress purposes.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 regarded 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 availability of space and will follow the University Reentry Policy.