Institutional Leave of Absence Policy
Occasionally, extenuating circumstances arise that require students to interrupt their program of study. Depending on the situation or length of time, students may be granted a leave of absence (LOA) of up to one semester. Students who find it necessary to take an LOA must submit a written request and obtain written approval from the appropriate academic administrator and the campus Executive Director. The request must outline the extenuating circumstances and duration of the LOA. If a student does not return from an LOA within the specified timeframe and no prior arrangements have been made, he/she will be withdrawn from the University. The withdrawal date for a student who does not return from an approved LOA is the date on which the student fails to return, as determined by the institution’s signed documentation. Examples of extenuating circumstances that generally receive a favorable response include:
- Military Duty
- Prolonged illness with appropriate physician’s confirmation and notice
- Death in the immediate family
- Maternity leave
Effect of Leave of Absence on Student Financial Aid
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, the student will be 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 his or her 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 the federal financial aid loans. The student will enter repayment, if the student does not return from leave within six months.
Effect of Leave of Absence on Satisfactory Academic Progress
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a leave of absence after the Add/Drop deadline or before completion of the course, the student will be considered withdrawn from the course for satisfactory academic progress purposes.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.