C14: Leave of Absence & College Withdrawal

VI. Procedures 

A. Leave of Absence 

A leave of absence is intended by the student as a temporary departure from the College to address a specific situation in the student’s life. A leave of absence maintains the student’s matriculation status for the leave period. A student may request a leave of absence from the College by submitting a Drop/Withdrawal Request Form. Students will be able to indicate if they want just the current term courses dropped or if they would also like the next term and/or any future term courses dropped.  

Students who are not enrolled are ineligible to receive financial aid in future semesters until they resume enrollment. This leave of absence does not meet the criteria for a Federal Title IV financial aid leave of absence. As a result, all or part of a student’s financial aid could be cancelled. Matriculated students should consult with a Financial Aid staff member in advance of withdrawing. 

After the student returns from a leave of absence, the student’s status with the College shall be the same as that of the student’s last enrollment in the College. If the student on leave does not return to the College within the next four (4) consecutive semesters, the student will be made "inactive" per the matriculation policy. Students wishing to extend a leave of absence for any additional semesters should contact the Office of Registration and Records. 

B. College Withdrawal 

A student may withdraw from the College by submitting a Drop/Withdrawal Request Form. Withdrawal has the effect of ending the student’s matriculation, and, therefore, the consequences should be considered carefully. Students typically withdraw only where they have decided, in consultation with College personnel who can help to evaluate the impact of this decision on the student, to cease enrollment at the College. 

Advisement prior to the decision to withdraw can assist a student to decide if complete withdrawal is appropriate. Students who receive financial aid are advised that they will lose future eligibility for financial aid if they withdraw from the institution. Current financial aid may also be impacted. Matriculated students should consult with a Financial Aid staff member and their Navigator in advance. Students who request a College Withdrawal will be removed from all currently registered courses, regardless of term, as of the date that the College Leave of Absence/Withdrawal Form is received by Student Central. 

If a student submits a College Withdrawal after the drop deadline for the term, a grade of W will be assigned at the time of the withdrawal. These grades are not used to calculate GPAs, but the hours are counted as hours for which the student was enrolled that semester and as “attempted credits” for satisfactory academic progress calculations associated with financial aid eligibility. 

Students withdrawing from the College after the course withdrawal deadline must submit a Petition for Late Withdrawal, documenting the circumstances for withdrawal. If the petition is approved, the student will be awarded the grade of “W”, instead of the letter grade the student had earned for the course as of the date of withdrawal. 

C. Readmission from Extended Leave of Absence or Withdrawal