Leave Of Absence

When personal or professional circumstances preclude enrollment in classes, matriculating students must apply for a leave of absence. An approved leave of absence extends the time allowed to complete one's program of study and assures academic coherence of study. A leave of absence may be granted for one or more consecutive semesters with the following stipulations:

• The student must plan to return to the University at the end of the specified period of time in order to complete his/her academic degree or C.A.G.S. program.
• The student must be in good academic standing at the time the leave is granted.
• The student must receive clearance from the Student Accounts Office and if s/he is receiving financial aid, from the Financial Aid Office as well, at the time the leave is granted.

In order to be granted a leave of absence, the student must complete a leave of absence form. Students may obtain this form through the Registrar's Office, the office of the program advisor, in person, or by mail. She must confer with the program advisor and the program director. The program director will determine if the leave of absence will be granted. A student on a leave of absence will remain a degree or C.A.G.S. candidate but will not retain the privileges of a registered student, which include utilization of the library and financial aid. Financial Aid Recipients: Financial Aid regulations define a leave of absence differently than the academic policy. For financial aid purposes, a leave of absence may not exceed 60 days, must be in writing, and may only be granted once in a consecutive 12 month period. The Financial Aid Office must consider students who do not meet this definition as a withdrawn student, beginning from the last date of attendance as a half-time student. Students who are withdrawn are not eligible to receive federal student aid during the term(s). In addition, students who have borrowed a Federal Stafford Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, and/or Massachusetts No Interest Loan will begin their grace period(s) and subsequent repayment of their loan(s) if they do not re-enroll as a half-time student before the end of the grace period(s). Students planning a leave from the institution should check with the Financial Aid Office regarding all financial aid policies and procedures.

Students who wish to take a leave of absence after registering for courses must officially drop or withdraw from the courses through the drop/add procedure. Students who withdraw from a course after the second class meeting will receive a "W" grade on their transcripts. Students cannot withdraw from a course during the last five class meetings.

The leave of absence will not be finalized until processed by the Registrar's Office. A leave of absence will be granted only through the official course withdrawal period of the given semester. Requests after that date will be considered for the following semester.

Lesley policy governing incomplete grades remains in effect regardless of leave of absence or withdrawal status.

At the time a student wishes to re-enter the school, they must send a letter of intent to the program director with a copy to the Registrar's Office 30 days prior to the start of the semester of anticipated enrollment. Once a review of the student's record is completed, the program director will notify them of eligibility status and any procedures necessary to resume studies. Upon return, additional coursework may be required if external regulation (such as ICC) requirements have changed during the leave. Students should be aware that programs may change during a leave of absence or withdrawal period which require changes or additional coursework in their program of study. If a student does not return within the time period approved and does not request an extension of the leave of absence, they may be officially withdrawn from Lesley. Procedures may vary for off-campus students.