Policies Governing Leave of Absence

Policies Governing Leave of Absence

Requesting the Leave

  • Students are encouraged to request a leave of absence before the beginning of the semester in question. If a student is granted a leave after the beginning of the semester in question, the normal drop and withdrawal deadlines apply.
  • Students begin their request for a leave of absence by speaking with an advisor in the College Office to discuss their reason for taking the leave and their plans for the time away from Penn. The advisor will provide the leave of absence request form to the student.
  • The student then submits the completed leave of absence request form to the College. After review, the College will notify the student of their decision.
  • The College will outline any specific conditions that must be met by the student before returning from leave.
  • Students on leave may not be enrolled in Penn classes and will not receive credit for classes taken elsewhere during the leave unless special approval by the College is given. Students on leave may not live in University-owned housing during the term of their leave or participate in and/or hold a leadership position in a registered University organization.
  • Discontinuance of study without permission from the University does not constitute a leave of absence. Students who have requested a leave of absence for a given semester may still be academically suspended if their previous term's grades qualify them for this action.
  • Students who are granted a leave of absence after the first five weeks of the semester will receive the notation of W (withdrawal) after each course on their transcript. After the withdrawal deadline (tenth week) a leave of absence will be granted only under extremely extenuating circumstances and with proper documentation.
  • The PennCard will be deactivated as soon as the leave has been processed, and the leave will be posted on the student's transcript.

Before Leaving Checklist

Duration

  • The standard length of a College leave of absence is one full calendar year. Students may request an early return from leave after one full semester on leave, but should bear in mind that this request may be denied. 
  • Students who remain on leave longer than two years and who do not respond to the University's attempts to contact them will be withdrawn from active status.

Returning from Leave

Return Request Timeline 
  • July 15 for enrollment in the fall semester
  • November 15 for the spring semester
  • April 15 for the summer session
  • Two weeks before the beginning of the relevant Advance Registration period, if wishing to advance register.
  • If you need to or want to live on campus, please check with Residential Services for their relevant deadlines. 

Timely submission of requests and documentation is a condition of any return and any submission received after the relevant deadline may be denied.

Returning to penn Checklist

Tuition Adjustment

A student who is granted a leave of absence during either term of the academic year (fall or spring) or who withdraws from the College will be eligible for a reduction in tuition and fees in accordance with the conditions set forth below. The effective date of separation is the date the student files a written request for withdrawal or leave of absence.

  • Request within the first two weeks of class - 100%
  • Request within the third and fourth weeks of class - 50%
  • Thereafter - 0%.

In the case of students receiving financial aid, eligibility for the term will be redetermined based on actual charges and prorated allowances for living expenses.

A student who is required to withdraw because of a violation of University regulations will receive no tuition adjustment.

For rules regarding reductions in residence and meal contract charges, see the current year's residential handbook and the terms and conditions of meal plans.

For summer deadlines, see the LPS Summer calendar.

Special Circumstances

Students whose leave request indicated medical circumstances as at least part of the reason for that request will be required to present a treating clinician’s current evaluation of the medical condition to the relevant health office (Student Health and Counseling). The College, in consultation with these offices, will determine whether the results of the evaluation suffice to satisfy the conditions set forth in the original message granting approval for the leave.

Students with Incompletes will be required to resolve them and receive final grades for the courses in question before August 1 for a fall return, December 1 for a spring return and May 1 for a summer return.

Students who have been placed on financial hold by Student Financial Services office must resolve these issues and have the hold cleared before August 1 for a fall return, December 1 for a spring return and May 1 for a summer return.

When students complete their final semester of enrollment in the College but need a bit more time to finish degree requirements, they are placed on (or may request) leave pending graduation. This means they will not continue to be enrolled at Penn but have not yet graduated. This type of leave allows students to:

  • Resolve incomplete grades;
  • Fulfill remaining requirements with courses taken as credit away at another institution;
  • Address other issues preventing graduation.

Please note: College students may earn no more than 5 CU of credit away  over their entire undergraduate career.

Students on leave pending graduation are not expected to re-enroll at Penn. After all degree requirements have been fulfilled, they will be awarded their degree in the next available graduation cycle (May, August, or December). Students on leave pending graduation should get in touch with their College Contact (listed on Path@Penn) to request that a graduation application be created for the term in which they plan to finish their work.

Students who remain on leave longer than two years and who do not respond to the University's attempts to contact them will be withdrawn from active status.

If applicable, students will need to clear any pending issues with the Center for Community Standards and Accountability and the Office of the Associate Vice President for Equity and Title IX Officer before August 1 for a fall return, December 1 for a spring return and May 1 for a summer return.