A student whose personal, family or medical circumstances require a temporary interruption of college study may apply for a leave of absence for up to two semesters. Students who attend primarily in the evening and need to attend on a less than regular basis may also avail themselves of the process.

To apply for a leave of absence a student must complete an application form to be filed at Advising Services, Bowman Hall, Room 32. This application must cite the reasons for the request and the duration requested (one or two semesters). Whether applying for a one semester leave or a two semester leave the application must be made prior to start of classes for the semester(s) you are requesting to be on leave. Recommendations regarding requests will be made by Advising Services to the Dean of Academic Studies. The Dean will make the final decision

A leave of absence may only be granted to students who are matriculated, in good academic, and in good financial standing. All students returning from a leave of absence must contact the Registrar's Office by December 1 for reactivation in the spring semester and August 1 for reactivation for the fall semester. A student taking a one semester Leave of Absence may extend the leave for a second semester through a written request to Advising Services.

Students who are granted a leave of absence before the end of the add/drop period will have no notation on their record for that semester. Students granted a leave during the withdrawal period will have a grade of "WX" on their record for that semester.

Students with financial aid who take a leave of absence will be treated as a withdrawn student and will lose their aid as of the date of their leave. Loan repayment will begin 6 months after the date of withdrawal from the College. If the student returns in the second semester of the academic year, eligibility for aid will be reinstated and the student will be considered for any aid which is available at that time. When a student returns from a leave of absence, they should process loan deferment forms through their lender.

Withdrawal Process

Despite the best efforts of both the College and the student it is sometimes necessary for a student to leave Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Any student wanting to do so must come to Advising Services, Bowman Hall, Room 32 to meet with an advisor who will help him/her process the official withdrawal forms. Also, it is sometimes appropriate for a student to officially withdraw from the College and not receive grades for that semester. Any student needing to withdraw should come to Advising Services to discuss the situation with an advisor. Students will receive grades of "WX" in all courses with no effect on the GPA. Contact Advising Services if you are interested in investigating either option.