Leave of Absence

15.0 Leave of Absence, University Withdrawal and Readmission

Students who intend to leave the University before completing degree requirements should file an Official Withdrawal/Leave of Absence form, whether they intend to return to the University or not. That process is initiated in a graduate student’s academic department:

1. A graduate student must complete the official withdrawal/leave of absence form.
2. The department chair of the student’s primary program must sign the form.
3. The student must hand deliver the form to the Office of Student Assistance, 306 Steele Hall. (In the case where a student is unable to do so, the department Chair may send the form to the Office of Student Assistance.)

NOTE: The Office of Student Assistance must speak with all students requesting a leave for medical reasons (either via email, phone, or in-person).
*Your Graduate Award, Financial Aid, ID access and privileges, SU Housing eligibility, Meal Plans, and Visa status (if applicable) are all affected when you take a Leave of Absence. To determine the implications a Leave of Absence request will have on your specific circumstances, contact the appropriate offices.*

If you request a leave of absence from Syracuse University, please be advised of the following information: At the conclusion of this semester, you must successfully complete a minimum of 6 degree applicable credit hours toward your degree program.
At the conclusion of the current academic year, you must successfully complete 18-semester degree applicable hours. The 18 degree applicable hours can only be earned during the fall and spring semester of the current academic year; hours earned during the summer term cannot be included. Should you decide to enroll full-time at another collegiate institution in an effort to satisfy this requirement, you may not be eligible to participate in intercollegiate competition should you decide to return to Syracuse University. In addition, please be advised of the graduation benchmark requirements you must also satisfy. With respect to the graduation bench marks, hours earned during the summer term may be included.

• Before the start of your second year: 24 completed credit hours and 1.8 GPA.
• Before the start of your third year: 40% of your degree completed and 1.9 GPA.
• Before the start of your fourth year: 60% of your degree completed and 2.0 GPA.
• Before the start of your fifth year: 80% of your degree completed and 2.0 GPA.

In the event you decide to utilize a non-traditional classroom setting (i.e. internet, correspondence, independent study) to complete any of the academic year or graduation benchmark course work, you must obtain PRIOR approval from the Office of Athletic Compliance because non-traditional course work may not be accepted to satisfy academic year or graduation benchmark requirements.
In order to participate in Division I athletics you must remain an amateur. Therefore, you will lose your eligibility to participate in Division I Athletics if you:

1. Taken pay, or the promise of pay, for competing in your sport.
2. Agreed (orally or in writing) to compete in professional athletics in your sport.
3. Played on any professional athletics team as defined by the NCAA in your sport.
4. Used your athletics skill for pay in any form in your sport.

Exception (individual sports only: track and field, tennis, cross country):
(a) After collegiate enrollment, you accepted prize money based on place finish or performance outside your sport’s playing and practice season and during the summer vacation period in an open athletics event from the sponsor of the event and the amount of prize money did not exceed your actual and necessary expenses to participate in the event.
You are not eligible in a sport if you ever have accepted money, transportation or other benefits from an agent or agreed to have an agent market your athletics ability or reputation in your sport.
You are not eligible in any sport if, after you become a student-athlete, you accept any pay for promoting a commercial product or service or allow your name or picture to be used for promoting a commercial product or service.
You are not eligible in any sport if, because of your athletics ability, you were paid for work you did not perform, were paid at a rate higher than the going rate or were paid for the value an employer placed on your reputation, fame or personal following.
You are not eligible in your sport for the remainder of the year and the next academic year if, during the academic year, you competed as a member of any other than a team which is part of the Syracuse University’s Division I Intercollegiate Athletic Department. There are limited exceptions to this rule, please contact the Office of Athletic Compliance at 315-443-1265 should you have any questions regarding the rule and/or its applicable exceptions.
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the above information, please contact the Office of Athletic Compliance at 315-443-1265.

Students taking a Leave of Absence (not medical) are eligible for a credit adjustment to their bursar account to tuition and mandatory fees, excluding a $100.00 administrative fee, as outlined below:

Please contact Bursar Operations at 315-443-2444 or by email at bursar@syr.edu to determine the specific adjustment as it relates to your account.

**Medical or Health related Leave of Absence please refer to the Medical FAQ’s**

**Military Leave of Absence please refer to the Military FAQ’s**

If you are a financial aid recipient considering a leave of absence, carefully review the information below. We recommend that you stop by or call the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Programs to speak with your financial aid counselor, should you have additional questions regarding your awards. You may also email the office using our online form at Syr.edu\Financial Aid\Contact Us .

Federal Financial Aid

Federal financial aid (Title IV funds) for students who withdraw from the University before the semester ends is adjusted according to Department of Education guidelines. Title IV funds include the Federal Perkins, Federal Direct Student, Parent and Graduate PLUS loans, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Pell and TEACH Grants.
Title IV financial aid received is based on the number of days students are enrolled for the semester. During the first 60 percent of the semester, students may receive Title IV aid in proportion to the length of time they are enrolled. A student who withdraws before the 60-percent point may have their Title IV aid reduced. Students who remain enrolled beyond the 60-percent point and are charged full tuition may receive all Title IV aid for the semester.

Syracuse University Scholarships and Grants

Scholarships and grants are awarded on the basis of full-time enrollment for the full semester and according to institutional policy. Students who withdraw before the semester ends may either lose their scholarships and grants or have their institutional aid prorated. Federal regulations do not apply to institutional scholarships and grants.

New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

Students who received a New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) award must meet specific requirements to be considered making academic progress. Satisfactory academic progress includes both minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) and number of classes completed per term. Students who fail to make progress may lose their TAP eligibility for future terms.
For more detailed information regarding all financial aid policies at Syracuse University, view the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Program’s website.

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Students who intend to leave the University before completing degree requirements should file an Official Withdrawal/Leave of Absence form, whether they intend to return to the University or not. That process is initiated in a graduate student’s academic department:

NOTE: The Office of Student Assistance must speak with all students requesting a leave for medical reasons (either via email, phone, or in-person).
*Your Graduate Award, Financial Aid, ID access and privileges, SU Housing eligibility, Meal Plans, and Visa status (if applicable) are all affected when you take a Leave of Absence. To determine the implications a Leave of Absence request will have on your specific circumstances, contact the appropriate offices.*

HEOP/SSS

Please note that taking a leave of absence could have an impact on your HEOP or SSS status. Please meet with your Academic Counselor or contact your Program Director at the Office of Supportive Services at 315-443-3867, before you complete this action.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Students are not permitted to take a leave of absence while on Academic Integrity Hold without the expressed permission of the Academic Integrity Office. Please contact AIO at (315) 443-5409 to discuss your options.

JUDICIAL

Students are not permitted to take a leave of absence while on judicial hold without the expressed permission of the Office of Judicial Affairs. Please contact OJA at (315) 443-3728 to discuss your options and review Section 3.8 of the Judicial System Handbook.

HOUSING ONLY

If you reside in Syracuse University housing, in order to receive any appropriate refund, you must complete the Housing Cancellation Form (available in 206 Steele Hall) and you must remove all of your belongings from your assignment, return your key to your residence hall (or if an apartment resident return keys to Goldstein Student Center Key Office) and vacate no later than the Sunday of the week your leave/withdrawal is effective. If you have questions about the housing cancellation procedure, please contact the Housing, Meal Plan and ID Card Office at 315-443-2721 or housing@syr.edu .

MEAL PLAN ONLY

If you have a Syracuse University meal plan, in order to receive any appropriate refund, you must complete the Housing Cancellation Form available in 206 Steele Hall. If you have questions about the housing cancellation procedure, please contact the Housing, Meal Plan and ID Card Office at 315-443-2721 or housing@syr.edu .

BOTH HOUSING AND MEAL PLAN

If you reside in Syracuse University housing and have a Syracuse University Meal Plan, in order to receive any appropriate refund, you must complete the Housing Cancellation Form (available in 206 Steele Hall). You must remove all of your belongings from your assignment, return your key to your residence hall (or if an apartment resident return keys to Goldstein Student Center Key Office) and vacate no later than the Sunday of the week your leave/withdrawal is effective. If you have questions about the housing cancellation procedure, please contact the Housing, Meal Plan and ID Card Office at 315-443-2721 or housing@syr.edu .

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

If you are an international student at Syracuse University in F-1 or J-1 student status and you take a leave of absence or otherwise are withdrawn from the University, your visa status will be affected and your Department of Homeland Security SEVIS record will be terminated. This action will result in a termination of your legal non-immigrant status.

You must contact the Slutzker Center for International Services (SCIS) at 315-443-2457 or lescis@syr.edu, immediately, to avoid unintended consequences. You should discuss your situation with an advisor at the Slutzker Center before you stop attending classes and/or request a leave of absence

Law Students

Law students who intend to leave the College of Law before completing degree requirements should file an Official Withdrawal/Leave of Absence request, whether they intend to return to the University or not. That process is initiated with the Office of Student Life, Suite 444, E.I. White Hall:

NOTE: The Senior Assistant Dean for Student Life must speak with all students requesting a leave for medical reasons (either via email, phone, or in-person).
*Your Law School Award, Financial Aid, ID access and privileges, SU Housing eligibility, Meal Plans, and Visa status (if applicable) are all affected when you take a Leave of Absence. To determine the implications a Leave of Absence request will have on your specific circumstances, contact the appropriate offices.*

MEDICAL or HEALTH RELATED

Students leaving the University to attend to a health-related condition sufficient to warrant time away from the University may qualify for a medical leave. For information about the policies and procedures required for medical leaves of absence, please contact the Office of Student Assistance at 315-443-4357.

BURSAR INFORMATION

Special refund considerations for tuition only are extended to students granted a leave of absence for medical reasons. To qualify, the student must submit medical documentation to the appropriate Health and Wellness unit from a qualified medical practitioner within 60 days of the effective date of the leave. Tuition adjustments for medical leaves, excluding the administrative fee of $100.00, will be based on the effective date of the leave and will be prorated using the total number of class days in the period of enrollment as the base number for the daily calculation.
Please contact Bursar Operations at 315-443-2444 or by email at bursar@syr.edu to determine the specific adjustment as it relates to your account

Student-veterans who intend to leave the University before completing degree requirements will need to file an Official Withdrawal/Leave of Absence form, whether they intend to return to the University or not. The process is initiated in the home college dean’s office for undergraduates, and in the academic department for graduate students.

BURSAR INFORMATION

Students who have submitted documentation indicating they have been called to active duty by any of the United States Armed Forces may request a tuition refund and prorated refund of housing and meal plan charges covering the semester for which they are enrolled. The Veterans Resource Center, 700 University Ave, at 315-443-9297 or veterans@syr.edu, is available to assist you in submitting the necessary documentation.
Please contact Bursar Operations at 315-443-2444 or by email at bursar@syr.edu to determine the specific adjustment as it relates to your account.

VETERAN AFFAIRS

Students can obtain information through the Veterans’ Resource Center at University College, 700 University Ave Room 107 or 312 (veterans@syr.edu/315-443-9297). This on-site center will be available to you for quick referrals related to financial aid issues, cancellation of any campus housing contracts, Bursar accounts, allowable refunds, etc

Taking a Leave of Absence will result in the cancellation of existing registrations for future semesters. If the effective date of the leave is after the end of the current semester, i.e., you are completing the current semester, no changes will be made to your current registration. If the leave is effective before the end of the semester, one of the following actions will occur:

Leaves effective on or before the Academic Drop Deadline: ACADEMIC CALENDAR

All classes for the current term and any future terms are dropped and do not appear on the transcript. The notation “Leave of Absence – Student Initiated” will appear after the end of the last semester with the effective date of the leave. [Note: If the leave is taken on or before the academic drop deadline in your first semester at Syracuse University you will not have a transcript record.]

Leaves effective after the Academic Drop Deadline through the Withdrawal Deadline: ACADEMIC CALENDAR

All classes for the current term will remain on your transcript with a grade symbol of WD (Withdrawal). Any future term classes are dropped and will not appear on the transcript. The notation “Leave of Absence – Student Initiated” will appear at the end of the list of classes for the semester with the effective date of the leave.

Leaves effective after the Withdrawal deadline: ACADEMIC CALENDAR

All classes for the term will remain on the transcript with grades of F. Any future term classes are dropped and will not appear on the transcript. The notation “Leave of Absence – Student Initiated” will appear at the end of the list of classes for the semester with the effective date of the leave.
If you take a Leave of Absence you do not have the option of requesting an Incomplete (I) in any classes.
Detailed information concerning academic implications of a leave can be found in the Syracuse University Course Catalog under the Academic Rules Section.
Financial Aid, housing and other aspects of student life may be affected by taking a leave. It is the student’s responsibility to verify all implications that a leave of absence will have on the student’s specific situation.
If you have questions, please contact your home school or college.

You must submit a Readmission/Termination of Leave of Absence form to your home school or college to return to SU after a Leave of Absence. This form is obtained within your home school or college or through the Office for Student Assistance, 306 Steele Hall. Readmission is not guaranteed, and is determined by the individual school, college, or program.
For readmission following a medical leave of absence, additional steps are needed to be taken, please contact the Office for Student Assistance at 315-443-4357.