Leave of Absence

Description and Request Process
When personal or professional circumstances preclude enrollment in classes, matriculating students must notify the university. A leave of absence, approved through the Office of the University Registrar, extends the time allowed to complete a program of study. A leave of absence may be granted for one or two consecutive semesters or one, two, three, or four consecutive terms with the following stipulations:

1. The student must plan to return to the university at the end of the specified period to complete their academic program.
2. Before requesting a leave of absence, a student must speak with their academic advisor and be cleared by Student Financial Services.The student will discuss the impact of the leave on their degree completion and any possible consequences for loan repayment and financial aid.
3. The student must complete and submit the online leave of absence form, available at lesley.edu/forms/loa.The student will log into the Dynamic form using their Lesley credentials.

A leave of absence is not finalized until processed by the Office of the University Registrar. Non-attendance does not constitute an official leave of absence.

Current Semester/Term Courses
There are parameters around leave of absence requests that involve dropping actively enrolled courses. Students may not initiate a leave of absence with the intent to drop a standard 15-week course during the last three weeks of the semester. Students may not initiate a leave of absence with the intent to drop an 8-week term-based course during the last two weeks of the term. A leave of absence or withdrawal for any semester/term will be granted only through the last day to drop with a "W" grade for that semester/term. Leave of absence requests after that date will be considered for the following semester/term. The policy regarding incomplete grades remains in effect regardless of the student’s leave of absence or withdrawal status. Students who drop a course after the add/drop period has ended will receive a “W” grade on their transcript. Refunds are processed according to the published refund policy. The refund policy can be found on the Financial Aid, Bills, & Payments section of the website at lesley.edu/students/financial-aid-bills-payments/refund-policies-processes

Students seeking a leave of absence or withdrawal after the deadline to drop with a "W" grade for a standard 15-week or 8-week term may be eligible to appeal if they encounter serious or unavoidable circumstances. Examples of such circumstances include verifiable cases of illness, death or serious illness in the family, significant accidents, or other grave situations beyond the student's control. Students may be required to provide documentation of their circumstances. The Office of the University Registrar along with other administrative offices will review and determine the outcome of the appeal. Students should submit the appeal to the Registrar’s Office via the Support Hub at support.lesley.edu.

Student Status While on Leave
A student on a leave of absence will remain a degree, C.A.G.S., or certificate candidate with access to Lesley systems (such as email, self-service, and myLesley) but will not retain the privileges of a registered student, which includes financial aid, student support services, and student funded activities.

During their official leave of absence, students are not eligible to receive federal financial aid. In addition, students who have borrowed a Federal Stafford Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Grad PLUS loan, and/or Massachusetts No Interest Loan may begin to utilize their grace period(s) while on leave and subsequently may be expected to begin repayment of their educational loan(s). The Financial Aid Office encourages students who are planning on taking an official leave of absence to meet with their Financial Aid Counselor to discuss educational loan repayment options and eligibility for grace period(s).

Returning from Leave
At the end of the approved leave, students must meet with their advisor to develop a plan for program completion. Students may contact their advisor directly or email advising@lesley.edu for support.

Students should also be aware that curriculum and/ or licensure changes implemented during a leave of absence or withdrawal period may require changes or additional course work in their program of study.

Students who are experiencing academic difficulty and are not in good academic standing may be required to participate in a formal academic review at the end of their approved leave before being permitted to re-enroll and continue in their program of study.

Students returning from a leave of absence should contact the Student Financial Services Office to inform them of their start date if they want to be considered for financial aid.

Extension of Leave
If students are unable to return by the end date of their approved leave, they must apply for an extension using the leave of absence form. Extensions of a leave of absence may be granted on a semester-by-semester or term-by-term basis, allowing for a maximum duration of up to two academic years, but not exceeding this limit. Students who do not file a formal extension request, or do not re-enroll at the end of their approved leave of absence, will no longer be considered matriculated and their program status will be made inactive.