Change of Status

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.

Withdrawal from the University

Students who wish to withdraw voluntarily from the University must complete and submit the online withdrawal form, available at lesley.edu/forms/loa. The student will log into the Dynamic form using their Lesley credentials. Before withdrawing, a student must speak with their academic advisor and be cleared by Student Financial Services.  The student will discuss the impact of the withdrawal and any possible consequences for loan repayment and financial aid. A resident student is expected to vacate their room within 48 hours of the effective date of withdrawal. A resident student must contact the Office of Residence Life at reslife@lesley.edu to make an appointment to complete the checkout procedure.      

Students may not withdraw from a standard 15-week course during the last three weeks of the semester. Students may not withdraw from an 8-week term-based course during the last two weeks of the term. A withdrawal for any semester/term will be granted only through the last day to drop with a "W" grade for that semester/term. Requests after that date will be considered for the following semester/term. The policy regarding incomplete grades remains in effect regardless of the withdrawal status.

A withdrawal will not be finalized until processed by the Office of the University Registrar. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the university in advance if they plan to apply for a withdrawal. Non-attendance does not constitute an official withdrawal; students will be held responsible for all related tuition and fees. See refund policy.

University policy does not allow retroactive withdrawals or refunds.

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.

Refund of Charges Due to Dropped Courses

If a student drops a course prior to the end of the add/drop period for any given semester or term, course-associated charges such as tuition and fees for that course will be refunded in full and there will be no impact to the student’s transcript.

If a student drops the course after the end of the add/drop period, the student is financially responsible for the entire semester/term of tuition and fee charges for the course. This applies to all courses including residencies, weekend intensives, short courses, conferences, and travel study. The course will remain on the student’s transcript and the student will receive a grade of “W”.

Non-attendance does not satisfy the requirement for withdrawal and students who do not attend courses and do not withdraw/drop will be charged in full for course tuition and fees.

University policy does not allow retroactive withdrawals or refunds.

Refund of Charges for Withdrawal from the University

Students who wish to withdraw voluntarily from the University must obtain and complete an online Withdrawal Form to remain in good standing with the University and receive any appropriate refunds.

If a student withdraws or is withdrawn from all courses by the University for non-attendance early in the semester, an adjustment of institutional charges may be made to the student’s account in accordance with the appropriate policy described in the following section.

Students who are suspended or dismissed from the University or residence halls for any reason will receive no adjustment of charges.

In most cases in which the student received financial aid, any credit applied to the account will go to repay financial aid received and no money will go to the student or parent. Unpaid charges remaining on the account after all required adjustments are still owed to the university.

Students who withdraw from all classes after the add/drop period will be eligible for a reduction of tuition, room, and meal plan charges in accordance with the following schedule based on the date the student officially withdraws from the College. This includes students who withdraw for medical reasons.

Students are eligible for a 100% refund of all tuition, fees, housing, and meal plan charges if they withdraw prior to the end of the add/drop period except for tuition deposits and housing deposits.

Reinstatement Policy

Returning to Lesley following a Leave of Absence:

If a student takes an official LOA and returns during the time specified in the LOA documentation, the student needs only to register for classes within the normal registration window after consultation with their Academic Advisor, before registering. Students may also request an official extension of their LOA through their advising office. 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.

Students who wish to return after their LOA period has expired, will need to be reinstated per below sections associated with withdrawals.

Reinstatement for students in good academic standing following a Withdrawal:

A student who left Lesley in good academic standing should submit to their advising office a request for reinstatement in which they,

(a) summarize what they have been doing since leaving Lesley;

(b) provide transcripts for course work, if any, completed during the interim period; and

(c) discuss why they wish to be reinstated.

The director of academic advising may reinstate such students without approval of the Vice Provost. However, if the director of academic advising has concerns about the application, the Vice Provost will make the final decision on reinstatement.

Reinstatement after Academic Probation or Dismissal:

A student who left Lesley while on academic probation, or after being academically dismissed, must apply to the Associate Provost of their program area for reinstatement per the guidelines below.

Academic Probation

A student who left Lesley on academic probation should submit to their Vice Provost’s office a request for reinstatement in which they,

(a) summarize what they have been doing since leaving Lesley;

(b) provide transcripts for course work, if any, completed during the interim period;

(c) discuss why they wish to be reinstated; and

(d) explain their strategies for achieving academic success at Lesley.

The Associate Provost will review the request and send a recommendation to the Vice Provost. The Vice Provost will make the final decision on reinstatement.

Students who are returning after a period of absence from Lesley in order to complete degree requirements must be registered at Lesley for at least 1 credit during the semester preceding degree conferral.

Academic Dismissal

Normally, after one semester following academic dismissal, students may apply for reinstatement to Lesley. Although additional conditions for reinstatement may be included in the dismissal documentation, to reapply for reinstatement, a student who was academic dismissed must submit to the Vice Provost’s office a request for reinstatement in which they,

a) Summarize the issues that led to their academic dismissal;

b) Outline what they have done since their dismissal to address these issues (and provide a transcript for any courses that they have taken elsewhere during this interim period);

c) discuss why they wish to be reinstated;

d) Provide evidence to support their position that they are successfully addressing these issues; and

e) Explain what they would do differently this time to be academically successful.

To demonstrate that they are prepared to return to Lesley, students who have been academically dismissed often take three or more college courses elsewhere and achieve grades of “B” or better in each. The Associate Provost will review the request and send a recommendation to the Vice Provost. The Vice Provost will make the final decision on reinstatement.

To ensure consideration, students must submit requests for reinstatement by the dates listed below:

Student Exchange Programs

Lesley University enjoys exchange relationships with universities around the world. There are unique financial and academic benefits to this type of study abroad program. Programs are not offered every year. To learn more, contact Lesley's Study Abroad Office at studyabroad@lesley.edu to request a planning guide.