Policy III: Leave of Absence Policy

An authorized leave of absence (LOA) is a temporary interruption in a student’s program of study. LOA refers to the specific time period during a program when a student is not in attendance. An LOA is not required if a student is not in attendance only for an institutionally scheduled break. However, a scheduled break may occur during an LOA.

An LOA must meet certain conditions to be counted as a temporary interruption in a student’s education instead of being counted as a withdrawal requiring an institution to perform a refund calculation. If an institution elects to offer LOAs, it must have a written Leave of Absence Policy that complies with this Vocational & Skill Education Leave of Absence Policy. Additionally, approval of a student’s LOA must be in accordance with the institution’s Leave of Absence Policy. A LOA may only be granted if there is a reasonable expectation that the student will return from the LOA.

• The request must be in writing
• LOA should consist of the stated reason and signature
• A student will not be assessed any additional charges as a result of a requested LOA
• LOA will not be granted if together with any additional LOAs previously granted, exceed a total of 180 calendar days in any 12- month period
• Student will be withdrawn if the student takes an unapproved LOA or does not return by the expiration of an approved LOA