A student may be granted up to two (2) weeks of emergency leave by the Program Director. After this time the student can return to classes but is responsible for the material covered in all classes during this leave time. If the emergency leave extends beyond two (2) weeks, the student will be required to take a leave of absence (see below). Under such circumstances, the student’s tuition will be applied to the following trimester.
Leave of Absence:
• To request a leave of absence, a student must complete a Leave of Absence Request form and forward to the Program Director for approval. An approved Leave of Absence is restricted to a cumulative total time of three trimesters. Leave may be taken for one trimester at a time or for an entire calendar year but not more than a total of one calendar year. Leave taken at any time during a trimester is considered as an entire trimester of leave and students must retake the entire trimester of course work. A year long leave begins from the date of the beginning of the trimester of the Leave of Absence. A student must notify the Registrar of his/her intention to return to the program at least thirty (30) days before the start of the term.
• Scholarship students who are granted an approved Leave of Absence for academic reasons forfeit any scholarship funds upon their return. For scholarship students who are granted an approved Leave of Absence for medical reasons, the scholarship will be suspended and resumes upon their return from the Leave of Absence.
• Currently enrolled students who are granted an approved Leave of Absence may hold any balance in his/her account to be applied toward future tuition only for a period of one year from date of issue for non-governmental funds. Governmental funds will be returned per Title IV regulations. Any funds on account, which remain after one year from date of issue, are forfeited. Fees and sales tax are non-refundable in the event of an approved Leave of Absence.
• If a student is approved, for a Leave of Absence within two months of the beginning of a term, a credit in the amount of tuition paid for that trimester (no refund) will be applied to their account and available for use up to one year from the date of LOA. This credit is forfeited after one year.
• Students should be aware that any leave from the institution may have a financial aid impact and should consult with the Financial Aid Office. In compliance with federal regulations, for Federal financial aid purposes, a Leave of Absence is treated the same as a withdrawal. If you are considering taking a leave of absence, please be aware of the following:
o In accordance with financial aid regulations, a leave of absence can not exceed 180 days. If your leave of absence exceeds 180 days your loan will go into repayment status.
o You must make a written request to be granted a leave of absence.
o You will be required to complete exit counseling prior to beginning an approved leave of absence.
o It will be necessary to reapply for loans upon return to school.
o You must notify the Financial Aid Office upon your return to school, so that your lender, guaranty agency, and National Student Loan Data System, (NSLDS) can be notified.
• The University reserves the right to re-assess “The Essential Functions for Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Orthopaedic Physician Assistant” of any student returning from any leave of absence and to decline or conditionally approve their resumption if they are unable to meet the essential functions with reasonable accommodations. If a leave is greater than one year, a student must re-apply as a prospective student in order to be considered for readmission to the program.