Students requesting a leave of absence (medical, military, or personal) must read the most current Student Leaves of Absence Policy on the Office of the Provost website and submit the appropriate form. Completed forms should be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies at gsdean@villanova.edu.
Students receiving financial aid should consult with the Office of Financial Assistance to understand how leaves of absences may affect their loans. All students should work with Bursar’s Office to ensure any outstanding balance is settled before their leave goes into effect. International students requesting a leave of absence should consult with the The Office for International Students and Scholars before submitting the form to the Office of Graduate Studies. Students receiving Graduate Assistantship, Tuition Scholarship, Presidential Fellowship, or other funding will not be able to defer their funding (stipend or tuition remission) to their future semester of return and funding will thusly be rescinded starting with the term that the leave of absence begins. Funding is not guaranteed upon return. Finally, all students should also consult with their personal health insurance provider about implications for their coverage during any period of leave from the university.
Approved periods of leave will extend the time permitted to complete degree requirements and to graduate.
Non-Medical Leave of Absence
Villanova recognizes that it is sometimes necessary for students to interrupt their enrollment for a period of time and take a leave of absence. Students may take a non-medical leave for a variety of reasons including, for example, to attend to academic, personal, or financial matters.
Non-Medical Leave of Absence Process
A student who wishes to take a non-medical leave of absence must take the following steps:
- Submit a completed "Request for Non-Medical Leave of Absence" form to the Dean’s office of the student’s academic college or the Dean of Students office, or their designee; and
- Meet with a designated staff or faculty member to review the request.
Students may request a non-medical leave at any time during the semester, but must complete such requests – including any requisite evaluation and related paperwork – no later than the last day of classes in a semester. If a student does not complete a non-medical leave request by the last day of classes, the University will deem the request late and consider it for the following semester.
If the University finds good cause, a leave may be granted. Because every student’s situation is different, the terms of a non-medical leave will be determined individually, including the duration of leave, any restrictions from living in residence halls or coming on campus or attending University events, and any conditions for the student’s eligibility to return to campus following the leave.
Medical Leave of Absence
Students may request a medical leave of absence (MLOA) if they experience health situations that significantly limit their ability to function successfully or safely in their role as students.
Medical Leave of Absence Process
A student seeking a MLOA must take the following steps:
- Submit a completed “Request for Medical Leave of Absence” form to the Dean’s office of the student’s academic college or the Dean of Students office, or their designee; and
- Meet with a designated staff or faculty member to review the request.
The student may be asked to schedule and undergo an evaluation by the Student Health Center and/or the University Counseling Center before a leave is granted. This evaluation will occur after the student has met with the Dean, Associate/Assistant Dean, or their designee. The student may be asked to sign a release allowing the Student Health Center and/or the University Counseling Center to discuss their evaluation of the student with the Dean, Associate/Assistant Dean, or their designee who is reviewing the request.
After evaluating the student, the Student Health Center and/or the University Counseling Center will determine whether a significant health issue has compromised the student’s health, safety or academic success, and will submit an individualized recommendation to the Dean, Associate/Assistant Dean, or their designee regarding the student’s request for a MLOA.
The Dean, Associate/Assistant Dean, or their designee reviewing the request will make the final determination whether to grant the MLOA and will notify the student of the decision in writing. Because every student’s situation is different, the terms of a MLOA will be determined individually, including the duration of leave, any restrictions from living in residence halls or coming on campus or attending University events, and any conditions for the student’s eligibility to return to campus following the MLOA.
Students may request a MLOA at any time during the semester, but must complete such requests – including any requisite evaluation and related paperwork for the Dean’s office – no later than the last day of classes in a semester. If a student does not complete a MLOA request by the last day of classes, the University will deem the request late and consider it for the following semester.
Return Following a Leave
Some students who take a leave will have no requirements attached to their return to the University. However, students may be subject to specific requirements for their return based on the circumstances of their departure. Any conditions or requirements for return will be based on an individualized assessment of the student, including consideration of current medical knowledge and/or the best available objective evidence. The goal of these conditions is to prepare the student for a successful return to the University.
A student who is placed on a leave of absence for any reason, voluntary or involuntary, may apply to return to the University by writing to the Dean’s office that granted the leave. The student must demonstrate that the student has met any conditions or requirements that were specified for the student’s return to the campus community.
Students on leave must complete their request to return submissions by December 1 for the spring semester, April 1 for the summer semester, and July 1 for the fall semester. These deadlines ensure that the appropriate University officials have enough time to review the student’s request. The University will attempt to be flexible and review requests completed within a reasonable time after the relevant deadline. Nevertheless, if there is information missing from the request, and/or the University needs additional time to contact the student’s treating provider(s) (for health-related leaves), the University may consider the student’s return for the following semester than the semester for which the student initially sought to return.
Parental Accommodation
The Office of Graduate Studies offers support for graduate students who need to take leave in connection with the birth of and/or full-time care of a new child during their period of enrollment. The goal in offering this support is to allow graduate students to continue their studies with as little disruption as possible. Parental accommodation is intended to enable the graduate student to continue to make progress toward the degree. Consequently, it does not grant additional semesters of funding, nor does it change the length of time permitted to complete degree requirements and to graduate. This policy requires communication and cooperation in good faith between the student seeking the accommodation, the faculty, and the student's department. The terms of the policy are as follows:
- To be eligible for Parental Accommodation, the graduate student must be the primary and full-time caregiver of a newborn child or a child five years of age or younger who is newly placed in the home.
- The graduate student must submit a written request no less than three months before the expected date of the start of the accommodation period (if possible) to the Program Director who will forward it with a recommendation to the Graduate Dean for review.
- Graduate students may receive up to six weeks of Parental Accommodation within the first six weeks immediately following the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child. The six weeks of Parental Accommodation must be taken consecutively immediately following the birth or placement of the new child. Students seeking Parental Accommodation shall provide documentation to Graduate Studies sufficient to demonstrate that they are the full-time primary care provider of the child.
- During Parental Accommodation, the graduate student may attend classes and work on course assignments to the extent possible, but the student’s program director should advise the professors in these courses to be flexible about attendance and assignment deadlines during the period of accommodation. Upon the student's request, the student will be granted Incompletes in these courses, with the understanding that the courses should be completed by the end of the following semester.
Funding
Leaves should be approved prior to the start of a new semester through that semester's add/drop date; keep in mind that funding (stipend and/or tuition remission) will not continue for the leave period, including that first semester of leave. Students on a leave will not receive their funding while on leave. Funding cannot be “banked” and taking a leave of any kind does not extend funding time upon return. Funding is only available for the original time period offered.