Back to Registrar's Office

Leave of Absence

Students may request a leave of absence to attend to personal, medical, or academic needs for a short time before returning to the College.

A leave of absence typically lasts one or two semesters, though extensions may be requested. The reasons for taking a leave of absence can vary, However, a leave of absence should be requested only under exceptional circumstances. For example, students facing a family or medical emergency might choose to request a leave.

Before Submitting a Leave of Absence Request

Submitting a Leave of Absence Request

Approval or Denial of a Leave of Absence Request

Further Guidelines for Leave of Absence

Returning from a Leave of Absence

Leave of Absence/Voluntary Withdrawal Timing and Implications Chart

Before Submitting a Leave of Absence Request

Students who wish to request a leave of absence must complete the following:

Meet with a dean in the Office of Student and Community Life as soon as possible to explore their options, discuss the implications of a leave, and begin planning their return to Trinity.
Review the Leave of Absence/Voluntary Withdrawal Timing and Implications chart on the Registrar’s website that describes the implications of taking a leave before or after the term has begun.

Students on financial aid are strongly advised to consult with the Financial Aid Office to discuss the impact of a leave on their aid eligibility and federal loan repayment requirements.
International students are strongly advised to consult with the International Student Office to discuss the impact of a leave of absence on their legal status in the United States.

All students should consider the billing, housing, and registration impacts of a leave of absence.

Submitting a Leave of Absence Request

The Leave of Absence Request form is available on the Registrar’s Office Forms page. You will not be considered on leave until you submit this form to the Registrar’s Office and your request has been approved. On the form, you will be asked to indicate whether the requested leave is for personal, medical, and/or academic reasons.

The personal category should be used for family, financial, non-medical, and non-academic reasons. A family member’s medical issue is a personal reason.
The medical category should be used for any medical or mental health issue of the student.
The academic category should be used by students who intend to pause their studies at Trinity and plan temporarily to pursue academic studies elsewhere (not including Trinity Study Away programs). A leave of absence is not a viable path to avoid academic consequences such as unsatisfactory grades or academic standing statuses. The leave may be approved; however, the academic consequences may still be enforced.

The category or categories you indicate will determine the office with whom you will need to consult as you leave Trinity and when you return. In some cases, a student may be required to leave campus for special medical or mental health reasons. Such cases tend to occur only when a student poses a threat to self or others or is otherwise in a state that prohibits the student from being a functioning member of the College community. Students who are required to leave campus temporarily for medical or mental health reasons must provide, in addition to the Request to Return form, written statement from a trained health professional addressing their departure circumstances and readiness to return before re-enrolling in courses.

Approval or Denial of a Leave of Absence Request

The subcommittee of the Academic Affairs Committee will review any request submitted after the established withdrawal deadline. You may be asked to submit additional information or meet with a campus staff member before a decision is given. In general, a decision will be made within a few days.

Effective Date of Leave

The effective date of the leave will be determined by the subcommittee of the Academic Affairs Committee. The date will be recorded permanently on the student’s record and shared with relevant College offices, including the Financial Aid Office, The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community, and the Office of Student Accounts. The effective date of the student’s leave will be one of the following:

Date the Office of the Registrar receives a completed Leave of Absence Request
Date of withdrawal from courses based on instructors’ attendance records and/or confirmation of an Academically Related Activity
Last day of examinations if effective at the end of the term
Date the request is approved

Course Cancel, Drop, or Withdrawal

The course cancel, drop, or withdrawal date will be the last date the student attended classes as indicated on the leave request form or as confirmed by instructors. This date is also recorded permanently on the student’s record and elsewhere within the College.

A course will be removed from the student’s record if the leave is before the start of term.
A course will be dropped if the leave is after the start of the term and before the drop deadline.
A course will receive a grade of W if the leave is after the drop deadline and before the course withdrawal deadline.
A course will receive a grade based on work submitted if the leave is after the withdrawal deadline unless the subcommittee of the Academic Affairs Committee agrees to an exception due to an extraordinary circumstance that emerged close to the withdrawal date. As noted above, a leave request is not a path to avoid academic consequences.

A student who has been approved for a leave of absence from the College after the term has begun will have enrollments resolved according to the standard milestones (e.g., drop deadline or withdrawal deadline) unless extenuating circumstances required the leave of absence and a petition to waive the deadline is submitted and approved by the Academic Affairs Committee.

Further Guidelines for Leave of Absence

Students on a leave of absence from the College are still considered members of the College community.
Students on a leave of absence from the College officially are withdrawn during that period.
Students who request a leave of absence while the semester is in progress may not participate in Academically Related Activities and co-curricular activities of the College or be employed by the College until their next semester of enrollment has begun.
Academically Related Activities not allowed during a leave of absence include submission of an academic assignment, taking an exam, interactive tutorial or computer instruction, attending a study group assigned by the instructor, participating in an online discussion about academic matters (including Moodle), and initiating contact with an instructor about an academic subject studied in a course in which the student is enrolled.
A student who has been approved for a leave of absence while on Academic Probation or Waiver of Required Withdrawal will return to these academic standing statuses when they return. A waiver from the applicable faculty committee may be granted due to extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control.
A student who submits a completed leave of absence form to the Office of the Registrar may rescind their intention to withdraw by submitting a written notice to the Office of the Registrar within 48 hours of submission of the original notification.

Returning from a Leave of Absence

To return to the College from a leave of absence, the student must notify the Registrar’s Office of the intention to return and submit a completed Request to Return to Trinity College form, available on the Registrar’s Office Forms page. This process should be initiated by February 1 and completed by March 1 for return in the summer term or fall semester and initiated by September 1 and completed by October 1 for return in the J-term or spring semester.

The student is responsible for completing the necessary paperwork to arrange transfer credit for any courses taken while on leave by the same deadlines. The goal of this timetable is to allow those approved to return to participate in advance registration.

The Registrar will consult with the Office of Student and Community Life, The Center for Academic and Experiential Advising, Financial Aid Director, and Manager of Student Accounts and Loans to verify that there are no academic, financial, or social restrictions that would prevent the student’s return to the College.

Leave of Absence/Voluntary Withdrawal Timing and Implications Chart

Please review this chart to understand the timing and implications of your Leave of Absence request.

	^{Before Billing}	^{After Billing but Before Term Begins}	^{After Term Begins but Before Add/Drop Deadline}	^{After Add/Drop Deadline but Before Withdrawal Deadline}	^{After Withdrawal Deadline}	^{After Last Class Day}
^Enrollments	^Dropped	^Dropped	^Dropped	^Withdrawn	^{Withdrawn, Incomplete (if eligible), or Graded (as usual)}	^{Graded (as usual)}
^{Enrollments w/AAC Petition}	^N/A	^N/A	^N/A	^{AAC can retroactively approve Drop instead of Withdrawal if meets criteria (grace period consideration, non-attendance, or unexpected circumstances).}	^{AAC may approve retroactive withdrawal if meets criteria (unexpected circumstances), AAC may approve incomplete if meets criteria (75% of work complete and instructor consent), graded as usual (instructor records the grade that was earned).}	^{Not applicable}
^Transcripts	^{No Transcript Record LOA notation in prior term.}	^{No Transcript Record LOA notation in prior term.}	^{No Enrollment Transcript Record but Leave of Absence from College notation.}	^{W for each enrollment and Leave of Absence from College notation.}	^{W, IN if meets 75% criteria, or graded as usual for each enrollment and Leave of Absence from College notation.}	^{Graded as usual for each enrollment and Leave of Absence from College notation.}
^Billing		^{$350 fee}	^{Semester Refund of Tuition per Schedule:} ^{First and second week 80% (days 1-14)}^{Third week 60% (days 15-21)}^{Fourth week 40% (days 22-28)}^{Fifth week 20% (days 29-35)}^{After fifth week 0% (after day 35)}^{No refund of Room and Meal charges after term begin}	^{No Refund for Tuition, Room and Meal charges.}	^{No Refund for Tuition, Room and Meal charges.}	^{No Refund for Tuition, Room and Meal charges.}
^{Financial Aid}	^{No impact}	^{No impact}	^{Financial Aid Package reviewed and may be recalculated. Will not be eligible for some aid sources (e.g., Work-Study). Out of pocket expenses may rise. May not be eligible for additional terms of Trinity College aid.}	^{Financial Aid Package reviewed and may be recalculated. Will not be eligible for some aid sources (e.g., Work-Study). Out of pocket expenses may rise. May not be eligible for additional terms of Trinity College aid.}	^{Financial Aid Package reviewed and may be recalculated. Will not be eligible for some aid sources (e.g., Work-Study). Out of pocket expenses may rise. After 60% point in term, aid not reviewed/recalculated. May not be eligible for additional terms of Trinity College aid.}	^{No change in Financial Aid Package.}
^{International Student}	^{Will have to obtain new I-20 and possibly new visa upon return.}	^{Will have to obtain new I-20 and possibly new visa upon return.}	^{Will need to leave the U.S. usually within 14 days of taking a leave. Will have to obtain new I-20 and possibly student visa upon return.}	^{Will need to leave the U.S. usually within 14 days of taking a leave. Will have to obtain new I-20 and possibly student visa upon return.}	^{Will need to leave the U.S. usually within 14 days of taking a leave. Will have to obtain new I-20 and possibly student visa upon return.}	^{Will need to leave the U.S. usually within 14 days of taking a leave. Will have to obtain new I-20 and possibly student visa upon return.}
^{Return Date}	^{May be eligible for return next subsequent term or semester.}	^{May be eligible for return next subsequent term or semester.}	^{May be eligible for return next subsequent term or semester.}	^{Unlikely to be eligible to return for subsequent term or semester.}	^{Unlikely to be eligible to return for subsequent term or semester.}	^{Will not be eligible to return for subsequent term or semester.}
^Process	^{Submit Leave of Absence Request Form on: http://ptlb.waki-aiai.net/registrar/forms/}	^{Submit Leave of Absence Request Form on: http://ptlb.waki-aiai.net/registrar/forms/}	^{Submit Leave of Absence Request Form on: http://ptlb.waki-aiai.net/registrar/forms/}	^{Submit Leave of Absence Request Form and separate Petition to Waive Drop Deadline Form (if meets criteria) on: http://ptlb.waki-aiai.net/registrar/forms/}	^{Submit Leave of Absence Request Form and separate Petition to Waive Drop Deadline Form (if meets criteria) on: http://ptlb.waki-aiai.net/registrar/forms/}	^{Submit Leave of Absence Request Form on: http://ptlb.waki-aiai.net/registrar/forms/}

Leave of Absence

Before Submitting a Leave of Absence Request

Submitting a Leave of Absence Request

Approval or Denial of a Leave of Absence Request

Further Guidelines for Leave of Absence

Returning from a Leave of Absence

Leave of Absence/Voluntary Withdrawal Timing and Implications Chart

Campus Support

Additional resources

Social Navigation

Information For