Students who are considering leaving the college should confer with the Assistant Dean to understand the differences between a withdrawal and a Leave of Absence and to determine which option is best given the circumstances. In general, the difference between a withdrawal and a Leave of Absence is the process a student would need to complete to return to the college; students who withdraw need to complete the readmission process and students who take a Leave of Absence do not.

Voluntary Withdrawal

A student who wants to withdraw must confer with the Assistant Dean. A meeting with the Dean is also required. Once these meetings have occurred, the Assistant Dean will send the student the online withdrawal form. When the student submits it, it will be sent to the Assistant Dean and Dean for approval. After it is approved, the Registrar will complete the student’s withdrawal and will notify the college offices and the student’s tutors of the official withdrawal and effective date. The Assistant Dean will record the primary reason for withdrawal with the Registrar. The student should make sure to turn in all library or music library materials as needed and turn in the Residence Hall key to the Coordinator of Student Services. If offices are closed, the student may turn in the key to Public Safety.

A student who leaves the college without formally withdrawing may have difficulty obtaining a transcript, refundable fees, or the balance of the caution fee.

When a dependent student withdraws or is dismissed from the college during the semester, the parents or guardians will be notified. When a dependent student is told he or she will not be allowed to continue into the next semester, the parents may be notified. When a dependent student decides not to continue at the college at the end of a semester, the parents or guardians are not usually notified. When a dependent student, under extraordinary circumstances, is given permission to withdraw from one or more classes during the semester, dropping to part-time status, the parents or guardians may be notified.

If a student withdraws before three-quarters of the way through any class session, the withdrawal will result in no academic credit for the class. A “W” will appear on the transcript. If a student withdraws after the three-quarters point, a grade of “F” will be assigned and will appear on the student’s transcript. An appeal to the assistant dean to receive a “W” is possible, if there are mitigating circumstances.

Students who withdraw from the college when school is not in session should fill out a withdrawal form as soon as their decision not to return has been made. The form may be obtained from the website or by contacting the Office of the Registrar. Students who withdraw when school is not in session will have the last date of their attendance recorded on their transcript. In such cases, parents usually are not notified of a student’s decision not to continue.

Leave of Absence Policy

A leave of absence releases the student from their studies for a period of up to one year. Upon the conclusion of a leave of absence, the student is entitled to resume their studies according to the regular policies and procedures of the college provided that the student remains in good standing. The leave of absence policy is intended to provide a short-term, temporary break from a student’s studies when circumstances make it difficult or impossible for a student to maintain continuous enrollment. Examples of cases where a leave of absence may be warranted include military service*, family emergencies, medical necessity, specialized study at another institution, etc. Unlike with voluntary withdrawal, a student who is on leave of absence does not need to go through the full readmittance process when they want to return.

Students who wish to take a leave of absence must seek permission to do so from the Assistant Dean and specify the beginning of the leave requested and their anticipated return. Leave of absence requests should be submitted no later than the 11^th week of classes to meet the deadline for grades to default to a W rather than an F.   The Assistant Dean will determine whether a leave of absence is warranted and may make this decision in collaboration with the Dean. If leave is granted, the student will not be considered to have withdrawn from the college, and the student is not required to apply for readmission.

To resume their studies, the student should contact the Assistant Dean. The student must only pay the advance deposit for the semester in which they return by that semester’s deposit due date. Failure to pay the deposit by the due date may result in the student being required to complete an application for readmission before being permitted to resume their studies. A leave of absence may be renewed once, upon approval by the Assistant Dean or Dean. (In the case of students on leave of absence for military service, more than one renewal is possible.) In the case of a student leaving for medical reasons, the Assistant Dean may require a medical or mental health provider’s evaluation and recommendation before the student’s return.

If granted, a one-year leave of absence begins at the conclusion of the final semester completed by the student and ends at the beginning of the next semester not yet completed by the student, even if the student withdraws during a semester they have not completed. To be eligible for a leave of absence, a student must have completed at least one semester of studies. In exceptional cases, a leave of absence may be granted retroactively upon the recommendation of the Vice President of Student Affairs with the agreement of the Dean. A student who wishes to request a retroactive leave of absence should apply according to the usual process and note the effective date that they are requesting as well as the reason for requesting a retroactive leave.

Please note that there are potential financial ramifications for taking a leave of absence that each student should consider before making a decision. Any refund of tuition, fees, room, board, etc. will be subject to the College's normal refund calendar. In most cases, applying for a leave of absence during the semester does not entitle a student to a refund except insofar as outlined in the Refund Policy. Students should meet with the Student Accounts, Financial Aid, and Registrar’s offices to discuss the impacts of taking leave. Potential impacts include the following:

• Any refund of tuition, fees, room, board, etc. will be subject to the College’s normal refund calendar.
• Because any leave of absence at St. John’s College will last one year, and the grace period for federal student loans is typically six months, federal student loans will enter repayment during the leave. Due to federal financial aid rules, from the perspective of loan granting institutions, a student on a leave of absence is considered withdrawn from the College until they return.
• Students are required to submit a FAFSA (domestic student) and CSS Profile (international students) if applying for need-based financial aid by the published deadlines for continuing students.
• The College will generally honor merit scholarships previously received by the student.
• Students on a leave of absence are not considered enrolled for immigration purposes. Students in the US on an F-1 visa will, in most cases, not be permitted to remain in the country while on a leave of absence and will need to contact the Admission’s Office to obtain a new Form I-20 at the time they resume their studies. Students on leave are classified in SEVIS as an “authorized early withdrawal” which generally permits reenrollment at conclusion of the leave.
• Students who are on a leave of absence are not permitted to live on campus and must vacate the residence halls once they are no longer attending classes.

* In accord with federal regulation, a student who is called to active duty in the United States armed forces during a semester in which they are enrolled may withdraw from that semester and receive a full refund on all tuition and mandatory fees as well as a prorated refund on room and board (if applicable) based on their last date of attendance. This notification may be given retroactively if the giving of such notice is precluded by military necessity. For further details on this policy applying to these circumstances, please consult the Financial Aid Office.

Financial Consequences of Withdrawals and Leaves

Information regarding financial aid, federal student loans, and tuition refund policy in the case of a voluntary or involuntary withdrawal may be found in the Financial Aid Handbook found online at sjc.edu/finaid/forms or by contacting the Director of Financial Aid. A student on financial aid may owe a refund to the federal aid programs.

Readmission Process

A student wishing to be readmitted to the college for the fall or spring semester must submit a readmission application to the Registrar on the campus last attended. The student must comply with any conditions of re-enrollment set forth in the student handbook or as required by the college at the time of separation or at the time of proposed re-enrollment. The Assistant Dean will determine what if any documentation will be required before re-enrollment to demonstrate a student’s readiness to resume studies and be a successful member of the college community. The Assistant Dean will also determine what if any conditions should be set to ensure the safety and well-being of the campus community and that the college’s academic program is not disrupted.

A deposit, the amount of which is noted on the application, must accompany the readmission application along with other items listed. Students who are seeking readmission and who fail to meet the deadlines and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and College Scholarship Service (CSS) filing dates stated below will be considered for readmission but may be unable to enroll if space in the class or financial aid is not available.

Students are highly encouraged to apply for readmission on the following timeliines but should not be discouraged from applying after the dates listed. Please contact the Assistant Dean with questions or concerns: Fall readmission, by the third Monday in February prior to the fall for which the student is applying;

1. Spring readmission, by August 1 prior to the spring for which the student is applying;

The deadlines for filing the FAFSA and CSS Profile, if needed, are:

1. Fall readmission, by March 1 prior to the fall for which the student is applying;
2. Spring readmission, by August 1 prior to the spring for which the student is applying;

After a readmission application and deposit have been received, the Dean and Assistant Dean review the student’s file. The student will be informed of the decision and, if the decision is for readmission, of any conditions that must be satisfied. If the student is not readmitted, the deposit will be returned. Once a student has been readmitted the deposit is not refundable and a deposit is never rolled forward to a future year. A readmitted student who decides not to enroll at the college must notify the Office of the Registrar by August 1 for the fall term and by December 1 for the spring term. Failure to notify the Office of the Registrar by these dates will result in the requirement of an advance deposit of $1,000 for any subsequent readmission application. The student must be in good financial standing with the college and with educational lending institutions before being allowed to re-enroll.

Application for financial aid is made separately. Students should seek the advice of the Financial Aid Director as soon as they are considering applying for readmission. Involuntary withdrawal from the college for disciplinary reasons may result in forfeiture of merit aid offered at initial time of enrollment. Readmission to the college does not guarantee an offer of financial aid though a student must have been readmitted before he or she can receive an aid award. Aid is need-based and granted on a rolling basis; the general rule for students who will require financial aid is: Apply for readmission early and submit aid forms within the filing deadline.