Students enrolled in a clock hour or non-term program who need to interrupt their program of study for military service requirements, jury duty, or a Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) affecting the student or a member of the student’s immediate family (spouse and/or children), may make an application for a Traditional Leave of Absence. Students experiencing these types of unforeseen circumstances should meet with the Registrar or the Campus President to discuss the need to temporarily interrupt their education and take a Traditional Leave of Absence (TLOA).
The following are the criteria for making application and approving a Leave of Absence:
- The request and reason(s) for the Leave of Absence must be made by the student in writing on a Leave of Absence Request Form in advance of the TLOA. If unforeseen circumstances inhibit a student from making the TLOA request in advance, the Institute may grant a TLOA on behalf of a student without prior written request as long as the school can document the reason for its decision and collect the request from the student at a later date. This would apply in such instances where the student sustained an injury due to an accident, became suddenly ill, or had an immediate family member become suddenly ill that was in need of immediate care.
- In certaindocumented, unforeseen and extenuating circumstances, a student who cannot continue attending the course(s), may find it essential to request a TLOA after a term or module has started. The institution is not required to approve this type of LOA request; however, if the institution grants this type of mid-term LOA request, the student will receive a grade of “L” for each course attempted in the term. The “L” grade will not have any effect on the completion rate or CGPA calculation related to SAP or the student’s progression through the program. The Return to Title IV policy and Tuition Refund policy as listed in the catalog will be applied, based upon the percentage of the term or module the applicant has attended.
- The applicant for the TLOA must have successfully completed at least one grading period, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0, be making Satisfactory Academic Progress, be current in his or her tuition and fees obligation, and have satisfactorily completed all student financial assistance requirements.
- The initial leave period requested must be no more than 90 days; however, in certain semester-based programs, the initial TLOA request may be extended to 120 days. If the student requires an extension of the original leave period, the student must apply for an extension and provide new documentation. The request for extension will follow the same approval process as the original request, which requires the written approval from the Institute. The Institute cannot extend the period of leave originally requested without a written request from the student (or family member if the student is incapacitated) that includes third-party supporting documentation. All TLOA extension paperwork and documentation must be turned into the School prior to the student’s initial TLOA return date. In any 12-month period, the cumulative leave period(s) may be no longer than 180 calendar days.
- The applicant for a TLOA must be able to resume his or her training at the same point where the training was interrupted.
The applicant for a leave must confirm that he or she understands and agrees that if he or she fails to return to active class attendance at the approved end date of his or her Leave of Absence, that his or her enrollment may be terminated. Furthermore, his or her federal student loan(s) will have entered the federal loan grace period and repayment of these loans will begin six months after his or her actual last day of class attendance.
The applicant for a TLOA will be notified by the Registrar or the Campus President if his or her application for a Leave of Absence has been approved or denied. If the leave is approved, the student will also be notified of the scheduled return date and any other conditions required of the student. All students that are approved for a TLOA must meet with the Financial Aid Department prior to returning to school.