Medical Reduced Course Load

ISSS may authorize a reduced course load or, if necessary, no course load, due to a student's temporary illness or medical condition for a period of time not to exceed an aggregate of 12 months per academic degree level.

  • Medical RCLs can only be authorized one semester at a time.
    • If students would like to request a medical RCL for more than one semester, they must submit an updated request each semester and ISSS must reauthorize the medical RCL.
  • The medical RCL must be approved by ISSS prior to students reducing their course load.

Medical Reduced Course Load (RCL) Documentation

To substantiate the illness/medical condition, the regulations require student’s requesting a medical RCL to submit documentation from one of the following U.S.-licensed medical practitioners:

  • U.S.-licensed Medical Doctor (MD);
  • U.S.-licensed Doctor of Osteopathy (DO);
  • U.S.-licensed Clinical Psychologist (CP); or
  • U.S.-licensed Psychologist.

Documentation from a practitioner other than one of the medical professionals noted above or a medical practitioner who is not licensed in the U.S. is not sufficient for the purposes of complying with the federal regulations.

Documentation Requirements

The student requesting a medical reduced course load must download and complete the Student Information section on page one of the ISSS Medical Reduced Course Load Recommendation Form.

  • Check the box for the semester in which the Medical Reduced Course Load is being requested.
  • The signature on page one must be or an original (wet-ink) signature. ISSS will not accept a copy-pasted signature.

Page two of the ISSS Medical Reduced Course Load Recommendation Form must be completed by the Medical Provider and, if applicable, the Treating Clinician.

  • A medical provider is defined as a U.S.-licensed:
    • Medical Doctor (MD);
    • Doctor of Osteopathy (DO);
    • Clinical Psychologist (CP); or
    • Psychologist;
  • Treating Clinician
    • If the student is being treated by a professional who is NOT a U.S.-licensed Medical Doctor (MD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), Clinical Psychologist (CP), or Psychologist:
      • The treating clinicial must check the boxes for the recommendation (part-time, full-time, semester), complete the Treating Clinician section, and then the treating clinician can give the form to a U.S.-licensed medical professor to complete the final section of the form.
         
  • Signatures must be or an original (wet-ink) signature. ISSS will not accept a copy-pasted signature.

The documentation must be submitted to ISSS in the Medical Reduced Course Load Request e-form (available in MyISSS portal) and approved by ISSS before a student can drop below full-time for a medical reason.

Requesting a Medical Reduced Course Load

In order for ISSS to authorize a reduced course load for medical reasons, the student must submit the Medical Reduced Course Load Request e-form (available in MyISSS portal).