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To apply for a leave of absence:

1. Submit aÌýwithdrawal form.

2. Submit aÌý, if necessary:

   • Undergraduate students are not required to apply for a leave of absence; however, an application is requiredÌýto maintain access to campus benefits.

   • Graduate students mustÌýapply for a leave of absence if theyÌýdo not enroll in classes for a fall or spring semester.

3. The form will be automatically sent to your department and then college. If approved, it'll be sent to the Office of the Registrar for processing, which can take 3–5 business days.

By applying for a leave of absence, you may:

• Retain yourÌýCUÌýGold Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for one semester only. Insurance enrollment deadlines apply regardless of when your leave of absence application is approved. You must contact the Student Health Insurance Office to discuss what's required to remain enrolled.

• Secure your financial aid package for the spring semester if you're going on a leave of absence for fall. Contact the Office of Financial Aid to see if you qualify.

• Purchase a CollegePass through the Buff OneCard Office.

• Stay for one additional semester in Graduate andÌýFamily Housing.

• Remain employed in a non-work-study position on campus. Contact the Student Employment Office with questions.

  • International students mayÌýnotÌýremain employed.

• Continue to use pre-purchased athletic tickets for the first semester of inactivity. Contact the Ìýwith questions.

  • Tickets cannot be purchased unless the student was registered for at leastÌýfour credit hours.

• Retain your student affiliation, granting you continued access to campus technology and applications (e.g., Adobe, Canvas, email, VPN and Zoom).

• Retain access to:
  • The Recreation Center, for a fee
  • CU Libraries, including book checkout
  • The Center for Inclusion & Social Change
  • Career Services

Many of the benefits available while on a leave of absence may require additional fees and approval. Please speak to the department that is offering the benefit for more information. A copy of the application from the Office of the Registrar may be required as proof to access benefits with certain departments.

A leave of absence does not:

• Defer your loan status. If your loan status changes to repayment, please contact your loan provider to find out more about their policies and withdrawing.

• Allow students who are withdrawn to retain their work-study award.

Degree-Seeking Undergraduate Â鶹ÒùÔº

Eligibility

• You'reÌýautomatically eligible to return to the university within two semesters plus summer from your last graded semester at CU Boulder without reapplying for admission.
• Any student ordered to active duty or to state/national emergency reliefÌýis eligible.
• You don'tÌýhave to apply for a leave of absence in order to register for your return semester; however, in order to maintain access to optional benefits, a leave of absence application is required.

Restrictions

• If you're a new, readmitted or transfer studentÌýand you drop all classes by the first drop deadline, you're not eligible to take a leave of absence.
• You must be in good academic standing.

Required Approvals & Signatures

• If you're a business, education or music student, you mustÌýmust receive signatory permission for your deanÌýafter receiving department approval.

Degree-Seeking ​Graduate Â鶹ÒùÔº

Eligibility

• YouÌýmust receive a grade every fall and spring semester (W grades count)Ìýor apply for a leave of absence in order to return to CU Boulder in the future without reapplying.
• A leave of absence is not required for summer semester; graduate students not taking summer classes are considered active students.Ìý
• Any student ordered to active duty or to state/national emergency reliefÌýis eligible.

Restrictions

• You must be in good academic standing.
• You must have a GPA of 3.0 or above.
• If you're a doctoral candidate and you'veÌýpassed your comprehensive examination, you're only eligible ifÌýyou're taking parental leave.
• If you're a new, readmitted or transfer student and you drop all classes by the first drop deadline, you'reÌýnotÌýeligible to take a leave of absence.

If you have questions or extenuating situations, contact the Graduate School for further guidance (303-492-8220, gradinfo@colorado.edu).

Required Approvals & Signatures

• International students will have their leave of absence form sent to ISSS and must receive form approval.
• Law, MBA and graduateÌýstudents will have their leave of absence form sent to their department and college for approval. Approval must be granted electronically before the Office of the Registrar can process your request.

You may complete a leave of absence application through the last day of classes for the term from which you're withdrawing; however, you're asked to file by the second week of school for CUÌýGold Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)Ìý±è³Ü°ù±è´Ç²õ±ð²õ.

To avoid withdrawal fees, you must be withdrawn at least 10 days prior to the start of the term. After that,Ìýwithdrawal fees are assessed based on theÌýrefund/assessment schedule for that term; refer to the applicable withdrawal calendar in the "Resources" sidebar.

Depending on when you withdraw from the term (not when you submit the application) and whetherÌýyou owe money to the university, you may be entitled to a confirmation deposit refund. If the confirmation deposit is refunded, the refund will be sent about 6 to 8 weeks after the start of the fall or spring term from which you withdrew.

You must pay back your confirmation deposit if you returnÌýto the university and registerÌýfor Main Campus classes.

Contact the Bursar's Office atÌýbursar@colorado.eduÌýor 303-492-5381 for information regarding a financial account.

The Office of the Registrar will automatically assign enrollment datesÌýfor your returning term and will send email reminderÌýto your official colorado.edu email account inÌýMarch for fall term,ÌýOctober for spring term, orÌýFebruary for summer term.

Holds may prevent you from registering, so check your account before your enrollment dates begin.

If you're unable to return by the deadline, you will be discontinued from the university. If you're discontinued and want to return to CU Boulder, you must reapply through the Office of Admissions (admissions@colorado.edu, 303-492-6301).

If you need to extend your return date (graduate students only):

• Graduate, law, and MBA studentsÌýwho wish to extend their return date should submit a newÌýÌýform. Graduate students should work with their department first to determine if a petition is required for the request.

• When completing the form, be sure to indicate in the comment section that you are requesting an extension.ÌýIf required, attach your documentation in the Petition section.ÌýThe department and graduate school will then review your request. If approved, your request will be sent to the Office of the Registrar for processing.

In some cases, returning late may affect yourÌýresidency classification for tuition purposes.