Leave of Absence Policy
Purpose
Judson University must have a written leave of absence (LOA) policy. The University and students must comply with the stated policy as well as governing regulations when requesting, approving, and processing LOAs. A Leave of Absence is an approved interruption in a student's program of study and is primarily designed for students enrolled in accelerated programs who take one class at a time.
Policy
Students may be approved by Judson University for two LOAs in a 12-month period. The first LOA may not be longer than 100 continuous days and the total of all LOAs may not exceed 180 days in the 12-month period. During an LOA, the student is not considered withdrawn and no return of federal funds calculation is required. The University will not assess additional charges related to the LOA.
Required Documentation
A leave of absence (LOA) may be considered approved if Judson University determines there is a reasonable expectation the student will return. Students must provide (on or before the start of the LOA) a written, signed, and dated request, including the reason for the LOA to their Academic Advisor. The advisor will provide a copy to the Financial Aid and the Accounting Offices for final approval.
If unforeseen circumstances prevent a student from providing a request to the campus on or before the start of the LOA, Judson University may grant the LOA if the campus has documented the reason and decision. The student must still provide the LOA request to the Academic Advisor and the approved copy should be forwarded to the Financial Aid and Accounting Offices within a reasonable amount of time from the last date of attendance. Unforeseen circumstances may include, but are not limited to, medical and family emergencies, military, jury duty, business travel, University course cancellation/and or facility closure, and natural disasters.
Length
The LOA length is based on the number of days between the student's last date of attendance and the reentry date. The first day of the student's initial LOA is used when determining the start date for the 12-month period. If a student is granted an LOA due to unforeseen circumstances, the beginning date of the approved LOA is the date the student was unable to attend class because of the unforeseen circumstance.
Extending an LOA
A student may request an LOA extension as long as the request is made before the scheduled reentry date. Students must provide (on or before the scheduled reentry date) a written, signed, and dated request, including the reason for the LOA, to their Academic Advisor.
Disbursements during an LOA
Judson University may disburse Pell funds to a student on an LOA. Loan funds cannot be disbursed to a student while on the LOA. Federal financial aid funds that are part of a credit balance created before a student began an LOA may be paid to a student, since those funds were disbursed before the student went on the LOA.
Completing of Coursework upon Return
Judson University will allow students returning from an LOA to complete coursework started prior to the leave with no additional charges.
Failure to Return
Judson University will explain to the student, prior to granting the leave of absence, the effects that the student's failure to return from an LOA may have on the student's loan repayment terms, including the expiration of the student's grace period. If a student does not return from an approved LOA, his/her withdrawal date and beginning of his/her grace period will be the last date of class attendance. Current student loans may also be subject to cancellation or re-calculation to determine how much of already disbursed loans will need to be returned to the Department of Education; any balance due on a student account resulting from cancellation or re-calculation will become immediately due.