A leave of absence is a planned break from college, usually for a semester or a year, that lets a student step away and return without reapplying. Students take one for health, family, financial or personal reasons. Policies differ widely, so before deciding, talk to the dean of students or an advisor and ask about deadlines, money and the return process.
Leave of absence vs. withdrawal
Schools use the terms differently, but generally a leave is a pause with a plan to return, while a withdrawal means leaving the school, often with a reapplication or readmission process to come back. Some schools also have separate medical leave processes. Ask your school which option fits your situation and what each one means for you.
Questions to ask before you go
Write these down and take them to the meeting with your advisor, the dean of students or the registrar:
- What is the deadline, and what happens to this semester’s courses and grades if I leave now?
- Will any tuition or housing costs be refunded, and on what timeline?
- How does a leave affect my financial aid, scholarships and student loans? (Ask the financial aid office directly.)
- Will I keep student health insurance during the leave?
- What do I need to do to return, and is there a deadline to tell the school?
- Will I have housing when I come back?
- If I am an athlete or an international student, are there additional rules?
- Can I take classes elsewhere during the leave, and will they transfer?
When a leave is often the right call
- A health or mental health issue needs real attention
- A family emergency needs you at home
- Money has become a serious problem
- You are failing and the cause will not change mid-semester
- You need time to figure out what you actually want from school
If mental health is part of the reason, the leave should include care from a licensed professional; campus counseling can often help arrange it. In a crisis, call or text 988.
Making the time count
A leave without structure can drift into months on the couch, which makes going back harder. A useful leave usually has:
- A clear purpose. Health, work, family or deciding on direction. Name it.
- A daily routine. Regular wake time, meals and some form of exercise.
- Something productive. A job, volunteering or a class or two if your school allows it.
- A return date. Even a tentative one, with the school’s deadlines on the calendar.
- A check before returning. What will be different this time? Fewer credits, a better schedule, ongoing support?
Many of these ideas overlap with a well-planned gap year; see gap year mentoring.
For parents
A leave can feel like failure to both student and parent. Usually it is the opposite: a deliberate decision made before things got worse. Help with logistics if asked, agree on household expectations if the student moves home and focus on the plan for the time away rather than on what went wrong.
It also helps to agree early on how the student will contribute at home, whether through a job, household responsibilities or rent, so expectations are clear for everyone before frustration builds.
How a mentor helps during a leave
A leave is when structure matters most and is easiest to lose. A mentor works with the student weekly by video, in their time zone, to set goals for the time away, build a routine, follow through on work or volunteering and prepare for returning. If a licensed professional is involved, the mentor works alongside them with the student’s permission, and parents get progress updates when the student agrees. See mentoring for college students, young adults feeling stuck and helping a struggling college student.
Related
- Mentoring for college students
- Gap year mentoring
- College burnout
- Should you transfer colleges?
- Your College Student Wants to Drop Out: How to Decide Together
Common questions
Does a leave of absence look bad?
Generally not. Employers and graduate programs see leaves regularly, and what matters more is what you did with the time and how you finished.
How long can a college leave of absence be?
It depends on the school. A semester or a year is common, and many schools set a maximum, so ask your dean of students office.
Do I have to reapply after a leave?
Usually a leave has a simpler return process than a full withdrawal, but the steps and deadlines vary. Confirm them in writing before you leave.
Get started
Planning time away from college? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.