Leave of Absence or Voluntary Withdrawal

A leave of absence is occasionally advisable for any number of reasons—family emergency, financial distress, illness, etc. A student may leave for one or two semesters and return, or choose a different course of action. Students considering a leave or withdrawal from the university should discuss the matter with their academic adviser or the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for the Theological School. 

Students must complete the leave-of-absence form, which is available through TreeHouse, in the Registrar box found on the Student tab. The form will be sent to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for the Theological School for an approval. Students on a voluntary leave of absence who wish to return to Drew must fill out a re-entry form available on the Registrar’s office page.

Upon approval, a student may take a leave of absence for up to two terms. In special cases, a third and fourth semester of leave may be approved by the Graduate Academic Standing Committee. As the student pays no tuition or fees during a leave of absence, he/she is not entitled to use any of the resources of the University: faculty, library, housing, or grants-in-aid. Time spent in leave of absence will not be counted as part of the time limitation for the masters or doctoral degrees. Students should be aware that repayment for any student loans may begin in a leave of absence, by federal regulation.

Students leaving later than the end of the ninth week of classes, and before the end of a given semester, will be subject to grades of “F” at the time of withdrawal, unless a recommendation for withdrawal (“W”) is made by the Graduate Academic Standing Committee.

Students are no longer eligible for an extension if the cumulative leave time exceeds 12 months. Students will need to withdraw from the university and petition for re-entry when they are ready to return.