Student Withdrawal/Change in Status — SGCS

Withdrawals from the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies may be one of the following: a leave of absence, a program withdrawal, a course withdrawal, or an administrative withdrawal.

Leave of Absence Policy

A leave of absence may be processed if, for example, a learner is required to travel for his or her company for an extended period, in the case of illness, or other unexpected emergencies that would cause the learner to miss several classes in succession. A leave of absence would allow the learner to re-enter the program at a later date. If financial aid is involved, the maximum leave of absence from the program is 180 days without having to return loan monies to the lender. Any additional break in attendance is considered a program withdrawal, and unused loan monies are returned to the lender, and re-application for additional monies is necessary upon re-entering.

In order for a leave of absence to qualify as an approved leave of absence:

1. All requests for leaves of absence must be submitted on a leave of absence form and include the reason for the student’s request.
2. The student must be enrolled and attending class at the time the request for a leave of absence is made.
3. There must be a reasonable expectation that the student will return from the leave of absence to continue his or her education.
4. The institution may not assess the student any additional institutional charges, the student’s financial need may not increase, and the student is not eligible for any additional federal or state financial assistance.

To process a leave of absence, students should contact the Student Advocate to request the necessary form. A student may be asked to schedule an appointment with his or her Student Advocate. The form must be returned promptly, because the balance on the learner’s account is determined according to when the signed request form is received. Informing a course facilitator of intentions to take a leave of absence does not mean a learner has officially been granted a leave. The School of Graduate and Continuing Studies must receive official documentation from the learner.

NOTE: Please consult program directors for all programs in the School of Theology and Christian Ministry for applicable leave of absence policy.

Program Withdrawal

A program withdrawal is to withdraw completely from the program. Should it be necessary to withdraw from a program, students should request a withdrawal from the Student Advocate. A program withdrawal must be filed to initiate a tuition refund, and the balance on the learner's account is determined according to when the withdrawal request is received in the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies. The refund is processed according to the refund policy of the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies.

Informing a course facilitator of intentions to withdraw does not mean a learner is officially withdrawn. The Office of Admissions and Student Services must receive official notification from the learner

Course Withdrawal

A learner may change registrations for individual courses before the first night of class without charge. A course may be dropped without grade or notation on the transcript when official changes are processed prior to the second night of class. If a learner attends more than one session, a grade of W is issued.

Once a student has attended 50% of the course or more, a withdrawal can only be completed with the written approval of the Program Director/Coordinator. If approved, the grade posting will be either WP (withdrawn passing) or WF (withdrawn failing).

NOTE: In matters relating to withdrawing from graduate courses and programs, students must notify their Student Advocate at the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies office. Failure to notify of course withdrawal may result in an “F” for that course.

Administrative Withdrawal

If a learner is absent more than 29 days in either an online or on-ground course without contacting the Student Advocate, he or she may be withdrawn by the administrative staff of the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies. This is considered an administrative withdrawal, with a grade of W. If an administrative withdrawal occurs, the date of withdrawal is the date the withdrawal notification is received.

Note: In the case of a withdrawal for any reason, the Office of Financial Aid is notified immediately upon withdrawal.