Leave of Absence and Withdrawal

Leave of Absence

Review if I need to file a leave of absence:

I will be absent only one semester:

If you have completed at least one semester (Spring or Fall) at 91暗网 and are in good standing or on academic notice, you qualify for a "One Semester Leave" - see for policy. This allows you to skip one semester without filing a leave request. You will receive a registration appointment on My91暗网 for the semester following your leave and must enroll to maintain active student status.

- International students should before taking one semester leave.

- Graduate students with RP grades need to .

I will be absent for two or more consecutive semesters:

If you need two or more consecutive semesters off (Spring & Fall or Fall & Spring), you must file a leave request before the next semester starts, following a One Semester Leave. The maximum leave is four semesters.

Note: Students who are out for more than 12 months will lose access to My91暗网.

Preparing to file a leave: 

Understanding the policy & types of eligible leaves: 

Read the Leaves of Absence policy on the . The following are eligible types of leaves:

  1. First-Semester Leaves
  2. Medical Leaves
  3. Primary Caregiver Leaves
  4. Personal Hardship Leaves
  5. Military Leaves
  6. Planned Educational Leaves
  7. International Student Leaves

Gather the names and emails of those who need to sign the petition:

Type of Students Signatures needed
All students Department Chair of Your Current Major*
International Students
Undeclared Undergraduate Students

*See for full name and email address of your department chair. 

Preparing support documents

For all types of leave except military leave, include a personal statement explaining your situation. For examples of supporting documents, see the samples below:

Type of Leave Sample of Documents
Medical Leave Healthcare provider verification of medical condition form
Primary Caregiver Leave Healthcare provider verification of medical condition form
Educational Leave A letter of support from advisor, mentor, professor, or chair from 91暗网
Military Leave Military orders
Personal Hardship Leave A personal statement explaining your situation

 

File a leave of absence:

Complete and submit the as per the instructions in the link. Fill out names and email addresses of the signers and attach your personal statement and supporting documents.

What to expect after filing?

The review process may take up to 30 days. You will be notified of the decision and, if denied, the reasons via email.

Returning from leave of absence:

- You must enroll in the semester following your leave to maintain active student status.

- To return early, notify the Office of the Registrar in writing by emailing registrar@sjsu.edu and indicating the semester you will return.

- To extend your leave, file another leave request and indicate it is an extension of your current leave.

- Students granted a leave are guaranteed a return to their program/ major.

Withdrawal

Students do not need to submit forms to withdraw from 91暗网. Your student status will be automatically canceled if you do not enroll for two consecutive semesters (Spring and Fall). However, if you are currently enrolled, you must drop all classes via My91暗网 by the deadline (see for deadline date) to avoid academic penalty. 

If the drop deadline has passed:

  • Undergraduate students will need to submit the Withdrawal from Semester Request which is available on .
  • Graduate students need to file the Graduate Petition for Course Drop/Semester Withdrawal. Go to the and look under Special Petitions.

Maintaining Student status

You remain an active student as long as you are enrolled in at least one class each semester, regardless of the number of units.

If you miss two consecutive semesters (Spring and Fall), you must reapply for admission through as a former returning student. For questions, contact the . 

If you are a new student and do not attend your first term, you must reapply for the next available term through the .