Leave of Absence / Withdrawal

Leave of Absence (Intent to return to William Paterson University)

To be eligible for a leave of absence students must be in good academic standing, unless an exception is made by the Dean of Students. Continuing students must have an overall GPA of 2.00 or better. (New first-semester students are considered in good academic standing upon admission.)

There are two types of leaves of absence:

1. Military Leave of Absence (MLOA):
   Students whose military obligations make it difficult or impossible for them to be successful in their academic program. For purposes of granting a MLOA, a military obligation is defined as (a) deployment, (b) mobilization leading to deployment, or (c) attendance at a military school or college.
   • Service members and reservists will be readmitted to their program of study if they are temporarily unable to attend class or have to suspend their studies due to service requirements. 
2. Medical / Mental Health Leave of Absence:
   Students who must interrupt their studies temporarily due to physical or psychological conditions.
   Leave of Absence must be requested prior to the start of the term. See the semester calendar for specific start dates.

To request a complete withdrawal or apply for a leave of absence, you MUST go to WPCONNECT at the student services tab and file the necessary information prior to the start of the semester:

• The online form is located on WPConnect under WP Enrollment Forms header.
• Semester dates are published on the semester calendar.

 Leave of Absence may not exceed two years for enrollment purposes.

Students who fail to return from the approved leave of absence will be considered a complete withdrawal and will be required to re-apply to the University after a period of two years.

Students who receive federal Direct Loans will need to return before the end of the 180 day leave of absence time limit. Failure to return before the end of the 180 days will be considered a withdrawal for financial aid purposes related to reporting to the clearinghouse by the Office of the Registrar.

When a student on LOA is ready to enroll in courses, they must meet with an advisor in the Advisement Center to receive guidance on appropriate courses and the process for re-enrollment.

Withdrawal

An official course withdrawal refers to an action taken by a student to withdraw from a course after program adjustment for one or more credits. The course grade for this action results in a “W” on their transcript. Refunds after the published deadline WILL NOT be considered under any circumstances.

There are three types of withdrawals:

 A.  Partial Withdrawal

The student withdraws from one or more courses but remains enrolled in at least one for the term.

B. Term/Session Withdrawal (Complete withdrawal during a term/session):

The student withdraws from all courses registered for a term.

*For Partial and Term/Session Withdrawal: students would withdraw from their course(s) via WPConnect within permitted dates published on the semester calendar.

Students who do not return the following term/semester may return within two years of withdrawing by consulting with an advisor.

Important returning students are required to complete the “Return to University” form found under the WP Enrollment forms on WPConnect Once approved, your account will be activated  and issue an Alt Pin.

C.  University Withdrawal

1. Students who wish to separate completely from the University.

To withdraw from the University, students will need to complete the Withdrawal from University Request form can be found on WPConnect under WP Enrollment Forms header within the permitted dates published on the semester calendar.

Once the form is approved, all remaining courses will be withdrawn from the student’s schedule.