Leave of Absence Policy

Students may request a Leave of Absence if they require an extended period of time away from their studies. A Leave of Absence is reviewed and approved by the Office of the Registrar. Students may request a Leave of Absence by completing the Leave of Absence form located in the Student Portal. A student cannot begin a Leave of Absence while enrolled in a course. After having a Leave of Absence approved, the student will need to enroll in their next course prior to the End Date of their Leave of Absence or risk being administratively withdrawn from the University. The maximum allowable time for a Leave of Absence is 180 days from the student’s last course end date. Students who do not enroll in a course within 180 days of when their last course ended will be administratively withdrawn from the university for violating the Continuous Enrollment Policy.

Federal Student Aid Recipients

Aspen University’s Leave of Absence (LOA) is an academic leave of absence and does not meet Department of Education leave of absence standards. When an academic LOA is approved, the student must enroll in their next term prior to the end date of their LOA. Students who do not enroll in their next term prior to their end date may be Administratively Withdrawn from the University. In this case, the student’s withdrawal date is the date the student last participated academically in a course. This could impact funding per the Return of Title IV policy and may result in a balance owed to the school.

Financial Aid recipients are responsible for meeting with the Office of Financial Aid prior to beginning a Leave of Absence. The Office of Financial Aid will explain how the Leave of Absence may impact the student’s loan repayment terms, the student’s grace period, and the consequences of failing to return to the program.