Leaves of Absence and Withdrawal from the College

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Withdrawal or leaves of absence may have financial implications, depending on the date the action is taken. For information on all College fee refund policies, see the section on charges under Financial Information .

Work in progress for students who take leave or withdraw in a semester will be treated as follows:

1. The transcript of a student taking leave or withdrawing from the College before the final date for dropping classes will not list courses for that semester. The transcript will record, however, a notation of the withdrawal.
2. A student taking leave or withdrawing from the College after the drop deadline may, when circumstances warrant, receive a W (withdrawal) notation for all courses for that semester; otherwise, F or NC grades will be recorded. 

Leaves of Absence: Any student who wishes to interrupt the formal academic program at Pomona College for a period of time may apply to the Dean of Students Office for a leave of absence. Students may be on an official leave for up to four semesters (two years); extensions are approved by the Academic Procedures Committee.

Return from a leave of absence: If no restrictions have been placed on the leave of absence, a student may return to the College after the period of leave as long as he or she has given advanced written notice to the Dean of Students Office before the published deadline.

For study in the United States while on leave, students are strongly advised to apply in advance for approval of the program of study. Refer to the Transfer Credit Policy for more information about transferring coursework.

Withdrawal from the College: A student may withdraw voluntarily from the College by filing a Notice of Withdrawal in the Office of Student Affairs. After review of this form, a copy of the notice will be returned to the student with a statement of the conditions under which readmission might be granted at a later date.

Readmission to the College: Students who withdraw from Pomona College before earning a degree may apply for readmission. If the student’s withdrawal from Pomona College was involuntary, the application for readmission, or for reactivation of candidacy within a five-year limit, should be directed to the committee or Pomona official who required the withdrawal. Otherwise, application for readmission to regular standing is considered by the Admissions Office. An application in absentia or other irregular enrollment is considered by the registrar and the Academic Procedures Committee.

Five-Year Limit: If an application for readmission is made within five years of the last semester of enrollment, students may satisfy the rules, regulations and requirements in existence when they first enrolled in the College. A student who applies later than five years after the last semester of enrollment must follow the rules, regulations and requirements in effect at the time of reapplication. Previous credits earned at Pomona College will be evaluated by the registrar and academic departments.

For more information, please refer to the Pomona College Student Handbook.