Leaves of Absence and Withdrawal from the College

Leaves of Absence or Withdrawal from the College

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 Office of Student Affairs for a leave of absence.

Requests for a leave of absence for a given term should normally be made before the end of the preceding term. Except in special circumstances, leaves will not be granted after July 15 for the fall term and December 15 for the spring term (or the first business day after those dates).

In granting a leave of absence, the College recognizes the need of the student to interrupt formal academic work for a period of time. The particular reasons that make such an interruption desirable and the length of a leave vary. College policy is designed to meet these varying needs and provide an opportunity for a student to discuss his or her plans for the leave and, later, the extent to which goals and needs have been met by the leave.

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 written notice by June 1 for fall semester and December 15 for spring. Students who wish to be readmitted in time for priority room draw and enrollment, should contact the Office of Student Affairs before March 15 and October 15, respectively.

For study in the United States while on leave, students are strongly advised to apply in advance for approval of the program of study. If the program of study is approved in advance, credit normally will be granted for courses graded C-minus or higher. Without prior approval, there is no guarantee that credit will be granted. Academic credit will not be granted for study abroad while on leave.

A maximum of eight course credits will be awarded for work other than summer sessions while a student is on leave.

Full information about regulations governing leaves of absence is available from the Office of Student Affairs.

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.