Graduate Leave of Absence Resources
A graduate student may request a leave of absence for health, parental, or personal reasons.
Overview
Mason understands that a graduate student may experience life events that impact the student’s time and capacity to devote to their education program. A leave pauses the student’s status, with the opportunity to return to their program at a set time. Graduate students looking to take a leave due to U.S. military service should refer to the Military Activation Policy. Information about the other leave options is below.
Leave Comparison
| Question/Topic | General Leave of Absence (GLA) | Medical Leave of Absence (MLoA) | Parental Leave of Absence (PLoA) |
| Eligibility |
Graduate students in a master’s or doctoral degree level program who have been enrolled for at least one term and are in good standing. |
Graduate students in a degree or graduate certificate program | Degree-seeking graduate students actively enrolled for at least one academic year or four consecutive 8-week sessions, as appropriate to the student’s academic program calendar, who are becoming parents via birth, adoption, foster or custodial care placement. |
|
How to initiate the process |
Complete a Graduate Student Leave of Absence (GSLA) request form after consultation with your advisor, program coordinator, or a leave coordinator, six weeks prior to the beginning of the term for which you plan to take a leave. |
Contact a leave coordinator or complete a GSLA request form, six weeks prior to the beginning of the term for which you plan to take a leave. | Contact a leave coordinator or complete a GSLA request form, six weeks prior to the beginning of the term for which you plan to take a leave. |
| Length of leave | Minimum of one term at a time and cannot exceed a total of one year taken over the course of a student’s program. | Minimum of one term at a time, not to exceed one year unless under exceptional circumstances. A student may not exceed two years of medical leave over the course of their program of study. | Can be taken in either the fall or spring semester or for two consecutive 8-week sessions, as appropriate to the student’s academic program calendar per event. |
| Time to degree | Time away extends time to degree. | Time away extends time to degree. | Time away extends time to degree. |
| Return | Register for the term indicated in the notification & contact a leave coordinator six weeks before your anticipated return. | Register for the term indicated in the notification & contact a leave coordinator six weeks before your anticipated return. | Register for the term indicated in the notification & contact a leave coordinator six weeks before your anticipated return. |
| Learn more | Read the Graduate Student General Leave of Absence Policy, the GLA Procedures, or contact a leave coordinator. | Read the Graduate Student Medical Leave of Absence Policy, the MLoA Procedures, or contact a leave coordinator. | Read the Graduate Student Parental Leave of Absence Policy or contact a leave coordinator. |
Students who feel they need to take a leave but are unsure if they meet the eligibility or which type of leave to take should connect with a leave coordinator. It is understood that there are life circumstances that may require exceptions to policy, and there is an exceptions process to make such a request. A leave coordinator can assist students in determining if an exception request will be needed.
Additional Considerations
Funding
As academic programs and financial aid packages may be constructed and sequenced over a period of years, individual interruptions to the normal sequence of academic progress and scheduled employment may result in a loss of future funding and a slower time to completion of degree. Graduate students are advised to consult with the sources of any funding to determine whether a leave may involve a long-term financial loss when contemplating a leave of absence.
Per university policy, non-enrolled students, including those on an official leave, may not continue to hold any existing university funded assistantships, fellowships, scholarships, and/or any employment at the university that is dependent on student status. However, they may be rehired upon return at the discretion of the funding authority and in compliance with all applicable university policies and procedures.
Students receiving financial aid should consult with the Mason Student Services Center to determine any financial impact. Students on a leave of absence typically are not eligible for in-school deferment and should consult with their lender regarding any questions. Students with employment, scholarships, or fellowships that are funded by entities external to the university should consult with relevant supervisors and/or agencies before deciding whether to take a leave.
International Students
Students on or applying for a Change of Status to an F-1 or J-1 visa must consult with the Office of International Programs and Services to discuss the impact of a leave on the student’s status in the United States.
F1 and J1 students are required to carry a full course load to maintain status in the U.S. Graduate students who take a General Leave of Absence should plan to end their current SEVIS/F1 record and depart the U.S. Visit http://oips.gmu.edu/f-1rules/ for detailed requirements.
Students who are planning to apply or have a pending application for Change to F1 status should be aware that leaving the U.S. may result in the cancellation of their application to USCIS.
Students should refer to the Withdrawal section and Return from Temporary Leave of Absence section at https://oips.gmu.edu/f-1-and-j1-forms/ for detailed information on how to notify OIPS about their intent to end their F1 status and how it might be possible to regain F1 status when they are ready to resume studies.
Health Insurance
Graduate students who are enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan in the semester immediately prior to or the semester during which their Medical Leave of Absence or Parental Leave of Absence begins are eligible to maintain their health insurance for up to one academic year while on leave. Eligible graduate students wishing to maintain their health insurance must contact the Student Health Insurance Office at insure@gmu.edu in order to complete additional steps and determine the student's expense for continued coverage.
Graduate students looking to take a General Leave of Absence or those who are not enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan in the semester immediately prior to or the semester during which their leave will begin are not able to enroll in the health insurance for their leave.
Library Privileges
Students on an official leave of absence may maintain some library privileges. Contact the library for further assistance.
Access to Mason Facilities
Parking
Students on an official leave of absence are still eligible for parking as long as they continue to meet the terms and conditions of their permit (e.g., make the required payments, etc.)
University Housing
Students on an official leave of absence are not eligible to maintain their university housing and should seek alternative housing arrangements for the duration of their leave. Please contact Housing at housing@gmu.edu to make arrangements for your move-out and to determine any costs associated with your departure.
Students on an official leave of absence will maintain email access for the duration of their leave.
Campus Activities
Students on an official leave of absence are only permitted to attend Mason events that are open to the general public. A student is not permitted to hold a leadership position, attend events, or engage in other activities that require a student to be a registered Mason student to participate.
Graduate General Leave of Absence Procedure
The Graduate Student General Leave of Absence (GLA) is intended for graduate students who need a break from their studies.
Overview
The GLA is available to graduate students in a master’s or doctoral degree program who have been enrolled for at least one term or equivalent for their academic program and are in good standing. A graduate student looking to take a leave due to health reasons or becoming a parent should explore the other leave options. Students looking to take a leave due to U.S. military service should refer to the Military Activation Policy. Students who need to take a leave prior to their first term of enrollment should refer to the deferral policy. Graduate students should review the GLA policy before initiating the GLA process.
Procedure
The process for taking a GLA begins with a conversation between the graduate student who wishes to take the leave and their advisor, program contact, or a leave coordinator. The leave process is initiated by the graduate student submitting a Graduate Student Leave of Absence (GSLA) request form. The request form should be submitted at least six weeks prior to the start of the term for which the graduate student wants to take a leave in order to ensure the request will be processed prior to the beginning of the term.
Once a request form for a GLA has been submitted, the form will be routed to the student’s program contact. Students unsure of their program contact may refer to the university catalog.
The form is then sent to the Dean’s Office in the respective college/school. Students will receive a letter from their college/school Dean’s Office that shares the potential impact of their leave. Finally, the form will be sent to the University Registrar for processing. The routing of the request form is to ensure that all the necessary administrative parties have been notified of the student’s leave and that the student is aware of the potential impact to their course of study.
Students will be notified by the University Registrar when the leave has been processed. Please note that all courses for which the student is registered in the leave term will be dropped. A graduate student is not considered to be on an official leave unless they have received the notification from the University Registrar.
Cancellation
A graduate student requesting a GLA may elect to stop the process or cancel the request at any point prior to the start of the term for which they want to take a leave by contacting their program contact. The GLA cannot be reversed once the term of the leave has begun.
Extension
A graduate student wishing to extend their GLA should refer to the GLA policy for guidance.
Exception
A graduate student who does not meet the eligibility requirements but wishes to take a leave or is wishing to request any other exception to the stated policy will need to complete the academic exceptions process found here.
Return
A graduate student returning from a GLA should register for courses in their established term of return by the add/drop deadline. Students should connect with their program contact regarding academic advisement and may refer to the academic calendar for guidance regarding their registration time.
Graduate Medical Leave of Absence Procedure
The Graduate Student Medical Leave of Absence (MLoA) is intended for graduate students who need a break from their studies for medical reasons.
Overview
The MLoA is available to graduate students in a degree or graduate certificate program. A graduate student looking to take a leave due to becoming a parent or for non-medical related needs should explore the other leave options. Students looking to take a leave due to U.S. military service should refer to the Military Activation Policy. Students who need to take a leave prior to their first term of enrollment should refer to the deferral policy. Graduate students should review the MLoA policy before initiating the MLoA process.
Procedure
A request for medical leave can be initiated by one or a combination of the following persons/offices: the student (in consultation with their health care clinician); the student’s clinician; the student’s program/college/school office; or a leave coordinator. The health care clinician may be a physician, psychiatrist or psychologist, social worker, or nurse practitioner.
The process begins six weeks prior to the term for which the student wishes to take a leave by contacting a leave coordinator or completing a Graduate Student Leave of Absence (GSLA) request form. Any GSLA request form submitted for a MLoA is routed to a leave coordinator, and the leave coordinator then reaches out to the student. Two pieces of documentation are required in order to complete a formal request:
- A letter from the clinician, on official letterhead stationery or via e-mail, addressed to the Associate Provost for Graduate Education (APGE). The letter should state that in the clinician’s opinion a medical leave is warranted. Details of the illness or condition should not be included.
- The second is a letter or email from the college/school Dean’s Office from which the student is seeking a medical leave. This letter must include a statement that describes the known impact to academic milestones and sources of financial support for the student.
The purpose of the documents is to have verification from a clinician that there is a medical need for a leave; and to ensure that the student is aware of the impact to their course of study. Please note that international graduate students may be asked to provide additional documentation due to federal requirements. Requests for Medical Leaves of Absence by international graduate students will be routed through Disability Services for review in accordance with existing processes.
Upon receipt of all documentation, the leave coordinator will connect with the Graduate Division, and the Graduate Division will review the materials for any concerns prior to sending the request to the University Registrar for processing. A graduate student is not considered to be on an official leave unless they have received the notification from the University Registrar. Please note that all courses for which the student is registered in the leave term will be dropped.
Cancellation
A graduate student requesting an MLoA may elect to stop the process or cancel the request at any point prior to the notification from the Graduate Division by contacting their leave coordinator. If the student wishes to cancel the leave after the request process is complete, they will need to contact a leave coordinator.
Extension
A graduate student wishing to extend their MLoA should contact a leave coordinator at least six weeks prior to the term of extension and refer to the MLOA policy for guidance.
Exception
A graduate student wishing to extend their MLoA beyond two consecutive semesters or wishing to request any other exception to the stated policy will need to complete the academic exceptions process found here.
Return
A graduate student returning from an MLoA should contact the leave coordinator six weeks prior to their return and register for courses in their established term of return by the add/drop deadline. Students should connect with their program contact for academic advisement and may refer to the academic calendar for guidance regarding their registration time. International students need to email oipsregs@gmu.edu to return to prior visa status.
Appeal
Should a student’s MLoA policy exception request be denied, the student has one level of appeal to the Graduate Academic Appeals Committee (GAAC). More information can be found here under the title “Appealing the Denial of an Academic Exception Request”.
Parental Leave of Absence Procedure
For graduate students wishing to file a notification for a Parental Leave of Absence under academic policy AP.6.4.5, complete the Graduate Student Parental Leave of Absence application found on the University Registrar’s graduate student form page and email to geappeal@gmu.edu at least six weeks before your intended term of leave. You will be notified by the Associate Provost for Graduate Education if any information is needed, or once processing is complete. Contact geappeal@gmu.edu with any questions.