Leave Policy

A leave is only granted one time. Students are permitted to
interrupt their program of study and return the following
year at the beginning of the semester in which they
previously withdrew.

Stevens Grant Students:
Recommended students who qualify for the Stevens Grant
are eligible for only four semesters of the Grant or six semesters for those students admitted to the one‐year premajor
program. Prior to completing a full semester, students who are granted a leave of absence will not have that semester count as one full semester. However, eligibility for financial aid and the Stevens Grant is determined on a yearly basis with respect to the current admissions procedure. Therefore, students on leave will need to provide the Admissions Office with a letter stating their intent to return with the required financial documentation prior to the semester in which they wish to enroll.

Students who wish to enroll in the fall semester should submit their letter and financial documentation by the preceding March, and students who wish to enroll in the spring semester should submit their letter and financial documentation by the preceding November.

Non‐Stevens Grant Students:
Tuition students who are granted leaves of absence will be granted refunds according to the tuition refund policy as stated in the catalog. A leave of absence may impact on a student’s insurance coverage, veteran’s benefits and financial aid. Therefore, students should review these changes with appropriate personnel before deciding to take such a leave.

Medical Leave:
Students who have a medically documented condition which prevents them from performing their course requirements may request a medical leave. Specifically if a student becomes ill, requires hospitalization, or has scheduled surgery with extended rehabilitation that will cause the student to miss 5‐10 days of class, the student may need to take a medical leave of
absence.

Leave approval is initiated by the student meeting with the
Counseling/Disabilities Coordinator. After the student’s circumstances have been discussed, and any related documentation reviewed, the Counselor/Disabilities
Coordinator will consult with the VP of Academic Affairs, and individuals involved with the student to determine any possible interventions or concerns. Once reviewed, and approved the Counselor/Disabilities Coordinator will notify the Admissions Office and the Registrar that the student is taking a leave. When the student plans to return, the student will need to contact the Counselor/Disabilities Coordinator and schedule a meeting to review documentation related to the student’s treatment, discharge and clearance to return to college fulltime in the student’s chosen program. Students who were approved for a medical leave are approved to return to the program in
which they were enrolled at the beginning of the semester
in which they withdrew. Students who take a medical leave, and request to return change majors are reviewed by the Director of Enrollment Services as re‐admissions and are considered as applicants based on the new programs requirements and are not guaranteed re‐admission. Financial: Students who develop financial difficulties and are unable to continue in college due to their need to work full‐time may be granted a financial leave of absence. In order to qualify for this leave, students will need to
provide documentation of their attempts to obtain financial aid, loans, and the nature of their debts. All other avenues to address the difficulty may be reviewed prior to granting the leave.

Family Hardship: Students may be granted a leave of absence for a family hardship, where they are needed at home due to the illness of a family member or where a major change in the financial status of their family requires them to work. In order to qualify for this leave, students will provide letters from a physician, a letter from an employer or other acceptable documentation.

Legal: Students who are involved as defendants or witnesses in a lengthy court case may be granted leaves. 19 Students who are incarcerated for a period of time beyond 5 days or over 22 hours of technical course time may be granted a leave or be required by Stevens to take a leave. In situations where a student’s offense may impact on the safety of other students, Stevens may require that the student provide documentation of treatment or that the student’s assigned counselor is permitted to maintain contact with the student’s probation officer or other
off campus professionals during the time the student is
enrolled at Stevens.

Leave Procedure:

  1. The student reports to the Counseling/Disabilities
    Coordinator to request a leave of absence.
  2. The student will be required to complete the school
    withdrawal form with the counselor. This form may
    be obtained on the College portal or from the
    Registrar’s Office.
  3. The Counseling/Disabilities Coordinator reviews the
    leave procedure with the student to clarify the
    student’s responsibilities.
  4. Students who are returning from an approved leave
    will need to contact the Registrar to develop a
    schedule and register once they have completed
    their admission requirements and have been
    admitted.
  5. The Counseling/Disabilities Coordinator documents
    a reason for requesting the leave and informs the
    student of the specific documentation needed.
  6. The Counseling/Disabilities Coordinator contacts
    each of the student’s instructors and the advisor in
    writing and asks them to document the student’s
    current grades, attendance record, and their
    recommendations regarding the student’s return to
    continue in his/her current program or another
    technical program.
  7. The Counseling/Disabilities Coordinator obtains
    information from the Business and Financial Aid
    Offices which impacts on the student’s ability to return and related conditions.
  8. The Counseling/Disabilities Coordinator collect the
    information from all areas, and along with his/her
    recommendation, forwards the information to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for review and approval. The Vice President for Academic Affairs reviews the recommendations and sends a letter to the student stating approval or disapproval. Copies of this letter are sent to the Financial Aid Office, Registrar, Admissions Office, Advisor and the Counseling/Disabilities Coordinator.
  9. Prior to the semester in which the student expects to
    return, the student submits all required financial
    documentation and a letter to the Admissions Office
    requesting that he/she be readmitted to continue his/her program of study. Students must submit this information by March prior to returning in the fall semester and by November prior to returning in the spring semester.
  10. The Admissions Office will notify any student who has not submitted his/her information that he/she is no longer being considered for re‐admission.
  11. The Registrar is responsible for notifying all advisors
    and technical instructors of the student’s enrollment
    status.

WITHDRAWAL PROCEDURE
The student should meet with his/her advisor for consultation concerning the effect of this decision on the student’s continued studies and transcript record. The student should return any materials or properties of the College that he/she may have to the appropriate parties, to avoid being billed for those items.
A student who will be given an “F” for cheating in a course may not withdraw from that course. All students who wish to withdraw from the College must:

  1. The student must complete the College withdrawal
    form. This form may be obtained on the College portal or from the Registrar’s Office.
  2. Meet with a Financial Aid staff member to complete
    an exit interview if he/she were a recipient of a
    Stafford Loan.
  3. Visit all College offices with which you have outstanding Procedures to withdraw from a class:
    A student may withdraw from a class between the
    beginning of the 2nd week and the 14th week of
    a semester. The student will receive a “W” grade
    that will appear on the transcript but not impact a
    student’s GPA. Failure to follow the steps below
    could result in still being charged for the semester
    you were enrolled in but did not attend.
  4. Resident students are required to notify their
    Residence Hall Advisor. The room key should be given to their Residence Hall Advisor. If the student’s
    Residence Hall Advisor is not available, the room key should be forwarded to the Director for Residence Life or the Director of Student Services and the student must vacate the campus by 4:30PM the day following the notification of withdrawal. (IMPORTANT NOTE: In some instances students will be asked to depart the evening of notification of withdrawal or perhaps immediately.)


Procedure for withdrawal from the College:
Prior to making the decision to withdraw from Stevens, the student is encouraged to discuss this decision with a counselor. A counselor can assist the student with developing alternative
plans to remain enrolled, as well as help the student to understand how withdrawing may affect future educational plans, financial aid, insurance coverage, etc. 20obligations.