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Medical Leave of Absence FAQs

A medical leave of absence (MLOA) may be available for students who have medical or psychological conditions that severely limit their ability to perform their academic work. 

In addition to the general information about MLOAs, the following FAQs are meant to assist students in navigating questions regarding the process.

What are the steps for taking a medical leave of absence?

To take a medical leave of absence, students must complete the Medical Leave of Absence request form in IRIS (found under "Request Time Away") and follow the instructions found here. Students are expected to complete the process within five business days of initiating a leave of absence or their leave request will be canceled.

What happens if I do not complete the process within five business days?

Your medical leave request will be canceled, and you will remain enrolled. If you still intend to take a medical leave of absence, you must contact the Student Life Office to re-initiate your request with a new effective date. A changed effective date may affect your tuition refund or owe.

When is the deadline to take a medical leave of absence?

If a student needs to initiate a medical leave during the semester, they can do so at any time up to the last day of classes. Please see the academic calendar for this date.

If you are a recipient of financial aid, please note that if you remain enrolled for more than 60% of the semester, you may lose a full semester of financial aid. The 60% of the semester mark usually falls a few days before Week 10 of the semester. Students receiving financial aid are encouraged to consult Financial Aid (financial-aid@reed.edu) about how taking a medical leave after Week 10 will affect their financial aid.

How long can I take a medical leave?

A student may be on a medical leave of absence for a maximum of four consecutive semesters.

How do I apply to return to ºìÌÒÊÓƵ from a medical leave?

Students on medical leave must secure approval from the Dean of Students or designee to return. In order to endorse your return to ºìÌÒÊÓƵ, you will need to submit a personal letter requesting to return from medical leave and the to the Student Life Office. 

Students on a medical leave of absence cannot register for the upcoming semester until they have been officially approved to return. Students can apply for on-campus housing and financial aid before being approved to return.

Please see Returning from a Medical Leave for more information.

What happens if I did not return from my medical leave after four semesters, but I later decide that I would like to return?

Students who do not return from their medical leave after four semesters must apply for readmission through the Registrar’s Office in addition to applying to return from their medical leave.

If I plan to take a medical leave during a semester, will my registration for those classes be automatically canceled?

Yes. Your registration for classes will be canceled and your instructors will be notified by the Registrar’s Office once your medical leave of absence is in effect. 

What will be recorded on my transcript for semesters when I’m on a medical leave?

What is recorded on your transcript depends on the time of the semester you take your medical leave.

• If your leave will begin before the drop deadline, no record of your attendance will be recorded on your transcript for that semester.
• If your leave begins after the drop deadline, “W” for withdrawal will be recorded for courses in which you are currently enrolled.

Any additional semesters on a medical leave will not be recorded on your transcript unless you withdrew from a year-long class. Year long courses will show a “W” for both semesters.

Please consult the current Academic Calendar for these dates and deadlines. If you have further questions, please contact the Registrar’s Office.

May I take classes at other institutions while on medical leave?

Yes. Students are encouraged to complete the Transfer of Credit form before enrolling at another institution. This enables students to know whether and how the course or courses will apply to the ºìÌÒÊÓƵ degree.

If you are a financial aid recipient, please check with the Office of Financial Aid to determine whether there are any financial aid implications for taking classes while on a medical leave.

I am an international student. What do I need to know about visas, immigration documents, and other related matters?

International students must contact International Student Services (ISS), to discuss their visa program status, departure to (and return from) their home country, and other considerations. Once you initiate your request to take a medical leave, contact ISS for a meeting.

Will the scheduling of my junior qualifying exam be affected by my plans to take an LOA?

You are encouraged to talk to your faculty adviser about how your medical leave may affect your timing for taking your department’s qual.

What if I am a second semester senior?

A senior who takes a medical leave of absence in the second semester of a two-semester thesis will receive a "W" for two units of thesis.

You are encouraged to talk to your thesis and faculty adviser about how your leave may affect your thesis and your options for completing it when you return. See Questions to Ask your Faculty Adviser about Taking a Leave.

What happens to any payments that I already paid to the Business Office for the remainder of the semester/year?

How does my leave affect my eligibility for subsequent financial aid, and what happens to the financial aid I have received for the semester/year?

A medical leave does not affect your eligibility for financial aid in the future; however, an unfinished semester may be counted as one semester of financial aid eligibility used. 

Lifetime loan aggregate limits, however, do apply and the amounts that you retain for an unfinished semester will be counted toward this aggregate limit. The Business Office determines how much, if any, of your current financial aid must be repaid to the financial aid programs and how much financial aid you are eligible to retain. This calculation is based on your medical leave initiation date.

Please be certain to discuss with the Financial Aid Office and Business Office any money you may owe (that is, aid to be repaid) as a result of taking a medical leave of absence.

What happens if I purchased Dewar Insurance?

To access your insurance, there are two that must be completed. You can also obtain these forms from the HCC or the Business Office.

Dewar may return 70% of your insured term tuition and fees. Please contact Dewar at trp@dewarinsurance.com or 617-774-1555.

What if I have a Direct Student Loan?

You will need to complete an online exit interview for your Direct Student Loan. You will not have access to SOLAR or your transcripts until you complete your exit interview.

The six-month grace period for your Federal Direct Loan begins after your last day of attendance at ºìÌÒÊÓƵ. During this grace period, interest accrues but no payments are due. Repayment on your Direct Student loan begins after your six month grace period.

If you plan to be unavailable during your medical leave, please contact your Direct Student Loan servicer before you leave about when your loan payments will be due, and to make arrangements in advance for payment. If you do not know your servicer, the Financial Aid Office can assist you.

What if I have a Federal Perkins Loan?

You will need to do an exit interview for your Perkins Loan through our loan service provider, University Accounting Services (UAS). Please be aware you will not have access to SOLAR or your transcripts until you complete your exit counseling.

Your initial nine-month grace period on your Perkins Loan will begin after the date of last attendance at the College. During this grace period no interest accrues and no payments are due. Repayment on the loan will begin nine-months after your last date of attendance.

What if I have a ºìÌÒÊÓƵ Loan?

You will need to complete the ºìÌÒÊÓƵ Loan “Payout Loan Note” and “Truth in Lending” requirements regardless of your future plans. The Business Office will contact you via email with specific instructions after your medical leave of absence paperwork is completed. Please note that you will not have access to transcripts or to SOLAR until these requirements are completed.

How do I apply for financial aid for when I return to ºìÌÒÊÓƵ?

ºìÌÒÊÓƵ students on a medical leave of absence must apply for financial assistance on the same basis as continuing students, with the same forms, supporting documents, and deadlines.

Financial aid cannot be awarded until you have been formally readmitted from your medical leave; however, as long as your financial aid application is complete by the May 1 deadline, you will be considered for financial aid once you are approved to return. See Returning from a Medical Leave for more information.

Will I keep my on-campus mailbox?

No. Due to a limited number of campus mailboxes, students who are on a medical leave are unable to retain their campus mailbox. Mail will be sent to the forwarding address provided by the student on their LOA form. Students should also update their  with a forwarding address.

When students return from their medical leave, a new mailbox will be assigned to them by the Registrar's Office.

Will I continue to have access to my ºìÌÒÊÓƵ email account?

Yes. Your ºìÌÒÊÓƵ email account will remain active during your leave. We encourage you to check your ºìÌÒÊÓƵ email account while on your leave, as the college may continue to send you important information to help you plan your return, such as financial aid deadlines and registration instructions. 

Can I keep my ºìÌÒÊÓƵ student ID card while I am on a leave?

Yes. Your card will automatically be disabled when you take a leave but you can keep your card. When you return, your access privileges will be restored upon registration. If you lose your card while on a leave, visit Community Safety in 28 West for a new ºìÌÒÊÓƵ student ID card.

Can I continue to use the services of the Health & Counseling Center?

No. Students on a medical leave of absence do not have access to the on-campus health and counseling center staff or services. However, a student’s health insurance may cover services in the Portland area. The Health and Counseling Center can assist students in connecting to community health resources at the time the student takes their medical leave.

Do I lose my ºìÌÒÊÓƵ health insurance?

If you attended at least 30 days of a semester and did not waive the health insurance, you will continue to be covered by the student health insurance for that term.   

If you were covered by ºìÌÒÊÓƵ health insurance in the fall and take a medical leave of absence the following spring semester, you have the option to purchase ºìÌÒÊÓƵ health insurance coverage for spring if a medical provider certifies the necessity of the medical leave and you do so before the end of January.

Please see Health Insurance for more information. You may contact the Business Office if you have questions about your health insurance coverage.

May I use the resources of Academic Support Services?

No. Students on leave are not eligible for Academic Support services. Exceptions to this policy may apply to students who are eligible to return in the following semester and would like to meet with Academic Support staff to discuss strategies for success before returning to class.

May I use the library while I am on leave?

Students on a medical leave of absence are welcome as visitors in the library but are not granted borrowing privileges.

May I access resources in The Center for Life Beyond ºìÌÒÊÓƵ?

Students on a medical leave of absence can continue to use the Center for Life Beyond ºìÌÒÊÓƵ for career counseling, résumé and/or job search help. In addition, many valuable resources are on the Center for Life Beyond ºìÌÒÊÓƵ web site, including job and internship postings and contact information for our alumni volunteers.

May I use the Sports Center?

No. Students on a medical leave of absence are not eligible to use the Sports Center, take classes, compete on teams or participate in ºìÌÒÊÓƵ Outing Club events.

May I participate in campus or student group organizations or events? 

No. Students on a medical leave of absence are not eligible to participate in student organizations, group events, or college-sponsored trips.

Am I permitted to work on campus?

No. Students on a medical leave are not eligible for student employment. Your campus employer and the Student Payroll Specialist in the Business Office will be notified when you take a medical leave of absence.

If you are working on campus or through an off-campus Federal Work Study (FWS) Internship program, you must stop working on or before the date your medical leave begins and notify your supervisor that you will not be able to continue working. Please be certain to turn in your final timesheet to the Business Office before you depart.

Will I be able to continue charging purchases at the Bookstore?

Returning From MLOA

Please see Returning from a Medical Leave for more information on how to return from a Medical Leave, including important deadlines for on-campus housing and financial aid.

Questions? 

You are also encouraged to contact the Student Life Office if you have questions about taking your Medical Leave. 

The Student Life Office
Location: Eliot Hall 218
Hours: Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed at lunch
Telephone: 503-517-7396
Email: student-life@reed.edu