Leave of Absence (LOA)
An approved Leave of Absence (LOA) is a temporary interruption in a student’s academic attendance for a specific period of time in an ongoing program.
Leave of Absence Conditions
A student may be eligible for a Leave of Absence if one of the following conditions applies:
- Medical Leave (including pregnancy)
- Family Care (childcare issues, loss of family member, or medical care of family)
- Military Duty
- Jury Duty
The following requirements apply:
A student may be granted a Leave of Absence (LOA) if:
- A signed LOA request that includes the reason for the request is submitted in writing within 5 calendar days of the student's last date of attendance or the begin date of term.
- Students may request multiple LOAs, but the total number of days the student remains on LOA may not exceed 180 days during a consecutive 12-month time frame.
- There may be limitations on LOA eligibility for a student enrolled in term-based programs due to scheduling requirements associated with the student’s return to school.
- The student must have successfully completed a minimum of one grading period before being eligible to apply for a LOA. One grading period is defined as 5.5 or 11 weeks.
- Prior to applying for an LOA, the student must have completed his or her most recent quarter and received an academic grade or grades (A-F) for that quarter.
Failure to return from an approved leave of absence or failure to return within the 180 day timeframe will result in the student being administratively withdrawn from the school and may have an impact on the financial aid a student receives, loan repayment and exhaustion of the loan grace period. A student in an LOA status will not receive further financial aid disbursements (if eligible) until returning to active status. Contact the financial aid office for more information about the impact of a LOA on financial aid.
Military Leave of Absence
Students attending a physical campus or students attending through CTU’s Virtual Campus may submit a written request for a military leave of absence (LOA). Students may submit the request to the Registrar Office if they attend a physical campus or through LOARequests@ctuonline.edu if they attend CTU’s Virtual Campus. An approved military leave may not exceed two years.
The request must be submitted in writing/email prior to the beginning of the leave and include copies of the military orders. The request must include the date of submission, the effective date, and when the student expects to return to school. Upon return from a military leave of absence, the student’s previous academic program will be reinstated with consideration of any curriculum changes.
If the student is a title IV, federal student aid recipient and the requested timeframe is longer than the maximum 180 days allowed in the title IV federal student aid Leave of Absence policy (see details in the LOA section), then the student will be withdrawn from the school, which may have an impact on federal aid, loan repayment and exhaustion of the loan grace period. If you have title IV federal student loans, you may be eligible for a military deferment, however the deferment is not automatic; you or your designee must apply. You may initiate a request for a deferment by contacting your lender or a member of the HELP team at, 1-888-517-2630. Upon return from the military leave of absence, the student’s previous academic program will be reinstated with consideration of any curriculum changes. Students in a LOA status may not receive further financial aid disbursements until returning to active status. Contact the financial aid office for more information about the impact of a LOA on financial aid.