Leave of Absence (LOA)
An approved Leave of Absence (LOA) is a temporary interruption in a student’s program of study. LOA refers to the limited time period during a program when a student is not in attendance. Students enrolled solely through CTU’s Virtual Campus can submit their request for a Leave of Absence to LOARequests@ctuonline.edu. Students attending a physical campus or students attending a physical campus and taking some courses through CTU’s Virtual Campus can submit a written request for a Leave of Absence to the appropriate academic official from their campus.
The following conditions may be considered for an LOA:
- Family Care (childcare issues, loss of family member or unexpected medical care of family)
- Jury Duty
- Medical (including pregnancy)
- Military Duty
- Temporary Job Assignment
The following conditions must be met in order for a student to be eligible for an LOA:
The request must be submitted in writing/email prior to the beginning of the leave. The request should include the date of submission, the effective date, when the student expects to return to school, the reason for the leave of absence, and supporting documentation (unless the medical condition is evident). Students must submit a request in writing/email by noon of the 5th day of the start. Requests submitted after noon of the 5th day of the start may be eligible for a LOA in the next session.
- A student must have completed at least one session at the institution.
- A student must have completed his/her most recent quarter/session and received academic grades (A-F, P, NP) for at least one class for that quarter/session.
- The effective date of the LOA, after the institution’s approval of the qualified request, will be the date of the student’s request. The LOA will end on the day prior to the first day of the session/quarter start.
- The request is made prior to the leave of absence. If unforeseen circumstances prevent the student from providing a prior request, the institution may grant the student’s request if the institution documents its decision and collects written documentation validating the unforeseen circumstance prior to the student being administratively withdrawn from the institute.
- Students must resume their academic program at the point in which he/she began the LOA. The student must return to the exact courses and credit load from the term when the LOA was granted.
- Students will only have the opportunity to utilize 1 quarter of an LOA, in a 12-month period and cannot exceed 180 days.
Failure to return from an approved leave of absence may have an impact on loan repayment, including exhaustion of some or all of the grace period. The Financial Aid Office will provide an explanation of the possible impact on loan repayment if an approval for an LOA is issued. Students receiving an LOA may not receive further financial aid disbursements until returning to active status.
If a student on a leave of absence fails to return from the leave of absence, the official withdrawal date will be the last day of attendance.
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.