Taking a Leave of Absence: Temporary or Permanent

Study in Home Country of Record: USA and International

During their time at Tufts, undergraduate students might decide to take a leave of absence during a fall or spring semester in order to study elsewhere as a full-time student at an accredited four-year university in their home country. Students are limited to a maximum of two semesters of study at an institution outside of Tufts (this includes external study abroad programs). Students who plan to enroll part-time at an accredited four-year university in their home country should take a personal leave of absence.

Students considering a US study in home country leave should consult with their Advising Dean. Students considering an International study in home country leave should also consult with the Assistant Director for Tufts Global Education. It is important that students carefully read all transfer of credit policies and get courses approved in advance of enrolling at another institution.

Study in Home Country: USA

Study in Home Country – USA is a leave intended to allow US-based undergraduate students to study at a four-year university in the US. Students must attempt the equivalent of at least 12 credits to count their semester away as one of the eight semesters of full-time study needed for graduation. To meet the costs of administrative procedures connected with study at other institutions, a Study Elsewhere fee of $2100 will be assessed at the time the leave is processed. This leave request must be approved by the student’s Advising Dean.

Students planning to complete major requirements during their study elsewhere leave should consult with their major advisor. It is important to read all transfer of credit policies. Please note that for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 only, students can study at a two-year college in the US and can also transfer in courses taught in an online or hybrid instruction mode. All courses must be taken for a letter grade and students must earn a C– or better.

Upon completion of the term, students must send their official transcript to Student Services in Dowling Hall. The Registrar’s Office will determine the amount of credit students will receive for a course. All courses must be approved by a Tufts academic department for students to receive credit. Once the transcript from your study elsewhere semester arrives, it may take three to four weeks for the transfer credits to appear on your Tufts transcript.

Study in Home Country: International

Study in Home Country – International is a leave intended to allow undergraduate international students to study in their home country of record. This study elsewhere leave is not intended to be a study abroad leave for U.S. students. Study in Home Country – International is strictly for non-U.S. based undergraduate students to enroll in a four-year university in their home country of record. U.S. citizens interested in participating in an external study abroad program should refer to the Global Education web page.

Students must attempt the equivalent of at least 12 credits to count their semester away as one of the eight semesters of full-time study needed for graduation. To meet the costs of administrative procedures connected with study at other institutions, a Study Elsewhere fee of $2100 will be assessed at the time the leave is processed. This leave request must be approved by Global Education, the student’s Advising Dean, and the student’s Advisor.

Students planning to complete major requirements during their study elsewhere leave should consult with their major advisor. It is important to read all transfer of credit policies. Please note that for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 only, students are allowed to transfer in courses taught in an online or hybrid instruction mode. All courses must be taken for a letter grade and students must earn a C– or better.

Upon completion of the term, students must send their official transcript to Student Services in Dowling Hall. Tufts Global Education will determine the amount of credit students will receive for a course. All courses must be approved by a Tufts academic department in order for students to receive credit. Tufts Global Education cannot provide credit for courses not approved by an academic department. Once the transcript from your study elsewhere semester arrives, it may take three to four weeks for the transfer credits to appear on your Tufts transcript.

Military Leave

Students who must fulfill a mandatory military service requirement can take a military leave of absence from the university and then return to Tufts once they have completed their required military service.

How to Request a Military Leave of Absence

Before submitting their leave request in SIS, students should contact their Advising Dean via email to discuss their plans, to confirm their specific semesters of leave, and to adjust their planned graduation date. 

After communicating with their Advising Dean, students can initiate a request for a military leave of absence through SIS. Once in SIS, select "Student Living" and then select "Request a Leave of Absence." For Leave Type, please select Military Leave. Make sure to indicate the duration of the leave in the request. The request will be sent to the Advising Dean for approval. Once approved, the leave request will be sent to Student Services for official processing.

Academic Considerations When Pursuing a Military Leave

Academic Residency Requirement/Class Standing: The semesters that you will be away will not count toward your academic residency requirement. Your class standing will also not advance while you are away on a leave/when you return from a leave, as class standing is based on the number of fall and spring terms completed at Tufts. If you have questions about the academic residency requirement or your class standing, please contact your Advising Dean.

Summer Coursework: If returning in a fall semester from your leave, you will not automatically be activated for summer registration: you are responsible for contacting your Advising Dean in advance of summer registration with your request if you would like to pursue summer coursework at Tufts.

Advising and Course Registration: Please be aware that you will need to continue to monitor your Tufts email regularly even while away on a leave; more importantly, you will need to connect with your advisor of record (either pre-major or major) during the semester before your return to prepare for the following semester’s registration accordingly. If you are away during Fall 2025 but returning for the Spring 2026 semester, for example, it will be in your best interest to meet with your advisor during the advising period and to register on your assigned date and time in November 2025. Please refer to the Academic Calendar for the official dates of the advising period and registration.

Financial Considerations When Pursuing a Military Leave

Financial Aid: If you receive financial aid and/or have loans/grants, taking a leave of absence may impact your financial aid package and/or your loan re-payment responsibilities; be sure to speak with your financial aid coordinator  to discuss your plans. 

Tuition Refund: The final deadline to submit a leave request in SIS and be eligible for 100% tuition refund is always the day before the semester starts. However, we very strongly recommend you submit the leave request as far in advance as possible, as there may be other nonrefundable fees (such as housing deposits). The tuition refund schedule for each semester can be found here.

Health Insurance: Students who are on Tufts student health insurance when they take a leave of absence will be removed from the student health insurance during the semester of their leave(s). For questions about student health insurance or to confirm your student health insurance reimbursement, please contact StudentHealthInsurance@tufts.edu.

Personal Withdrawal or Transfer Leave: Two Permanent Leave Types

Students can submit a Personal Withdrawal leave request or Transfer leave request to notify the university that they will be permanently discontinuing their study at Tufts. A transfer leave request should be submitted when a student has been accepted and/or plans to complete their degree at another institution. A personal withdrawal leave request should be submitted when a student intends to discontinue their study at Tufts but does not have any confirmed plans.

Please note that both leave types are not temporary leaves of absence and are considered permanent; submitting these requests notifies Tufts that you are permanently discontinuing your study at the university and do not plan to return to complete your degree at Tufts.

How to Request a Personal Withdrawal or Transfer Leave

Before submitting a leave request in SIS, students are required to contact their Advising Dean via email to confirm their specific plans – why they are discontinuing their study at Tufts, their subsequent plans, and when they specifically expect to withdraw from the university. 

After communicating with their Advising Dean, students can initiate a request for personal withdrawal or transfer through SIS. Once in SIS, select "Student Living" and select "Request a Leave of Absence." For Leave Type, please select Withdrawal - Personal or Transfer, depending on the specific plans for discontinuing studies at Tufts. The request will be sent to the Advising Dean for approval. Once approved, the leave request will be sent to Student Services for official processing.

Financial Considerations When Pursuing a Personal Withdrawal/Transfer Leave

The final deadline to submit a leave request in SIS and be eligible for 100% tuition refund is always the day before the semester starts. However, we very strongly recommend you submit the personal withdrawal or transfer leave request as far in advance as possible, as there may be other nonrefundable fees (such as housing deposits). The tuition refund schedule for each semester can be found here.

Additional Considerations for a Personal Withdrawal/Transfer Leave

Need Official Transcripts? If you need to request your official transcript, you can do so through SIS. For more information on requesting your official transcript, please visit the Registrar’s website. If you have additional questions about requesting your official transcript after reviewing the information on the Registrar’s website, please contact Student Services. 

Need Transfer Forms Completed? If you have any transfer-related forms that need to be filled out by a University administrator and submitted as part of your transfer application, please review this website, which outlines instructions for a variety of forms.

Please note: advanced notice is absolutely required. If adequate advanced notice is not provided, we cannot guarantee your forms will be completed and sent prior to your deadline. Keep in mind that administrative offices are only open Monday through Friday between 9am-5pm ET.