A leave of absence is required by students who wish to withdraw from the current quarter, or who do not wish to attend a future quarter (During Summer terms petitioning for a leave is not required). For students with multiple degree programs or majors, leaves of absence are only granted for all programs and majors. Leaves will not be granted for more than one year at a time. A leave of absence from your program may not exceed a cumulative total of two years. See the Stanford Bulletin for additional information.

Students planning a leave of absence should download and fill in the Leave of Absence Form (pdf)

Detailed information on the LOA process can be found in these publications:

Students should review all possible ramifications of taking a leave of absence. Students are encouraged to check with all other ap­propriate University offices (e.g., Housing Assignments, Financial Aid, Student Financial Services, Bechtel International Center, Vaden Health Center) to determine how taking a leave of absence impacts their status with these offices. Students on leave of absence are not registered and, therefore, do not have the rights and privileges of registered students. They cannot fulfill any of­ficial department or University requirements during the leave period.

Undergraduates who take an approved leave of absence while in good standing, and who do not have any other restrictions or conditions of enroll­ment, including Academic Standing, may enroll in the University for a subsequent quarter with the privileges of a returning student. Graduate students are subject to special registration requirements; see “Leave of Absence” in the “Graduate Degrees” section of the Stanford Bulletin.

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