Withdraw or Request a Leave of Absence

Related Pages

Contact My School
Withdrawal vs. Leave of Absence
Financial Implications of Leaving School
Step by Step Form Instructions
Submit Your Form
Timing Your Form Submission
Who Can Use the Form
Submit With a Wet Signature
Consumer Information
Policy for Students With Military-Related Withdrawals
Voluntary (and Medical) Leave of Absence Policy
Involuntary Leave of Absence Policy

Table of Contents

 

Know Before You Go

Review the information throughout this page for information and areas of influence that should be considered before temporarily or permanently leaving school.  You may contact the Student Affairs Office or other similar advising personnel at your school for additional assistance.

Challenges, Support and Resources

Columbia provides several resources to aid students in achieving their academic goals.  If you are experiencing challenges that are impeding your academic success, contact the Student Affairs Office or other similar advising personnel at your school for additional assistance. Additional support resources can be found below.

 

Withdrawal? Leave of Absence? Which is Right For Me?

The university uses the term Withdraw to formally indicate that a student has ceased attendance in all scheduled courses for a given term. This differs from the use of the term Withdrawal, which generally describes any student that

  1. Has not returned for their next anticipated period of attendance, payment period or period of enrollment*; or
  2. Who does not complete all the days in a period of attendance, payment period or period of enrollment* they were scheduled to complete

The term Withdrawal is inclusive of both Withdrawn Students and Students Taking a Leave of Absence

Students seeking approval for a Leave of Absence are generally subject to additional documentation requirements for the leave type they wish to pursue.  Read and review the information below and the Withdrawal vs. Leave of Absence page before ceasing attendance or submitting a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form.

Contact the Student Affairs or other similarly functioning advising office at your school for additional information.

*A students payment period, period of enrollment and/or period of attendance generally corresponds with an academic term, but not always.  Please contact your financial aid office for additional information.

 

Yes!

There are unique requirements and significant differences that apply to a student leaving school based on the unique circumstances surrounding their situation.  Understandably, a student that Withdraws may have significantly different financial and academic ramifications than a student approved for a Leave of Absence as a result.  This is also true of the various types of Leaves of Absence that a student may pursue, which are generally subject to additional documentation requirements that are unique to the type of leave requested. 

Review the Withdrawal vs. Leave of Absence page before ceasing attendance or submitting a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form.

 

The Official Withdrawal Process

Students seeking to notify the University that they have temporarily or permanently left school should begin The Official Withdrawal Process described in the sections below.  

Students temporarily or permanently leaving school may Begin the Official Withdrawal Process or otherwise Provide Official Notification by successfully submitting a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form.

  • The Official Withdrawal Process begins when a Withdrawal or Leave of Absence Notification Request Form upon the successful transmission of the Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form to the Central University Personnel that manage withdrawal processing for the University.

Please note, any notification or request for Withdrawal or Leave of Absence must be made to university personnel designated for this purpose using The Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form.  Requests or notifications made in a fashion other than that outlined above may result in your request or notification not being received.

Students will receive an email confirmation at their University email address that serves as documentation of successful transmission.

To contact the Central University Personnel that manage withdrawal processing for the University, please email [email protected].

 

Please Note: 

The Central University Personnel that manage withdrawal processing for the University cannot assist with advising or school-specific questions. We strongly encourage you to review the information provided throughout this page and available through other University and School offices before making the decision to cease attendance or submit a Withdrawal or Leave of Absence Notification Request Form.

Please contact your school directly for additional assistance in these areas.

The email address [email protected] is for inquiries only.  Official Notification will only be accepted using the Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form.

Student's must contact the Student Affairs Office or other similarly functioning advising personnel at their school in conjunction with submitting a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form to address the following:

  • Adherence to University and School policies, procedures and other stated requirements
  • Academic, Financial and/or Other Ramifications that may result from temporarily or permanently ceasing attendance
  • Program specific considerations, including course availability within a students program
  • Requirements for approval for a students requested Withdrawal or Leave of Absence type
  • Corresponding return to school requirements, including whether readmission and/or a new deposit is required
  • Applicable transcript notations
  • And more...

Students may also review the Understand The Ramifications and Financial Implications of Leaving School sections of this page for additional information.

Contacting the Student Affairs Office or other similarly functioning advising personnel at your school is required.

Please contact your school with additional questions.

 

Financial Implications of Leaving School

Leaving school on a temporary or permanent basis may change the amount you are responsible to pay for your time in class, the amount of financial assistance you receive and other areas where your education costs may be impacted.  Visit the Financial Implications of Leaving School Page for Additional Information.

Visit the Financial Implications of Leaving School Page for Additional Information Concerning:

  • Tuition and Fees

    • Refund Rate for Withdrawals
    • What Rate Applies
    • Unpaid Balances

  • Federal Student Aid

    • What is Federal Student Aid
    • TIV Student Aid and Withdrawing From Columbia
    • Post-withdrawal Disbursements of Title IV Student Aid
    • Required Post-Withdrawal Returns
    • Return Order of Unearned Aid
    • Post-withdrawal Refund of Unearned Aid
    • Applicable Federal Regulations: 34 CFR 668.22
    • Required Exit Counseling for Student Borrowers of Title IV Federal Student Loans
    • Additional Resources

Students should review and understand the areas that may be impacted by the decision to interrupt their studies before ceasing attendance and/or submitting a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form. 

 

Ramifications and Support Options

Student's seeking to leave school, whether temporarily or permanently, often do so as a result of challenges that make continuing their studies feel overwhelming.  Before making the difficult choice to cease attendance or otherwise satisfy requirements for withdrawal or leave of absence, we strongly encourage you to review and act on the information provided below.

To fully understand the impact of ceasing attendance or otherwise satisfying requirements for Withdrawal or Leave of Absence from school, you must understand the ramifications.  We strongly encourage students to review the resources and information provided throughout this page in addition to those otherwise offered by applicable university, school and departments before ceasing attendance, submitting a Withdrawal or Leave of Absence Notification Request or otherwise satisfying the requirements for Withdrawal or Leave of Absence.

In addition to the numerous considerations addressed throughout this page, there are many other areas that should be considered as part of a students decision to temporarily or permanently interrupt their studies. 

This includes, but is not limited to:

Students may also view the Other Requirements in the Process and Financial Implications of Leaving School sections of this page for additional information.

Please contact each office directly for information related to the impact of leaving school as it relates to your specific circumstances. You may contact the Student Affairs Office or other similarly functioning advising personnel at your school for additional assistance.

The Student Affairs Office or other similarly functioning advising personnel at your school can offer guidance and assistance with many things, including, but not limited to:

  • School and University requirements, policies and procedures related to ceasing attendance
  • Financial, academic and readmission implications resulting from ceasing attendance
  • General academic questions, concerns, or difficulties
  • Progress toward and completion of requirements for the degree
  • Referrals to other resources on campus
  • Future life plans
  • And more...
Ready to submit a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Process? Click Here.

For assistance, questions or to comply with your schools process, please contact your school directly:

While the decision to leave school is one derived from our unique circumstances, the university offers several support services to aid our students during times of need.  The resources below may be helpful to you as you consider your options:

 

Need help submitting the form? 
Review the Student Help Guide.

Submit Your Withdrawal or Leave of Absence Notification Request
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Troubleshooting Form Errors - Data Entry and Document Uploads

We have received reports of users experiencing intermittent challenges when entering data and/or uploading documentation to the Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form.  These challenges occur more frequently for users that use Google Chrome as an internet browser or those that use a device that utilizes MacOS.

If you experience these challenges, please attempt the troubleshooting steps provided here.

 

What Happens Next?

Leaving school on a temporary or permanent basis may result in communications from different offices within the University related to your time away from school.  Be sure to read these in full and act upon any item that indicates further action is required. 

Notices may include, but are not limited to:

 

Post-submission Requirements

Of most importance, you must contact the advising personnel at your school to discuss any required action and/or documents needed to pursue:

  1. The specific type of leave or withdrawal you have requested; and
  2. The requirements/your intentions for returning to school. 

Additionally, we strongly recommend contacting any office that may be influenced by taking time away from school, such as, but not limited to:

  • Your Academic Department
  • Columbia Housing/Residential
  • The Health Insurance Office
  • The International Student and Scholars Office
  • Student Athletics

Click Here to find your schools advising offices contact information.

If you do not contact your the Student Affairs Office or other advising personnel at your school after submitting your Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form, you may be subject to ramifications due to school and/or University policy requirements that have gone unsatisfied for the type of submission you provided. 

Your advisor will attempt to reach you, but it is your responsibility to satisfy the requirements associated with your submission.  As a result, there may be additional financial and/or academic requirements for returning to school. 

If you no longer wish to pursue Withdrawing or Taking a Leave of Absence from school, please contact the Student Affairs Office or other similar Advising Personnel at your school to discuss the process for rescinding your request.

The information presented throughout this page is informative in nature and includes resources that may be helpful in deciding whether taking a temporary or permanent step away from school is the course of action that best meets your needs. It serves as an overview and supplement to applicable policy and/or other requirements that apply to a students Withdrawal or Leave of Absence.

For questions or concerns related to your specific circumstances, please refer to the policy and/or other requirements that apply; contact your school for additional information.