Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Assistance

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This page provides information to assist with submitting a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form. 

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Use the links below for assistance with specific sections of the form.

 

Before You Get Started

  • If you need technical assistance with completing a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form, please review the information below. 
    If you need additional assistance, please Contact Us directly.
  • Click Here to submit a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form.

Students should not submit a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request until the last day they will attend all scheduled coursework for the term.  Please contact the Student Affairs Office or other similarly functioning advising personnel at your school with questions.

Remember, there multiple financial and academic ramifications that may be exacerbated by delaying the completion of a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form; Click Here for Additional Information.

For students whose scheduled coursework spans the entire term; and

  • Who begin the term but are unable to complete all scheduled coursework for the term in progress:
      • The last day they will attend all scheduled coursework for the current term in progress.
         
    • Who will not begin the next/upcoming term:

     

    For students who attend one or more courses that do not span the entire term:

    • Who will not begin any coursework in the next/upcoming term:
    • Who begin the term but are unable to complete all scheduled coursework for the term currently in progress:
       
      • Regardless of when they intend to return, the last day they will attend all scheduled coursework for those courses currently in progress; this includes students returning to coursework that is scheduled to begin later in the term.
         
      • This will not prevent you from returning to a course scheduled to begin later in the same term; you will be asked to confirm the courses you plan to take upon your return while completing the Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form.
         
      • Students that are unsure of how to proceed should contact their school for guidance.

     

    For students that did not begin the term but did not submit a form before the terms start date

    • Students who submit a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request From are responsible for the tuition and fees outlined in the Refund Rate for Withdrawals. 
    • Students that did not begin classes in a term that has already started must contact their school to forgo in-term tuition and fee responsibilities associated with Withdrawing or taking a Leave of Absence.
    • Students that are unsure if the situation above applies to their circumstances should contact their school for guidance.

     

    See the Financial Implications of Leaving School page for additional information.

    See the examples below for assistance with determining how to proceed given several common scenarios:

     

    Example 1

    A student is unsure if leaving school is the appropriate course of action to take or is otherwise facing challenges that may compromise their academic performance or well-being:

    Example 2

    A student seeks to take time off from school after completing the current term or before beginning any coursework in the upcoming term:

    Example 3

    A student begins taking coursework for the term; all of their courses are scheduled to span the entire length of the term in progress.

    • After exploring options to remain in class, the student subsequently determine they can no longer continue attending:
      • The student ceases attendance in all coursework currently in progress.
      • The student will not return to courses until after the end date of the term in progress.
    • Appropriate Course of Action: Submit a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form upon ceasing attendance (even if the program change period has not ended).  Contact your school to determine if additional information or documentation is needed.

    Example 4

    A student begins taking coursework for the term; two of their courses are scheduled to span the entire length of the term in progress and two are not; of the two that do not span the full term in progress, one begins at the same time as the students full term coursework, while the other begins at a later date in the term.

    • The students scheduled and attended coursework includes:
       
      • Course 1: Full term, the student began attending this course
      • Course 2: Full term, the student began attending this course
      • Course 3: Less than the full term, the student began attending this course at the start of the term; the course has not ended yet
      • Course 4: Less than the full term, the student did not begin attending this course as it is not scheduled to start until week 6 of the term
    • The student drops the following courses during the program change period:
       
      • Course 1: Full term, the student began attending this course
      • Course 2: Full term, the student began attending this course
      • Course 4: Less than the full term, the student did not begin attending this course as it is not scheduled to start until week 6 of the term
    • The student remains enrolled and attending the following course:
       
      • Course 3: Less than the full term, the student began attending this course at the start of the term; the course has not ended yet
    • Appropriate Course of Action: No action required; even though the student has dropped all of their full term courses and the course scheduled to start later in the term in progress.  The student has not ceased attendance in all of their scheduled coursework.

    Example 5

    A student begins taking coursework for the term; two of their courses are scheduled to span the entire length of the term in progress and two are not; of the two that do not span the full term in progress, one begins at the same time as the students full term coursework, while the other begins at a later date in the term.

    • The students scheduled and attended coursework includes:
       
      • Course 1: Full term, the student began attending this course
      • Course 2: Full term, the student began attending this course
      • Course 3: Less than the full term, the student began attending this course at the start of the term; the course has not ended yet
      • Course 4: Less than the full term, the student did not begin attending this course as it is not scheduled to start until week 6 of the term
    • The student drops the following courses during the program change period:
       
      • Course 1: Full term, the student began attending this course
      • Course 2: Full term, the student began attending this course
      • Course 4: Less than the full term, the student did not begin attending this course as it is not scheduled to start until week 6 of the term
    • The student remains enrolled and attending the following course:
      • Course 3: Less than the full term, the student began attending this course at the start of the term; the course has not ended yet
    • Appropriate Course of Action: No action required; even though the student has dropped all of their full term courses and the course scheduled to start later in the term.  The student has not ceased attendance in all of their scheduled coursework.

    Withdrawal vs. Leave of Absence

    Contacting Your School is Required

    In addition to applicable University policies, each school has their own policies, procedures, requirements and conditions that must be satisfied for a student to be approved for a requested Withdrawal or Leave of Absence. 

    Students must contact their school prior to or immediately after submitting a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form to discuss the policies, procedures and requirements that apply to your circumstances.  Specific documentation and/or leave parameters may apply. 

    Click Here to learn more about the process for and potential ramifications of requesting a Withdrawal or Leave of Absence.

    If You Do Not Contact Your School

    A students failure to contact their school in conjunction with submitting a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form may result in unexpected financial, academic and/or re-entry ramifications.  We strongly recommend that students contact their school before submitting a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form.

    Click Here to learn more about the process for and potential ramifications of forgoing outreach to your school in conjunction with submitting a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form.

    Who Can Use This Form

    The Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form utilizes UNI-based authentication and authorization (single sign-on) to allow non-affiliate students and administrators to submit a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form.

    Not sure if you are associated with an affiliate or non-affiliate school? Click Here.

      I'm Having Trouble Logging In With My UNI

      If you are a non-affiliate student or administrator experiencing difficulty logging in to submit a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form, please review the resources and information available for Managing Your UNI.   

      Please Submit a ticket to the CUIT Service Desk or Call the CUIT Service Desk at 212-854-1919 for additional assistance.

      Not sure if you are associated with an affiliate or non-affiliate school? Click Here.

       

      I Received an Error After Logging In

      If you are a non-affiliate student or administrator receiving an error message after successfully logging in to submit a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form, please contact us directly.

      Not sure if you are associated with an affiliate or non-affiliate school? Click Here.

      Affiliate vs. Non-affiliate Schools

      The following non-affiliate schools within the university may utilize the Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form:

      If you are a student cross-registered from an affiliated institution, such as Barnard College, the Jewish Theological Seminary, Teachers College or the Union Theological Seminary, please contact your advisor directly for assistance.

      The Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form utilizes logic to display items specific to the submitter.  

      • Questions marked with a red asterisk (*) are required. 
      • Select the “Click Here” links available throughout the form to view additional information related to a given question.
      • Students and administrators with questions regarding how to complete this form may Contact Us Directly. 

      It's important that you keep your permanent contact information on file with the university current as it may be used to share important information relating to your time in school, returning to class and/or other obligations. 

      To confirm or update your permanent address, please login in Vergil.  You can view and update your permanent address using the left-side navigation pane.

      1. Login to Vergil using your University Network Login (or UNI) credentials
         
      2. Select the Toggle Menu icon located new the top, left-hand side of the webpage
         
      3. Select the arrow right-adjacent to the Student Records menu option
         
      4. Select the arrow right-adjacent to the My Info menu option
         
      5. Select the option for Personal Information

      Please note: Your permanent address information cannot be updated directly on the Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form. 

       

      General Information Tab

      This page provides students submitting a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form with details and contact information for areas that may be impacted as a result temporarily or permanently leaving school.  Students must review and acknowledge the information in this section before they may submit their Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form. 

       

      To complete this section:

      1. Review the information presented; if you have questions or concerns after reviewing the information provided, you should contact your school before you proceed with your submission.
         
      2. Provide your acknowledgment by selecting the checkbox near the bottom of the General Information Tab that is adjacent to the text "I have received and reviewed the acknowledgments above and will proceed with submitting my Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form."

      Students will also select their preferred method for signing their submitted Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form.  Signatures may be provided Electronically or with a traditional Wet-Signature.

      To complete this section: 

      1. Select arrow below the "Select your preferred signature method to proceed with submitting your Request Form:" for a dropdown list of available signature options.
      2. Select your preferred signature method; electronic or wet-signature.
        1. Note: if you utilize a wet-signature, you will be asked to upload a fully completed PDF version of the Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form. 

      This section includes details and contact information for areas that may be impacted as a result temporarily or permanently leaving school.  The statements in this section are categorized as follows:

      • Withdrawal and Voluntary  Leave of Absence

      • Financial Obligations and Student Aid

      Review and acknowledge the information in each section of this page of the form by selecting the checkbox adjacent to each statement.

      Please note: the information provided throughout this section is not all inclusive and serves as a supplement to applicable policy and/or other requirements of the university, school, department and/or other overarching entity.  For questions or concerns related to your specific circumstances, please refer to the policy and/or other requirements that applies to those questions or concerns and/or contact the office or party functionally responsible for those questions or concerns before ceasing attendance or otherwise satisfying requirements for withdrawal or leave of absence from school.

      Students may choose to submit a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request using an Electronic or traditional Wet-Signature after completing the Withdrawal and Voluntary Leave of Absence and Financial Obligations and Student Aid acknowledgements referenced above.  Both signature options require the submission of a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form.  

        To Proceed With an Electronic Signature

        • Select the "I will proceed with the electronic signature process." option from the dropdown menu for this question

        Select "Next" to proceed to the Request Details Tab.

        To Proceed With a Wet Signature:

        • Select the "Opt Out and Submit with Wet Signature - Signed Document Upload Required" option from the dropdown menu for this option.

        Select "Next" to proceed to the Request Details Tab.

         

        Request Details Tab

        This page of the Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form includes information related to the student and the conditions surrounding their Withdrawal or Leave of Absence; it is inclusive of several sections.  The following is an overview of what may be presented while completing the form and includes links to more specific guidance for the questions that fall within each section.

         

        To complete this section:

        1. Complete the questions presented in chronological order.
        2. Provide additional details surrounding the circumstances that led to submitting the form
        3. Upload any required or supplemental documentation.

        To complete this section:

        • Most information in this section is pre-filled using the data currently on file for a given student at the University.  The following fields are exceptions and are completed by you:
           
          • Personal Email:
            • If you have a personal email address, enter it in the corresponding text field.
            • If you do not have a personal email address, select the checkbox to the right of the Personal Email text field that states "I do not have a personal email address."
               
          • Confirm that your permanent address information is correct.
            • Select the arrow for the dropdown field below the "Is the current permanent address on file with the University still accurate?  If you are not sure, please visit Vergil to view the address currently on file."
            • Select Yes or No, as appropriate, from the dropdown list.
               
          • If you need to update your contact information, please follow the instructions in the Before You Get Started section of this page for Reviewing and Updating Your Contact Information.
             
          • If your ID Number, Name, School or Program are incorrect, please contact us directly.

        This section is unique to students that wish to submit a Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request form with a traditional (non-electronic) signature; you may upload a Wet-Signed Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form for submission at this point if you selected the Wet-Signature option on the General Information Tab.

        Please Note: Your Wet-Signed Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form must include your signature to be processed; please review your completed Wet-Signed Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form before uploading it for submission.

         

        To complete this section:

        1. If you have not done so already, obtain and complete the PDF Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form.
           
        2. Click the "Attach Withdrawal/LOA button to attach a file"
           
        3. Using the File Explorer window that appears, navigate to the location of your saved, completed and signed PDF Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form; double click the document to complete the upload process.
           
          1. You will see a blue link with your uploaded documents name appear near the "Attach Withdrawal/LOA" button after it is successfully uploaded.
             
          2. If you have additional documentation to provide, select the "Supporting Documentation" button and follow the same process for uploading your completed PDF Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form.
             
          3. You may upload multiple items by reselecting the "Supporting Documentation" button after your first successful upload; each new upload will appear as a link near the "Supporting Documentation" button.
        4. Select "Submit" to transmit your wet-signed Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Notification Request Form for processing.

          Note: if you wish to pursue the Electronic Signature option after having opted for a Wet-Signature, you may select the "Return to Sign Electronically" button near the bottom of the page.

        This section asks for details related to the conditions surrounding a students Withdrawal or requested Leave of Absence.

         

        To complete this section:

        1. Beneath the text heading "Please select the term and year that applies to this request: This will generally be the term you/the student is currently attending or if between terms the next term you/the student was scheduled to attend.", complete the following items:
           
          1. Term Dropdown List:
            1. Select the term that applies to your request - Summer, Fall or Spring
               
            2. If submitting the form between terms, select the next term that your program is regularly scheduled to attend.
               
          2. Year Text Field:
            1. Enter the year that corresponds with the term selected in the previous dropdown list in YY format.
               
          3. For the term indicated above, were you/the student enrolled as a cross-registrant from Teacher’s College or Barnard?
            1. If you are primarily a Barnard student, select "Yes - Barnard" from the dropdown list provided.
               
            2. If you are primarily a Teachers College student, select "Yes - Teachers College" from the dropdown list provided.
               
            3. If neither of the circumstances above apply, select "No" from the dropdown list provided.
          4. Please select the reason for your/the students request.  You may share any clarifying information or supporting documentation for the request in the subsequent fields below: 
             
            1. Select the option that best represents the reason for pursuing a Leave of Absence or Withdrawal - Medical, Military or Other - from the dropdown list provided.
               
            2. Provide a brief summary of the circumstances that led to your form submission in the Textbox Field that appears below the dropdown list provided. This is required. 
              1. Please keep your comments under 300 words, where possible.
              2. You may provide additional details to your school as part of the required follow-up to your form submission.
                 
          5. If you selected "Medical" as the reason for your request above, select the appropriate option in the dropdown list below the text "Would you like to request an extension of your Columbia University health insurance coverage, if eligible?"
             
            1. Please note, your selection here is informative in nature and does not guarantee access to extended coverage; the Health Insurance office will notify you of your eligibility to extend insurance and the requirements for doing so, where applicable.
              ​​​​​​​
          6. When will you/the student return to school:
            1. Select the appropriate option from the dropdown list provided
               
              1. "At a later date during the same term associated with this request" - this option is for students that will 1) Withdraw or take a Leave of Absence after having started the current term in progress and 2) return to a course that starts later during the same term.

                Please note: Some schools and programs do not permit students to return to a course later in the current term in progress; please contact your school directly for assistance with clarifying if this option is available to you.
                 
                1. Please list the course(s) you/the student will take when you return by entering the name of the course in the "Course Name" textbox and the start date for that course in the "Course Start Date" textbox; if you are unsure of a courses name or start date, you may find it by searching for the course in Vergil.
                   
                2. Select the "Add" button near the left-side of the page to add additional courses, if applicable; you may remove any inadvertently added rows by selecting the "Remove" button in the same area of the page.

                  Please note:

                  You may list courses that you have already registered for and those that you plan to register for in the future; the courses you add in this section will not be added to your schedule until you complete the registration steps prescribed by your school.

                  You must include at least once course to select this option; if you are unsure what coursework you will return to, contact your school for additional assistance.
                  ​​​​​​​
              2. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​"At the beginning of the (select term and year below)" - This option is for students that intend to return at the beginning for a future term.
                ​​​​​​​
                1. Term Dropdown List: Select the term that you plan to return to - Summer, Fall or Spring.
                   
                2. Year Text Field: Enter the year that corresponds with the term selected in the previous dropdown list in YY format.
                  ​​​​​​​
              3. "I do not plan to resume my studies" - this option is for students that do not intend to return to complete the program currently in progress.
                ​​​​​​​
            2.  

        Type of Request: Withdrawal or Leave of Absence

        Withdrawal

        Leave of Absence

        What Term Applies?

         

        Reason for the Request

         

         

        Extended Health Coverage for Approved Medical Reasons

        Anticipated Return to School

        Uploading Supporting Documentation

        Clarifying Information

        Electronic Signature Tab

         

        To complete this section:

        1.  

        Need Help? Contact Us.

        Students and administrators with questions regarding how to complete this form may Contact Us Directly.  

        If you are student seeking advising or that has questions related to whether temporarily or permanently leaving school is right for you, please Contact Your Advisor for assistance. 

        Help Me With Submitting a Form
        It's Something Else

        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.