Leaves of Absence
Hamilton College recognizes that students may wish to pursue opportunities that require a temporary pause in their studies at the College. To enable these opportunities, the College provides the option for students to elect a leave of absence, which is a student-initiated action that either removes them from an on-going semester or allows them to be away from the College in upcoming semesters without formally
withdrawing. Students request leaves of absence for many reasons. Common examples include personal or family reasons or to address physical or mental health concerns. Depending on the reason a student may choose a leave of absence, they can request either a personal or medical leave of absence. Students interested in off-campus study should contact the Office of Global Learning to complete all off-campus study declaration requirements.
Requests for a personal leave of absence should be sent to the Associate Dean of Students for Academics, and requests for a medical leave of absence should be sent to the Student Support Care Team. See the links below for specifics about each type of leave of absence. While on leave, students are not allowed to participate in campus activities (including clubs, organizations, committees, employment, research, or academic programs) or be on campus without first receiving permission from the Associate Vice President for Student Life.
If a student chooses to take a leave of absence after an allegation of any type of misconduct has been reported, the student’s transcript will include a statement that the student is involved in a misconduct process until the process has concluded.
Deadlines to request a leave of absence
The deadline to request either a personal or medical leave of absence and avoid being billed for an upcoming semester is the day prior to the first day of classes of that semester. The deadline to request either a personal or medical leave of absence for a semester that is already in-progress is the last day of classes of that semester. If a leave of absence is elected during a semester, any courses the student is currently registered for will be counted as attempted but not completed and the student’s transcript will list the courses with grades of “W” for withdrawal. These grades are not counted in a student’s GPA. Any reimbursement of tuition, board, or fees follows the schedule published by the Business Office.
Deadlines to request a return from a leave of absence
Both personal and medical leaves of absence are for an indefinite amount of time; in order to return, students must make a written request and complete all return procedures. The deadlines for requesting a return from a personal or medical leave of absence are April 1st for a fall semester return or November 1st for a spring semester return. See the links below for specific return procedures for each type of leave of absence. Hamilton College reserves the right to deny a return if space is not available.
Withdrawal after an extended leave of absence
Students who have been on a leave of absence of any type for four consecutive semesters will be permanently withdrawn from the College if they do not communicate their plans to the Dean of Students office by the corresponding April 1st or November 1st of their fourth consecutive semester on leave.