Non-attendance does not cancel registration and may result in failing grades and financial obligations to the University. Registration must be cancelled prior to the first day of class in order to avoid these consequences. Students who will not be attending for a semester, but who intend to return after an absence, must file the appropriate request for a leave of absence.

Any degree-seeking student who interrupts the pursuit of the degree must request an official Leave of Absence by submitting the appropriate form prior to the beginning of the first semester of absence. A student who drops all courses prior to the drop deadline must apply for a Leave of Absence. A Leave of Absence may be granted for a maximum of two consecutive semesters. Students on Leave and those who re-enroll within one semester after an approved Leave of Absence will be permitted to complete the degree program as originally begun. Those who interrupt the pursuit of the degree for any reason other than approved Leave of Absence or academic suspension will be required to comply with any changes in academic regulations and degree requirements made during their absence of three or more consecutive semesters. They will be required to complete the general education and major program requirements in effect at the time of re-enrollment at UMW.

There are three types of leave:

  1. Personal Leave – for students who do not plan to take courses for one or two semesters for any reason (health, finances, etc.).
  2. Study Leave – for students who plan to take pre-approved courses at another college or university in the United States.
  3. Education Abroad Leave – for students who plan to participate in semester and academic year academic programs abroad which have been approved by the Center for International Education.

For a Personal Leave, B.A./B.S./B.S.Ed. and BSN students must submit a Request for Personal Leave of Absence form to the Office of the Registrar. BLS students must submit the form to the BLS Office.

For a Study Leave, students must submit a Request for Study Leave of Absence form to the Office of the Registrar. Study leave will be granted to any qualified student who plans to enroll in a program, which has been fully approved by UMW in advance. After a student has chosen a program or school, applied and been accepted, they work with their major advisor to develop the most appropriate selection of courses for the semester or year. The student then obtains the appropriate transfer permission form from the Office of the Registrar, secures written approval from their major advisor for any major program courses, and submits this form to the Office of the Registrar for final course approval. This process must be completed prior to enrollment in any study leave course work or the course(s) will not be transferred to UMW. 

For an Education Abroad Leave, students must register through the Education Abroad Portal and contact the Center for International Education (CIE) to complete the necessary paperwork prior to beginning programs abroad for a semester or a full academic year which have been approved by CIE.