Arranging a leave of absence or withdrawal for Fall 2025

The deadline to submit all paperwork (and an appointment, if you choose that as part of your fall leave/withdrawal request process) is 5 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.

(If you are a graduate student, nondegree student, or student in Metropolitan College, please reach out to your academic area for assistance.)

If you are considering a leave of absence or withdrawal for Fall 2025, you will find it helpful to review the information in Step 1 below. If you wish to explore alternatives to taking a leave or withdrawing, you should be consulting with appropriate resources based on your situation: academic advising team, medical providers, family, trusted friends. Once you are ready to arrange a leave or withdrawal, review the information below, and proceed with Steps 1-4 immediately. Click the “+” sign to open the expandable links.

Step 1: Review important information for Fall 2025 leaves and withdrawals

Review the implications associated with a leave of absence or withdrawal, i.e. how this impacts your records, your account, and your access to BU resources. Choose the link below that best fits your situation timing:

Arranging a leave or withdrawal before September 1 (or after September 1, if you are not enrolled for fall classes)
Arranging a leave of absence or withdrawal after September 1 if you are enrolled for fall classes (if you are not enrolled for fall classes see bullet above)

Other links you might find helpful to look through:

Medical review process (if your leave is due to medical/health reasons)
Planning your return from a leave of absence (as applicable)
Link to the tuition cancellation schedule for Fall 2025
Link to the housing cancellation/refund schedule for undergraduate students. NOTE: If you move into your fall on-campus residence and then arrange a fall leave or withdrawal, you must complete your residence checkout within 48 hours, following BU Housing’s detailed checkout instructions here.
International students studying on an F-1/J-1 visa should view ISSO’s “Interruptions to your Program, Employment, or Affiliation” page and contact your ISSO advisor (www.bu.edu/isso/contact/appointment-scheduling-for-students/) with questions. It is generally expected that you will depart the U.S. immediately upon arranging your leave/withdrawal.

Now that you’ve reviewed the helpful information move on to Step 2, below.

Step 2: Complete forms and appointment/discussion with the USC

To arrange your leave of absence or withdrawal, complete the following four items, in order:

leave/withdrawal inquiry form
student experience questionnaire
official leave-withdrawal request form
form to arrange or waive the required appointment with our team

Once you submit all four forms, our team will review and proceed accordingly:

If you choose the appointment waiver option, we will approve your request and update your records, typically within 2-3 business days. (To verify the records update, refer to the instructions under Step 4, below.)
If you choose to have the appointment as part of your leave/withdrawal request process, it is your responsibility to schedule and complete the meeting with our team promptly.
If you initially indicate you are scheduling an appointment, and then decide you want us to approve your paperwork without the appointment, simply resubmit the form to arrange or waive the required appointment with our team, choosing the appointment waiver option.
Any incomplete requests (due to missing forms, missing appointments) will be deleted after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.

Next, move on to Steps 3 and 4 below.

Step 3: International students on F-1 or J-1 visas complete this step

International students studying on F-1 or J-1 visas must also file a leave of absence through the ISSOPortal (https://issoportal.bu.edu/_portal/) in the “Request Center”, in addition to the Leave/Withdrawal Request form for BU. See image below, and email isso@bu.edu for assistance if you have questions about your ISSOPortal request.

Step 4. Confirm your request has been processed

Once you’ve completed all items in steps 1-3, following any specific instructions from our team, we should be able to approve your request and update your records. This generally takes 2-3 business days. Note: the presence of any holds impacting enrollment/registration (for example: immunization, financial, advising) may delay our processing. Please resolve any holds as promptly as possible.

You can view your approved leave of absence or discontinue (permanent withdrawal) status by taking the following steps:

log into MyBU Student
select the “My BU Student Dashboard” tile
from your dashboard view, select “Academics“
select “View Unofficial Transcript”
in this view, click the expandable button for “Programs”

The images below show a confirmed leave of absence for Fall 2024 (return semester Spring 2025), as well as a permanent withdrawal, which is “Discontinue” in the new records system.

Sample views of status screens in MyBU

Example: Leave of Absence for Fall 2024 (with Spring 2025 return)

Example: Discontinue (permanent withdrawal) for Fall 2024

“How can I tell in the new system, MyBU, whether I need to complete the medical review process prior to re-enrolling / resuming studies?”

Important Dates

We recommend students complete their leave of absence / withdrawal steps by the end of June. If your plans for fall are still uncertain (for example, you are waiting to hear about an internship or work opportunity) then start the leave of absence paperwork with us in June, and schedule a meeting to discuss your situation and the decision timing, in more detail.

Important dates to consider:

August 7, 2025: This is the Fall 2025 registration/settlement deadline, so your semester tuition, fees, residence/dining, and other associated charges should be resolved by this date. Fall 2025 leave/withdrawal steps should all be completed with the USC team by this time. (Our availability will be a little more limited later in August, as we work with students who are reporting for orientation and fall semester move-in.)

Tuition cancellation schedules

2025-26 academic year (fall, spring): The following tuition and housing cancellation schedules apply for (non-Metropolitan College) undergraduate leaves and withdrawals.

Tuition cancellation schedule (select appropriate semester from the list of choices): Withdrawal and Tuition Refund Schedule | Student Accounting Services (bu.edu)
Housing cancellation/refund schedule for undergraduate students can be found within the Terms and Conditions of the 2025-26 Residence License Agreement.

Planning your return from leave / medical review

If you are arranging a leave of absence, be sure to read through our “Planning Your Return From Leave” pages so you know what steps you need to take and when, in order to resume studies for your return semester.

If you are interrupting studies for health reasons, you must complete the medical review process. You should complete medical review before you move onto the general return-from-leave/re-enrollment steps. Find comprehensive details on our “Medical Review” page.