Leave of Absence and Discontinuations (permanent withdrawal) for Spring 2027

November-December 2026 is the recommended timeframe for exploring and arranging a Spring 2027 leave of absence or discontinuation (permanent withdrawal).  Students in a one-year residence license agreement (on-campus housing assignment) should complete their residence move-out following Fall 2026 finals if they will be arranging a Spring 2027 leave of absence or discontinuation from BU.

Quick summary: Leaves and discontinuations (permanent withdrawals) should always be planned in advance (before the start of the new term). Review the implications and deadlines on the FAQs page. Pay special attention to key deadlines and impacts of your decision on registration, billing, housing, financial aid, and campus services. Timing of your request makes a difference (before the semester begins, on or after the first day of classes). Discuss your leave plans and return-from-leave semester timing with your advisor, update your path-to-degree, and adjust your expected graduation term (if necessary) before proceeding with a leave of absence or discontinuation request.

• Review the FAQs page thoroughly for more information about options, implications, reasons, and timing for leaves and discontinuations/permanent withdrawals
• Discuss your plans with your academic advisor and consult with ISSO, Athletics, family, healthcare providers, academic and graduation advisors, and other BU resources as appropriate before submitting a leave/discontinuation (permanent withdrawal) request. (Submitting the request is the last step in your process.)
• You can log into the Student Portal 24/7 and chat with  MyAcademic Guide to ask general questions while you are exploring options (don’t submit a request until you are sure you are ready to proceed)
  • you must log in with your Kerberos credentials to receive accurate information
  • if MyAcademic Guide doesn’t appear immediately, click the chatbot bubble in the browser window to expand/open
  • if you are having trouble with MyAcademic Guide, try clearing cache/cookies on your computer and log in again using an incognito or private web browser and the direct URL: https://student.bu.edu/MyBU/s/academics.
• Read through the “Undergraduate student return checklist” and “Financial Aid Steps” at www.bu.edu/usc/leaveandwithdrawal/returning as you are considering a leave; this will allow you to select the most appropriate return-from-leave semester for your situation.
•  Taking a semester or more away may impact your path-to-degree or expected degree completion timing.  Be sure to discuss this with your advisor.
  • Adjust your expected graduation term as needed in MyBU (your advising team can help with this) before submitting a leave of absence request.  Expected graduation term as listed in MyBU should be later than the return-from-leave semester specified in your leave request.
  • If you are changing schools (intra University transfers), adjusting majors/minors/concentrations, or transferring in external credits, make sure those updates are reflected in MyBU before you submit a leave request–otherwise processing of these adjustments will need to wait until after you return from your leave.
• If you are studying on an F-1/J-1 visa, you must discuss a possible leave or discontinuation with your ISSO advisor and there will be additional paperwork to complete through the ISSO portal, in addition to the steps outlined on this page.

A leave of absence is a temporary interruption in studies, typically for at least one full semester.

• Tuition is cancelled in accordance with the published tuition refund schedule.
• A student on a leave of absence is holding a spot for return to their BU degree program in a semester or two, and may not enroll as a degree candidate at another institution.  It is ok to take classes at another school, as a guest/visiting/non-matriculated student, while on leave status.  Discuss transfer credit eligibility with your advising team.
• If you are absent for a semester without arranging for an approved leave, re-enrollment into your degree program cannot be guaranteed.
• Carefully review the return-from-leave/re-enrollment information (expandable section “Undergraduate Student Return Checklists”, including “Financial Aid Guidance for Students Returning from Leave” if applicable) and use that information to determine your best return-from-leave semester, in consultation with your advisor.

A discontinuation (permanent withdrawal) involves a permanent departure from the BU degree program.

• Tuition is cancelled in accordance with the published tuition refund schedule.
• No spot is held for future return.  Students wishing to return after a discontinuation should reapply through the appropriate admissions process for their program of interest.
• Students transferring to another institution for their degree studies must use this option.

Reasons for leaves/discontinuations (permanent withdrawals)

You’ll need to share one primary reason for your leave/discontinuation request.  You may share multiple reasons for your request, but must note one primary reason.  Before submitting your request for leave/discontinuation through MyAcademic Guide determine whether you are interrupting/discontinuing studies for medical or non-medical reasons.

• If your leave of absence is for medical reasons, University policy requires that you successfully complete the medical review process through Student Health Services prior to re-enrolling. Medical documentation is not required in order to arrange your leave, but students often find it helpful to share a doctor’s note with Student Health Services to keep their records updated and to facilitate the return process.
• Leaves (and discontinuations) arranged for medical reasons will display the “medical clearance required” notation in MyBU as a reminder that the medical review process must be completed prior to re-enrolling in classes. (See FAQs for more information.)
• If you share multiple reasons for your leave, and any one of the reasons is medical, the leave will be categorized as medical and you will need to complete the medical review process.
• Non-medical reasons for leaves and discontinues fall include:
  • academic
  • academic difficulty
  • Church mission
  • family
  • financial
  • military service
  • safety/security
  • visa
  • work-career-internship

Review the FAQs for additional information about leaves, discontinuations (permanent withdrawals), reasons, and implications.

This should be your last step in the process, after you’ve reviewed information, asked questions, and confirmed your plans with advisors and other resources.

Submit a leave or discontinuation request using MyAcademic Guide.

• Click the chatbot bubble in the browser window if you aren’t greeted by MyAcademic Guide right away. Still having trouble finding  MyAcademic Guide?  Try launching a new private/incognito browser session and copying/pasting the URL directly:  https://student.bu.edu/MyBU/s/academics.  This should prompt you to log in with your BU Kerberos credentials.
• There is no form to complete.  In the MyAcademic Guide chatbot window, explain what you need: “I want to arrange a Spring 2027 leave of absence” or “I want to arrange a Spring 2027 permanent discontinuation from BU”.  Answer any questions the agent asks about your leave duration, reason for leave/discontinue, etc.
• MyAcademic Guide will confirm all the necessary information for your planned-in-advance leave or discontinuation request, then will create a leave/discontinuation request case. MyAcademic Guide will then summarize your request details along with your request case number, and ask you to confirm whether you want this submitted.
  • You can adjust your request details as needed before submitting.
  • You can cancel your request without submitting.
  • You can ask MyAcademic Guide to save a draft of the request, to return to later.
  • You can confirm submission for MyAcademic Guide and your request will be passed along for review/processing. Use the case number if you need to ask MyAcademic Guide a follow up question about your request, while it is in progress.

Once your request is submitted, allow three to five business days for review and processing.

• You will be sent email updates (to your BU email account) as your request is processed (“in progress”, “pending resolution”, “closed -completed as requested”).
• If you don’t see notifications, check your junk, clutter, and spam folders. A keyword search for your case number is usually helpful for this.
• If additional information/action is needed, or if your request can’t be processed, you will be alerted via BU email.  Please keep an eye out and respond promptly.
• Allow 1-2 business days for acknowledgement of your case (an “in progress” or “hold” notification, or an email outlining additional steps/information needed). Then allow an additional 2-3 business days for remaining steps.

International students studying on F-1 or J-1 visas must also fill out required information on the ISSOPortal: https://issoportal.bu.edu/_portal/, “Request Center”.  This is in addition to completion of the steps outlined above.  Be sure to consult with your ISSO advisor for any additional steps needed.

Once you receive a notification your case is “closed-completed as requested”, verify your records update directly in MyBU. Use a computer to view your records; viewing on a mobile device often truncates/cuts off important details so the display is incomplete.

• MyBU Student Dashboard → Academics → View Unofficial Transcript → Programs (displays leave, return-from-leave and discontinuation details with associated dates)
  MyBU Student Dashboard → Academics → Programs (displays your current program status and your expected graduation term)

Email usc@bu.edu if you have questions after verifying your records–be sure to attach screenshots of the paths above for reference.

Once your leave/discontinuation status is reflected in MyBU, the following adjustments will take place:

• For arranged-in-advance leaves/discontinuations for Spring 2027, your spring courses will be dropped—and tuition removed per the tuition refund schedule—using the date of your leave/discontinuation request submitted through MyAcademic Guide.
  • The start date of your planned-in-advance leave or discontinuation will be 1/18/2027.  (See the FAQs describing the difference between request submission date and the effective date for leave/discontinuation.)
• Allow 5 business days for tuition updates, once your leave/discontinuation status is updated.
• If you are assigned to an on campus residence for Fall 2026 and you are arranging Spring 2027 leave/discontinuation in advance, you must complete residence checkout at the end of the Fall 2026 term (after your last final and before residences close for Intersession).
• Checkout procedures are outlined at Withdrawals & Leaves of Absence | Boston University Housing.
  • Spring 2027 residence/dining charges are adjusted according to the schedule in the Terms and Conditions of the Residence License Agreement for the Full 2026-2027 Academic Year (RLA-Terms-Conditions-for-2026-2027.pdf).
  • Direct any questions to housing@bu.edu.
• Financial aid (BU grant, federal and state loans and grants, outside scholarships, sponsorships, and private, credit-based educational loans) for the Spring 2027 term will be canceled for planned-in-advance leaves/discontinuations. Allow 30 business days for this to be reflected in MyBU.

SHIP (student health insurance coverage

If you arrange a leave/discontinuation after the first 30 days of the SHIP policy period, SHIP coverage is unchanged and you are responsible for payment of any costs. For continuing students who are completing the Fall 2026 semester and who were enrolled into SHIP for the entire 2026-2027 policy year, there is no adjustment to coverage or charges for Spring 2027 leaves or discontinuations.

Refunds

If your MyBU invoice reflects an account credit/overpayment–after the Spring 2027 leave or discontinuation (permanent withdrawal) is in place, and after all the standard adjustments to tuition, residence/dining and financial aid listed above are complete–you can follow the process outlined at Refunds | Student Financials to request a refund. Direct questions to studenta@bu.edu after your leave or discontinuation is in place, you have completed your residence checkout (if applicable).

Re-enrollment/returning from leave information: www.bu.edu/usc/leaveandwithdrawal/returning.

• Carefully review expandable sections “Undergraduate Student Return Checklists” and “Financial Aid Guidance for Students Returning from Leave”, working through all items step by step (direct questions to the respective functional areas)

Medical review: www.bu.edu/usc/leaveandwithdrawal/returning/medical-review

• must be completed before students can re-enroll/resume studies if studies were interrupted / leave was arranged due to medical reasons
• this requirement is displayed in MyBU as “medical clearance required” (see FAQs) — the “medical clearance required” hold will be removed once the medical review process is complete

Enrollment verification – proof of enrollment

• available self-service in MyBU: MyBU – Enrollment – Enrollment Verification – print
• Enrollment verifications do not show leave of absence information — instead visit MyBU Student Dashboard → Academics → View Unofficial Transcript → Programs and take a screenshot, to capture your leave & return-from-leave or discontinuation details (including dates)

Transcript Request: https://www.bu.edu/reg/academics/transcripts/

• Transcripts will display leaves/discontinuation notations once the status is effective and the term is underway— for most students the effective date for Spring 2027 requests is 1/18/2027.