Planning Your Return From a Leave of Absence
Advance planning is the best way to ensure the smooth return to your studies. The checklists below may be helpful as you complete steps to resume enrollment, whether for a spring, summer, or fall return.
Undergraduate Student Return Checklists
Please note that graduate students must coordinate their return from leave directly with their academic area.
| Check your return from leave information in MyBU | |
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| Resolve all outstanding holds and to-do items |
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| Resolve all outstanding holds (financial, compliance, medical review) and take care of any to-do items. If you have outstanding holds or to-do items, you may not be able to complete list items below in the recommended timeframe, and may need to postpone your return to a later semester. | |
| Medical Review | |
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Students who have taken a leave of absence for medical reasons must complete the medical review process with Student Health Services (SHS) before registering for classes. Process details and the necessary forms may be found on the Student Health Services website (scroll to the section titled, “Medical Review Process”). Wondering if you need to complete medical review? Log into MyBU Student and check. |
The optimal time for undergraduates to complete medical review:
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| Housing |
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If interested in on-campus housing, contact BU Housing to inquire about room availability. For more information on accommodations off-campus, visit Off-Campus Services. |
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| Academic Advising | |
| Contact your academic advisor/college advising office to discuss course selections. Refer to the list of advising offices if you aren’t sure who to contact. |
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| Compliance | |
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Check MyBU Student to ensure you are in compliance for registration; address any outstanding issues, as needed. Additional information about compliance may be found on the Registrar’s website. |
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| Visa Status | |
| Please contact your ISSO advisor at least ninety days before your desired re-entry date, and after completing medical review if applicable. You may require a new DS-2019 or I-20 as part of your return; for additional information, please refer to the ISSO website. |
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| Class Registration | |
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Students must register for courses on or after their assigned registration date, following completion of required academic advising and, if applicable, the medical review process. All registration activities take place in MyBU Student, where students can also access helpful video guides and knowledge articles to assist with schedule building and enrollment. |
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| Student Account | |
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| Loan Deferment/Repayment |
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| Contact your loan servicer(s) prior to your return to establish your eligibility for an in-school deferment. | |
| Things to do prior to the start of classes |
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| First day of the semester |
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Financial Aid Guidance for Students Returning from Leave
| Semester | Key Actions & Deadlines | Additional Notes |
| Fall |
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January – February and as noted in individual bullet items. |
| Spring |
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September – October. |
| Summer |
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Medical Review and Re-enrollment
University policy requires that all students interrupting studies for medical reasons complete a review process through Student Health Services (SHS) prior to resuming studies. The medical review process may also be required as a condition of, or contingency to, an exception to University policy–for example as part of approval for late course withdrawals, or when considering a request for re-enrollment after unapproved time away, gaps in enrollment, or possible return from suspension, dismissal, or withdrawal.
The return arrangements checklists, above, combined with the medical review page, will help students map out steps so that the return to studies is as smooth as possible.
If you have questions, please reach out. We are to help you, so you can resume studies ready to reach your fullest academic potential.