Taking a Medical Leave of Absence

Before you submit a formal Medical Leave of Absence (MLOA) request, it is important that you have information about the process and implications of taking a leave. That starts with reviewing the MLOA policy.

Any student considering a MLOA

It is the student’s responsibility to understand any relevant implications regarding registration, grading, tuition, financial aid or immigration. Depending on your situation, you should plan to consult with one or more of the following about the amount of time available for MLOA and the conditions for return from MLOA:

• Disability Resources
• Student Health Center-Danforth Campus
• Center for Counseling and Psychological Services
• Academic advisors
• Residential Life, as there are procedures required to exit and or return to campus.
• Student Financial Services
• For international students:
  • If you are planning to stay in the U.S., or if you want to maintain your F-1 student visa status while you are on leave, you will need to obtain the MLOA documentation from a licensed medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy, psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, or psychologist.
  • It is important that you talk with an immigration advisor in the Office of International Students and Scholars about the impact of MLOA on your visa status.
• For Graduate Students:
  • Graduate School Assistant Dean of Student Life
  • Director of Graduate Studies
  • Graduate Field Assistant

Steps to take a medical leave of absence

Once you have determined that you would like to request a Medical Leave of Absence (MLOA), please follow these steps below. – Students can submit the required forms with the initial meeting request or following the meeting. – Recommendations cannot be forwarded to your respective school or program until all three forms have been completed, returned, and reviewed by the MLOA Committee.

Step 1. Request MLOA

You must read and and acknowledge by signing that you understand the terms and conditions of the MLOA policy. Then complete the Time Away Form. Be sure to note which policies apply to undergraduate vs. graduate students.

Step 2. Information about the medical/mental health reason for leave

All students will need to provide information about the medical/medical health reason for which they need a leave of absence within five business days of your MLOA request. There are three documentation options, which are listed below. Only one of the following forms of MLOA documentation is required. All documentation must be written in English from the medical provider or translated by a licensed professional translation service.

Step 3:  administrative and academic processes

If an MLOA is recommended, the MLOA Committee will send a letter of recommendation, including recommended effective date, to the student’s School. The school will make the final decision and notify the student and campus partners in writing of its determination. The designated School official will inform the student of the status of their current coursework, withdrawal from classes, and conditions for reinstatement.

Your college/school may place academic conditions on your return based on curriculum sequencing, time to degree requirements, or academic actions that will be determined and communicated to you by the end of the term.

Deadlines to request a health leave of absence

Students must submit all necessary paperwork, including approval from their School or department, no later than the last day of classes by 5 p.m. to allow their school to determine the outcome of an MLOA request for for the current semester. Any request submitted beyond this deadline will be considered for the following semester.

Duration of medical leave of absence

The following conditions apply.

• You may not return from a leave within the semester that the leave was taken. 
• The duration of the leave will depend upon the time you need for treatment and/or recovery and the resolution of academic conditions.
• Two year maximum leave, if the student’s treatment extends beyond two years, the student will be “withdrawn” from their program and the student will need to submit an application for re-entry.