If you are considering taking a leave of absence please review the Leavetaking Considerations checklist and meet with any offices that may assist you as you weigh your decision. Then, meet with your program director and a dean at the Graduate School to discuss your possible plans during your leave.
Please reference the Leaves of Absence page on the Graduate School website for more details.
If you currently receive financial aid, your aid award will be reevaluated as a result of your leave. If the date of your leave precedes the start of classes, your federal financial aid will simply be cancelled. If the date of your leave is after the start of classes, your financial aid award will be adjusted according to federal regulations and institutional policies.
In general, the level of federal financial aid you are eligible to keep is proportionate to the amount of time you attended Brown during your semester of leave. However, if you took a leave after the 60% point in the semester, you will retain all of your federal financial aid.
Your Brown institutional financial aid may also be subject to adjustment. To determine how your leave will affect any institutional financial aid, please contact your program’s department directly. The decision to take a leave of absence will not solely affect an aided student’s eligibility for federal financial aid upon his or her approved return to Brown as an active student. However, students must adhere to any published deadlines in applying for financial aid through their program before returning to Brown.
Please reference the Refund and Withdrawal Policy for Graduate Students on the Graduate School website for more details.
To determine how Brown’s charges may be amended according to the date of your leave, please refer to the Refund Policy published by the Bursar’s Office.
Consult the Checklist for Leavetaking for a list of items to do at Brown to facilitate your leave. You must complete a Leave of Absence Request Form as well to initiate your leave through the Graduate School. Once the Graduate School approves your leave, the Registrar's Office will be notified of the effective date of your leave. Then, your enrollment status will be changed from active to inactive. The Office of Financial Aid will then receive official notification of your leave. In the meantime, feel free to communicate your leave approval to our office. Shortly after notification, we will adjust your federal financial aid funding according to the federal regulations and institutional policies described above.
Follow the steps outlined in the Checklist for Returning to Brown from a Leave to learn what you need to do to be approved for readmission. To request readmission approval, you must first contact the appropriate dean by published deadlines.
If you owe a balance on your student account, payment is necessary before your readmission can be granted. Late fees will accrue on any unpaid balances.
If you have had University and/or Perkins Loans in the past, each must be in good standing in order for you to be readmitted. If you have had a Federal Direct and/or PLUS Loan in the past, each must be in good standing so that you may receive federal student aid upon your return to Brown. If your Federal Direct and/or PLUS Loans are not in good standing, then the Office of Financial Aid will not replace your loss in federal student aid with any funding. Please contact your program regarding the process of re-applying for any institutional financial aid.