Undergraduate Leave of Absence
Beginning in the Fall 2025 term, the Undergraduate Leave of Absence regulation allows eligible students to take an approved break from their academic studies without losing their active student status. This process supports students who need time away from the university for personal, medical, or other reasons and plan to return within a defined period.
What Is a Leave of Absence?
A Leave of Absence (LOA) allows undergraduate students to take time away from the university for up to two consecutive regular terms (fall and spring) while maintaining their student status. Students with an approved LOA are not required to apply for readmission when they return. Students on approved LOA also maintain access to their ncsu.edu email accounts and should continue to receive important information and updates from the university.
Note: If a student does not return after an approved Leave of Absence period, they will be discontinued and will be required to apply for readmission to any future terms.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a Leave of Absence, students must:
- Have completed at least one semester in an undergraduate degree program at the university;
- Have no active academic or disciplinary suspensions;
- Have their student account paid in full; and
- Submit the LOA request by the census date of the term they wish the leave to begin
Your eligibility will be reviewed before approval is granted.
Requesting Leave
All LOA requests must be submitted through the Leave of Absence Request process in MyPack Portal through the following navigation:
Student Homepage > Planning & Enrollment tile > Term Withdraw and Leave of Absence menu item
Notification of the approval or denial of Leave of Absence requests will be communicated to students via their NC State email address. Approved LOAs are limited to two consecutive terms (fall and spring).
Military Leave of Absence
Students who are called to active duty in the U.S. military, National Guard, or other armed forces reserve units may request a Military Leave of Absence (MLOA), which can extend beyond two terms. Information on MLOA is available on the Military and Veteran Services website.
Financial Aid Implications
Students approved for a Leave of Absence will be considered withdrawn for Title IV financial aid purposes. This may impact federal aid eligibility and repayment timelines. Before submitting a request, we strongly recommend discussing your situation with a Financial Aid Counselor.