Leaves of Absence

Students who have a medical, family, or financial emergency or who wish to take time away from the School to welcome a child or because of family care issues may apply for a leave of absence. To apply for a leave, students must have completed at least one semester of a degree program and follow the steps outlined below. Students may be granted a leave for a maximum of one academic year at a time. Students must reapply for additional leaves. Leaves of absence are generally limited to two years.

Students approved for a leave of absence will not be assessed tuition for the term(s) of leave that is approved. Students on leave are not covered by the University’s health plan. Information regarding insurance coverage during a leave of absence is available on the Harvard University Student Health Program website. Email Member Services or call 617-495-2008.

Students on leave will not have access to electronic library and other University resources.

A leave of absence of one semester or up to one year must be requested from the Committee on Admissions and Degrees and may be approved when it is consistent with the educational and personal needs of the student. The request for such a leave should include a statement signed by the student, the student’s adviser, and the department chairperson summarizing the anticipated consequences of the leave on the student’s course of study (e.g., what will be done with regard to course sequences that may be interrupted). (CEP 1/86)

To petition to obtain a leave of absence, students must complete a Leave of Absence Petition, obtain the signatures of their adviser, their department chair/program director, and the financial aid officer, and then submit the completed form to the Registrar’s Office for review before the start of the semester. Students are also encouraged to consult with and seek support from the Office for Student Affairs to finalize their plans.

With respect to a voluntary leave of absence for medical reasons, the Associate Director of Student Affairs and/or the Associate Dean for Student Services may consult with Harvard University Health Services (which may consider information from the student’s current and/or former health care providers, if made available by the student), as appropriate.

Under certain circumstances, a student may be placed on an involuntary leave of absence. An involuntary leave of absence is not a disciplinary sanction; however, an incident that gives rise to a leave of absence, whether voluntary or involuntary, may subsequently be the basis for disciplinary action. A student who prefers to take a voluntary leave of absence for medical reasons rather than be placed on an involuntary leave of absence for medical reasons is ordinarily allowed to do so.

An involuntary leave of absence may be required for the following reasons:

• Medical circumstances: (a) The student’s behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of any person or has seriously disrupted others in the student’s residential community or academic environment; and (b) either the student’s threatening, self-destructive, or disruptive behavior is determined to be the result of a medical condition or the student has refused to cooperate with efforts by Harvard University Health Services to determine the cause of the behavior. The decision to place a student on an involuntary leave of absence for health-related reasons is made in consultation with Harvard University Health Services (which may consider information from the student’s current and/or former health care providers, if made available by the student) after an individualized assessment of all the pertinent factors, such as the nature of the student’s conduct; the nature, duration, and severity of the risk; the likelihood of potential injury; and whether reasonable modifications of policies, practices, or procedures will mitigate the risk. However, reasonable modifications do not include changes that would fundamentally alter the academic program or unduly burden the School’s resources or staffing capabilities or, with respect to the required level of care or monitoring, that would exceed the standard of care that a university health service can be expected to provide.
• Alleged criminal behavior: The student has been arrested on allegations of serious criminal behavior or has been charged with such behavior by law enforcement authorities.
• Risk to the community: The student has been charged with a violation of a disciplinary rule of the School, and their presence on campus poses a significant risk to the safety of others or to the educational environment of the community.
• Indebtedness: The student’s term bill is unpaid, and the student has not made arrangements acceptable to the School to address the issue.
• Noncompliance: Failure to provide medical documentation of required immunizations.
• Unfulfilled academic requirements: The student has not met an academic requirement and has not taken steps acceptable to the School to meet the requirement.

The decision to place a student on involuntary leave is made by the associate dean for student services in consultation with the registrar, the student’s adviser, the director for student affairs, the department chair or program director, and other officers of the University, or such other person as the associate dean for student services designates as appropriate. As previously noted, in the case of an involuntary leave of absence for medical reasons, the School will consult with an appropriate person at Harvard University Health Services.

A student is notified in writing that they have been placed on involuntary leave. The student may petition the associate dean for student services for reconsideration and may appeal a final decision to the dean of the School.

Any student who goes on leave of absence during the academic year is charged any applicable fees, including rent, to the end of the period in which they leave. Students receiving scholarship or other financial aid should consult the Office of Financial Aid concerning the financial aid implications of going on leave, including potentially jeopardizing their funding or loan deferral status. International students should consult the Harvard International Office concerning their status. Students on leave should continue to check their Harvard email accounts for important information.

The date a student goes on leave will affect the student’s health insurance through Harvard. Leave of Absence information is available on the Harvard University Student Health Program website. Email Member Services or call 617-495-2008.

In general, Harvard libraries and other facilities may be used only by students who are currently registered. Students on leave may not participate in extracurricular activities. Exceptions must be specifically approved in advance by the School. If so instructed by the associate dean for student services, a student on leave must remain away from the University campus.

All degree candidates, whether currently registered or not, are expected to maintain a satisfactory standard of conduct.

Following an individualized assessment, the School may require students who are on leave for medical reasons to comply with a treatment plan during their time away.

A student in good standing on a voluntary leave of absence is expected to return to an enrolled status by the semester indicated on the Leave of Absence Form. If an extension is required, the student must contact the Registrar’s Office before the end of the leave.

Students who were not in good standing at the time a voluntary leave of absence was granted and students who were placed on an involuntary leave of absence must petition the associate dean for student services for permission to return to the School and must demonstrate that the circumstances that led to their leave have been satisfactorily addressed and that they are ready to resume their studies. The decision of whether to allow a student to return is made by the associate dean for student services, in consultation with the registrar, the student’s adviser, the director for student affairs, and the department chair or program director.

If the leave, whether voluntary or involuntary, was for medical reasons, the student must petition the associate dean for student services for permission to return to the School and must demonstrate that the circumstances that led to their leave have been satisfactorily addressed and that they are ready to resume their studies. In addition, so that the School may conduct an individualized assessment of their circumstances, students on medical leave will ordinarily be required to consult with Harvard University Health Services (and to grant permission to HUHS to obtain their treatment records and communicate with their treatment providers) so that a professional assessment about the student’s stability and readiness to return can be shared with the School. If the School learns of serious concerns regarding the health or well-being of a student who is away from the School but not on a medical leave of absence, then the School similarly may require the student to consult with Harvard University Health Services (and to grant permission to HUHS to obtain their treatment records and communicate with their treatment providers) so that a professional assessment of the student’s stability and readiness to return can be shared with the School. In all such cases, the decision of whether to allow a student to return is made by the associate dean for student services, in consultation with the registrar, the student’s adviser, the director for student affairs, and the department chair or program director.

Any disciplinary matter must be resolved before a student on leave of absence will be allowed to return.

Students returning from a leave who wish to apply for financial aid must notify the Office of Financial Aid and are responsible for making all required arrangements in time for enrollment payment deadlines.

A student will not be allowed to register in the University again until all previous term-bill charges have been paid and no loan is in default.

The School may condition a student’s enrollment on certain terms or conditions, as set forth in a written contract between the School and the student, when the student’s conduct or circumstances have caused heightened concerns about the student’s safety and/or well-being and (a) the appropriateness of the student’s continued enrollment or (b) the student’s readiness to return to the Harvard community. The contract may include, among other things, compliance with a medical treatment plan, regular consultations with health care professionals, communication with administrators, and limited disclosure of relevant medical information, on a need-to-know basis, such as compliance with treatment and restrictions on certain activities. The decision to require such a contract is arrived at in consultation with Harvard University Health Services after an individualized assessment of the nature of the student’s conduct and circumstances and any other pertinent factors.

Doctoral students have several options designed to maximize flexibility during periods of family leave. A student may apply for parental leave or leave to assist an immediate family member in need of care under the standard procedures for leaves of absence. Students may choose to take time away from the School and make no progress toward their degree (leave of absence). Students on leave of absence may continue to have access to their School email account but will not be considered active students and will thus not have access to electronic library resources nor be able to use a student ID for access to facilities. Students on leave may maintain some physical access to the Harvard Chan School and Countway Library. Arrangements for this access may be made through the School’s Office for Student Affairs.

Alternatively, a doctoral student may make arrangements to enroll as a part-time student and register for a small number of independent study or research credits (1.25-credit minimum to 5-credit maximum). If the student chooses the latter alternative, tuition will be assessed at the standard per-credit rate. Students enrolled in part-time status will maintain access to all Harvard facilities and electronic library resources available to students at the School. Doctoral students who elect this option should be aware that tuition paid while on family leave will not count toward the residency requirement. The GSAS policies website contains more details for PhD candidates. All degree candidates, whether currently registered or not, are expected to maintain a satisfactory standard of conduct.

Students considering taking family leave should consult with their adviser, the Registrar’s Office, and the Office for Student Affairs.