Leave of Absence and Withdrawal

  • Incoming first-year or incoming transfer students for Fall 2026 who cannot start their first-semester courses should contact admissions@bu.edu.
  • All Metropolitan College students, all graduate/professional students, and nondegree/visiting students should contact their academic program for guidance on taking a leave or withdrawing.

If you are a continuing undergraduate student (not in Metropolitan College, began studies in Spring 2026 or earlier), then read on for assistance with a Fall 2026 leave of absence or discontinuation (permanent withdrawal).

Understand your options

  • Review the FAQs page thoroughly; this goes over options, implications, reasons, and timing for leaves and discontinuations/permanent withdrawals
  • Discuss your plans with your academic advisor — you may also need to consult with ISSO, Athletics, family, healthcare providers, and other BU resources as appropriate, do this before submitting a request
  • You can log into the Student Portal 24/7 and chat with  MyAcademic Guide to ask general questions while you are exploring options
    • you must log in with your Kerberos credentials to receive accurate information
    • if MyAcademic Guide doesn’t appear immediately, click the chatbot bubble in the browser window to expand/open
  • Be sure to carefully read the FAQ items related to leave/discontinuation/withdrawal reasons, “What are the reasons I might take a leave of absence or discontinue my BU studies?”
    • A leave arranged for medical reasons will require that students complete the medical review process, prior to re-enrolling/returning/resuming studies. (If you share multiple reasons for your leave, and one is medical, the leave will be categorized as medical and you will need to complete the medical review process.)
    • Leaves can also be arranged for non-medical reasons:  academic; academic difficulty; Church mission; family; financial; military service; safety/security; visa; and work-career-internship.
  • Read through the “Undergraduate student return checklist” and “Financial Aid Steps” at www.bu.edu/usc/leaveandwithdrawal/returning as you are considering a leave; this will allow you to select the most appropriate return-from-leave semester for your situation.
  •  Taking time away may adjust your path-to-degree.  Be sure to adjust your expected graduation term in MyBU (your advising team can help with this) before submitting a leave of absence request.  If you are changing schools (intra University transfers), adjusting majors/minors/concentrations, or transferring in external credits, make sure those updates are reflected in MyBU before you submit your request–otherwise processing of these adjustments will need to wait until after you return from your leave.

Ready to submit a Fall 2026 leave or discontinuation request?

This should be your last step in the process, after you’ve reviewed information, asked questions, and confirmed your plans with advisors and other resources.

  • Submit a leave or discontinuation request using MyAcademic Guide.  (Remember to click the chatbot bubble in the browser window if you aren’t greeted by MyAcademic Guide right away.)
  • MyAcademic Guide will create a case for your request.  You can refer to this case number if you need to ask MyAcademic Guide a follow up question.
  • Once your request is submitted you will be sent email updates as your request is processed (“in progress”, “pending resolution”, “case closed/completed as requested”).  Allow 1-2 business days for acknowledgement of your case, and another 1-2 business days for processing after that.
    • If additional information/action is needed, or if your request can’t be processed, you will be alerted via BU email.  Check regularly, including your junk/spam/clutter folders.
  • Leaves and discontinuations are processed with a primary reason.  See the FAQ question, “What are the reasons I might take a leave of absence or discontinue my BU studies?” and the information in “Understand your options” above.  Indicate your primary reason for the request when working with MyAcademic Guide, and then share any secondary reasons.  If you indicate multiple reasons and one is “medical” then your leave request will be categorized as medical and you will need to complete the medical review process as part of your return from leave.
  • International students studying on F-1 or J-1 visas must also fill out required information on the ISSOPortal: https://issoportal.bu.edu/_portal/, “Request Center”.  Be sure to consult with your ISSO advisor for any additional steps needed.

Verifying your records update

Once you receive a notification your case is closed/completed as requested, verify your records update directly in MyBU:

  • MyBU Student Dashboard → Academics → View Unofficial Transcript → Programs (displays leave, return-from-leave and discontinuation details with associated dates) 
    MyBU Student Dashboard → Academics → Programs (displays your current program status and your expected graduation term)

Email usc@bu.edu if you have questions after verifying your records–be sure to attach screenshots of the paths above for reference.

Following up on your completed request

Allow 5-10 business days for records adjustments to be reflected in MyBU following your leave/discontinuation request update.   

Re-enrollment/returning from leave information: www.bu.edu/usc/leaveandwithdrawal/returning.

  • Carefully review expandable sections “Undergraduate Student Return Checklists” and “Financial Aid Guidance for Students Returning from Leave”, working through all items step by step (direct questions to the respective functional areas)

Medical review: www.bu.edu/usc/leaveandwithdrawal/returning/medical-review

  • must be completed before students can re-enroll/resume studies if studies were interrupted / leave was arranged due to medical reasons
  • this requirement is displayed in MyBU as “medical clearance required” (see FAQs) — the “medical clearance required” hold will be removed once the medical review process is complete

    Enrollment verification – proof of enrollment

    • available self-service in MyBU: MyBU – Enrollment – Enrollment Verification – print

    Transcript Request: https://www.bu.edu/reg/academics/transcripts/

    • Transcripts will display leaves/discontinuation notations once the status is effective — for most students the effective date for Fall 2026 requests is 9/1/2026 (unless otherwise listed in your MyBU records)