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 undergraduate student (not in Metropolitan College and you began your studies in Spring 2027 or earlier), then read on for assistance if you are considering a Fall 2026 leave of absence or discontinuation (permanent withdrawal).

Understand your options

  • Review the FAQs page thoroughly; this goes over options, implications, 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
  • 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
  • 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.
  •  Adjust your expected graduation term in MyBU (your advising team can help with this) before submitting a leave of absence request

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).

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 your past and future leave, return-from-leave and discontinuation details) 
    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)