Frequently Asked Questions: Leave of Absence

Students can take a leave of absence for up to two consecutive semesters (for example, Fall 2025 and Spring 2026). Refer to the Academic Catalog for more information.

If a student is not ready to return after two consecutive semesters on leave, they can submit a petition for readmission through the Torero Hub once they are ready to return. Note: This is not a competitive process like the first time you applied to USD. This is for administrative purposes and to better understand your reasons for returning to USD.

For more information regarding the readmission process, please submit the Torero Hub Question Form.

The deadline to apply for a leave of absence for the current semester is the “last day to withdraw” deadline of each semester. The deadline to request a leave of absence for the Spring 2026 semester is Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

Students are encouraged to request a leave of absence as early as possible so as not to incur any (or to incur lower) tuition charges for the semester and to avoid applying for readmission. Please refer to the Undergraduate Academic Calendar for 2025-26 tuition refund deadlines.

If a student does not submit a leave of absence request and wishes to return to USD, they can submit a petition for readmission through the Torero Hub once they are ready to return. Note: This is not a competitive process like the first time you applied to USD. This is for administrative purposes and to better understand your reasons for returning to USD.

For more information regarding the readmission process, please submit the Torero Hub Question Form.

Here is a list of departments and offices you may want to contact regarding your leave of absence. It may be a good idea to reach out to your advisor to discuss how your degree plan may be affected by taking a leave of absence.

Cancel your housing contract for the upcoming semester or year by filling out a housing cancellation request form. This is a separate contract from the leave of absence form; without it, your housing arrangement will not be canceled automatically. Please note that there may be cancellation and housing fees.

For questions regarding housing, please contact Residential Life at housing@sandiego.edu or 619-260-4777.

Yes, your USD email will continue to work while you are on a leave. If you lose access to your USD email account or MySanDiego Portal, please contact the ITS Help Desk (help@sandiego.edu or (619-260-7900) for assistance.

If you wish to add your personal email in the USD system in the case that your @sandiego.edu email account is disabled for any reason, you can update this on the MySanDiego Portal at Torero Hub > My Torero Services > Personal Information, or by contacting the ITS Help Desk for assistance. You will then be able to communicate with offices on campus regarding FERPA-protected information (e.g. financial aid, registering for classes, etc.).

Students who are on a leave of absence are not eligible for campus privileges such as participating in campus activities or utilizing campus resources. These privileges will resume once the student returns from a leave of absence and is enrolled in classes.

What about Fraternity and Sorority Life?

Inform your respective chapter president about your leave of absence. Each organization has a different process to track membership. Students who are on a leave of absence are not eligible for campus privileges such as participating in campus activities, including fraternity and sorority life. These privileges will resume once you return from a leave of absence and are enrolled in classes.

According to university policy, students can request a maximum of two consecutive semesters for a leave of absence (for example, Fall 2025 and Spring 2026).

If you are considering extending your leave of absence for a second semester, please contact the Center for Student Success at css@sandiego.edu or 619-260-5995 to discuss your decision and next steps.

Note: The deadline to extend your leave of absence is the "last day to withdraw" deadline of the semester you are hoping to extend your leave of absence (for Spring 2026, that deadline is Tuesday, April 7, 2026).

If a student does not submit a leave of absence extension request and wishes to return to USD, they can submit a petition for readmission through the Torero Hub once they are ready to return. Note: This is not a competitive process like the first time you applied to USD. This is for administrative purposes and to better understand your reasons for returning to USD.

For more information regarding the readmission process, please submit the Torero Hub Question Form.

Your scholarships should not be affected by being on leave of absence. Students must still meet specific scholarship requirements (e.g., GPA requirements).

Your financial aid will be canceled for the semester(s) that you are gone. If you are on leave for one semester, the Office of Financial Aid will calculate how much (if any) of your financial aid you are eligible to keep based on your attendance during the semester.

If you have any questions about your registration, financial aid, or billing and payment, please submit the Torero Hub Question Form.

The deadline to avoid any tuition charges and receive a 100% tuition refund is the last day to add/drop a class without a W in the semester (Wednesday, February 4, at 5 p.m. for Spring 2026). After this day you may receive a partial tuition refund, depending on when you submit your leave of absence form. Tuition deadlines for the 2025-26 academic year can be found on the Undergraduate Academic Calendar.

Additionally, you may have a balance with Residential Life depending on your living situation and when you choose to leave the university. Contact the office of Residential Life directly for more information at housing@sandiego.edu.

It depends on how long you are on a leave of absence for and the type of loan (for example, federal loans, private loans, or USD loans). Students are considered out of attendance while on a leave of absence. Each type of loan has a different timeline and period of paying back loans depending on how long you are on leave and are unenrolled at USD.

If you have borrowed Federal Direct Student Loans, please note the program provides a grace period that you are given before entering into repayment. Going on a leave of absence may exhaust your grace period (an average grace period is six months) and you may have to begin to repay your loans. To determine the different types of federal loans, the length of your grace period before repayment, and other questions, please contact your federal loan servicer for more information. Loan servicers can be found here.

For questions related on how your loans will be impacted while on a leave of absence, please submit the Torero Hub Question Form.

For students using VA educational benefits, it is important to connect with the Military and Veterans Program before changing the number of units in which you are enrolled or withdrawing from courses as your benefits may be impacted: military@sandiego.edu or 691-260-7843. Additional information can be found on the Military and Veterans Program FAQ webpage.

Current USD students are permitted to take classes at another school during a leave of absence. To confirm if USD will accept the class as transfer credit, please connect with your advisor and submit the "Request for Transfer Articulation" form on your MySanDiego portal before enrolling in any courses, per the USD academic catalog. You can find more information about this process here.

Students may request a medical leave of absence through Student Wellness. The Center for Student Success does not process medical leaves of absence.

For any questions around a medical leave of absence, please contact Student Wellness at wellness@sandiego.edu or (619) 260-4655.

You can find more information about how to return from a medical leave of absence by completing the reinstatement process here. The Center for Student Success does not process requests to return from a medical leave of absence.

For any questions about returning from a medical leave of absence, please contact Student Wellness at wellness@sandiego.edu or (619) 260-4655.

Registration for future semesters typically opens in November for the spring semester and in April for the fall semester. The Center for Student Success will send two reminder emails leading up to registration to inform students who are on a leave of absence that registration is about to open.

To prepare for the registration period, follow these steps:

1. Connect With Your Advisor
   1. College of Arts and Sciences (including undeclared majors):
      • All students who are undeclared or have a declared major in the College of Arts and Sciences have an advisor hold on their account. We encourage you to contact your academic advisor right away to plan your course selection in order to remove the hold placed on your account. Your academic advisor is listed in Degree Works.
      • In the case that you are unable to reach your advisor and need assistance, contact: casadvising@sandiego.edu
   2. Knauss School of Business:
      • We encourage you to contact your academic advisor right away to plan your course selection in order to remove the hold placed on your account. Your academic advisor is listed in Degree Works.
      • In the case that you are unable to reach your advisor and need assistance, contact the Knauss School of Business Advising Office: ksbstudentsuccess@sandiego.edu
   3. Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering:
      • Students who have a declared major in the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering have an advisor hold on their account. We encourage you to contact your academic advisor right away to plan your course selection in order to remove the hold placed on your account. Please check your Degree Works audit to confirm that your advisor has not changed.
      • To prepare for your meeting with your advisor, you will find course planners, degree checklists, and flowcharts for engineering and computer science programs here.
2. Determine Your Registration Date and Time:
   1. You can find this information in your MySanDiego Portal > My Academics Tab > Registration Info.
   2. Alternatively, you can find the registration schedule on the Torero Hub website.
3. Check for Holds: Verify whether there are any additional holds on your student account by logging in to MySanDiego, navigating to the "My Academics" page in the portal, and clicking "Check for Holds.”
   • Note: There is no hold placed on your account as a result of being on a leave of absence.
   • For questions around registration holds, please submit the Torero Hub Question Form.

To confirm your financial aid award for the semester you plan to return, please log in to your MySanDiego portal and go to the "My Financial Aid" tab.

For questions about your financial aid award, please submit the Torero Hub Question Form.

If you plan to live in on-campus housing for the 2025-26 academic year, you can submit an application through the Housing Portal. If you have any questions, please contact Residential Life at housing@sandiego.edu or 619-260-4777.

Newly admitted or recently enrolled students who have not yet started classes at USD and would like to defer enrollment should contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at admissions@sandiego.edu.