If you have been recently admitted to USD or are newly enrolled and have only been attending classes for eight days or fewer, here are options if your plans change:
- Deferral: Admitted or confirmed applicants who wish to delay or postpone their admission offer to a later term should complete a deferral request. Contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at admissions@sandiego.edu to learn more about the deferral process.
- Change of Plans: If you have had a change of plans since you were admitted to USD and no longer wish to attend our university, please let us know your status by submitting the Undergraduate Admissions Change of Plans Form.
For All Other Students:
This includes continuing students at USD, meaning those who have not been recently admitted or newly enrolled. Please be mindful of the tuition refund deadlines for each semester. Leave of absence requests must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on tuition refund deadline days to ensure timely processing. In order to receive a 100% tuition refund for the Fall 2026 semester, students should request a leave of absence before 5 p.m. on Friday, September 11, 2026.
The deadline to request (or extend) a leave of absence for Fall 2026 is Tuesday, November 10, 2026 (the "last day to withdraw" deadline).
Also, it is important to note that students may take a leave of absence for a maximum of two consecutive semesters (for example, Fall 2026 and Spring 2027).
To fully request an undergraduate leave of absence, you must complete three steps.
Before moving on to the three official steps required to request a leave of absence, consider the following:
Are you an international student? Prior to requesting a withdrawal, international students must first seek clearance from the Office of International Students and Scholars (internationaloffice@sandiego.edu or 619-260-4598).
Are you a military-connected student? For students using VA educational benefits, it is important to connect with the Military and Veterans Program before changing the number of units that you are enrolled in or withdrawing from courses, as your benefits may be impacted (military@sandiego.edu or 619-260-7843). Additional information can be found on the Military and Veterans Program FAQ webpage.
If neither applies to you or you have already connected with the relevant office(s), please carefully follow the three steps below and complete each one to formally request a leave of absence.
Submit the Undergraduate Leave of Absence Request.
Complete the online request for leave of absence.
- Last day of attendance: Your last day of attendance should be accurate and is considered the last day you attended classes. If you did not attend classes in the current semester (for example, Fall 2026), your last day of attendance is considered the last day of your finals in the previous semester (Spring 2026, in this case).
- Sometimes the form asks for a pin: If this happens, please open up a second tab in the same browser and log into my.sandiego.edu. Then click into your financial aid status by clicking through Torero Hub > My Financial Aid > Financial Aid Status (red button). Then, return to the tab with the form and refresh the page.
- Tried the steps above and still cannot access the form? Visit the Leave of Absence FAQ > scroll to "General Questions" > select "What do I do if I'm unable to fill out or access the online leave of absence form?"
Submit the Undergraduate Leave of Absence Survey.
Complete the leave of absence survey.
- Do not skip this step.
- Leave of absence requests will not be approved unless the survey has been completed.
Check your sandiego.edu email for any outreach from our office.
Your request will be processed within 24-48 business hours. Continue checking your email as we may send you important notices, information, or instructions.
- Once you receive confirmation that your request has been approved, review this list of additional departments and offices you may need to contact.
- 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.
Have Questions?
For questions regarding a leave of absence that are not answered above or on our Frequently Asked Questions: Leave of Absence page, please email css@sandiego.edu. We will respond to you via email within 24-48 business hours.
The CSS does not process medical leaves of absence or graduate student leaves or withdrawals. More information about these options is below: