Leave of Absence (LOA) Requests FAQ
To apply for a leave of absence for a semester (a.k.a., a “gap” semester), students need to complete the following steps:
- Contact Financial Aid at financialaid@furman.edu to determine how taking such a leave may impact any aid, scholarship or grants you may be receiving.
- Contact your Academic Advisor to discuss how this leave will fit into your overall academic progress. [Please note: you do not need to share your reasons for requesting a leave with your advisor. The purpose of this conversation is simply to help you prepare for your return and successful progress towards you academic goals.]
- After completing steps 1 and 2, email the Associate Academic Dean, Kyle Longest, at academic.deans@furman.edu to confirm that you have completed the first two steps and wish to take a leave of absence of the desired semester. {It is helpful to forward the communication you have had with your Academic Advisor in this email.}
- Upon receiving approval of the leave, students should notify the Housing and Residence Life Office that they will be taking a leave of absence.
After completing these steps, the leave of absence will be processed and students will be unenrolled from courses for the semester in which they are taking a leave. Students retain access to their Furman network credentials during this time away, but all mail will be forwarded to the home address on file.
To facilitate a successful return in the next semester, students should continue checking their Furman email for important updates and announcements throughout the current semester. Registration information is updated and posted on the web www.furman.edu/registrar. Registration windows can be found on the Academic Calendar. In advance of the registration window, students should contact their Academic Advisor to discuss their courses and the registration process. Questions and concerns about the mechanics of the registration process can be found on the Enrollment Services site.
Students must also notify housing of their intentions for the returning semester as early as possible.
If students are considering taking a leave of absence for two consecutive semesters, the process is actually very similar to taking one semester away. Students must complete the steps to request leave of absence for the Fall semester (see steps above).
In October, if the student wishes to take a full year of leave, they will simply need to complete those steps again to apply for a leave of absence for the Spring semester.
Students interested in taking classes elsewhere and transferring them to Furman should make themselves aware of important university regulations regarding transfer credits stated here: https://catalog.furman.edu/content.php?catoid=10&navoid=404#Transfer_Credit
Students may transfer credits that are completed during a semester away, subject to the following regulations:
- Your final 28 credits towards graduation must be Furman credits.
- If you have earned 64 or more credits at Furman, you may not transfer credits from a 2-year institution. These credits must earned at a 4-year college or university.
If you are considering transferring credits from another school, you should take the following steps:
- Discuss your plans with your Academic Advisor. Your advisor will be able to help you consider your options and explain any important transfer credit requirements.
- Identify courses that you wish to complete at another institution. Do not assume if or how particular courses taken at other institutions will be applied to your Furman academic progress.
- Complete the Transfer Credit Authorization form that is found here: https://www.furman.edu/enrollment-services/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2019/10/transfer_course_authorization.pdf. Your advisor will need to sign this form. Electronic signature via email is acceptable.
Submit the Transfer Credit Authorization form to Enrollment Services at Enroll@furman.edu before enrolling in those courses. Enrollment Services can inform you as to how each course will be applied towards your progress at Furman as long as you submit these requests before enrolling in those courses. To help facilitate this process please provide as much information about the proposed course(s) as possible (e.g., institution taking from, course description, syllabus, required readings, assignments) in your communication with Enrollment Services.
Furman (institutional aid) is available for 8 semesters total. For specific aid questions, please contact the Financial Aid Office.