Academic Leave of Absence, Withdrawal, or Maintaining Matriculation Policy
The following policy pertains to full-time undergraduate students ONLY:
Hofstra University requires full-time undergraduate students in the fall and spring semesters to register for courses, maintain matriculation or take a leave. Students who fail to take one of these steps will be automatically withdrawn from the University.
Academic Leave of Absence-Full Time Undergraduate Students
An academic leave is an official notification to the University, by a full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate student who has completed at least one semester, that the student is temporarily stopping attendance at Hofstra for a minimum of one full fall or spring semester. Matriculated students who will not be attending Hofstra for a fall or spring semester, but who intend to return to Hofstra, must either file an academic leave or maintain matriculation request. Failure to notify the University of this intent will result in withdrawal from Hofstra and the loss of academic leave benefits.
To request an academic leave, students will need to access their portal account at my.hofstra.edu, click the Hofstra Online tab, then select from the registration menu “Academic Leave/Withdrawal from the university” and complete required fields.
Academic leaves can be used for:
- Permanent disability
- Military service
- Religious mission
- Foreign aid service of the federal government
- Health other than a permanent disability
- Family or personal reasons
- Financial reasons
- Academic reasons
- Other reasons as appropriate
An academic leave may be extended at the written request of the student if approved by the Center for University Advisement. If the student remains unregistered beyond the approved leave period without prior notification, the student is considered to have withdrawn from the University and must apply for readmission. An academic leave typically may not exceed three consecutive fall and spring semesters.
An academic leave cannot be used if the student will be attending another institution. An academic leave does not constitute a leave of absence per federal aid definitions. Please see below for information on the financial aid implications of not registering for a fall or a spring semester.
Academic Leave Benefits
An academic leave typically:
- allows students to return to Hofstra without reapplying through the Office of Admission (although specific programs may have different requirements - students should speak with their adviser);
- may allow the student to proceed under the requirements of the Undergraduate Bulletin with which they were admitted;
- may allow students to maintain eligibility for institutional aid; and
- may allow a student to receive a housing assignment upon return from an academic leave, if the student was a resident before the leave and if the student is returning to full-time status.
If a student is on probation when the leave is approved, the student remains on probation upon their return to the University.
Returning From an Academic Leave
Students must register for courses at Hofstra before the end of their academic leave. Students whose leaves expire without course registration will be withdrawn from the University.
Withdrawal From the University
A withdrawal indicates that a student has permanently stopped attending the University. Registration for future semesters will be contingent upon reapplication to the University under admission standards at that time. Students readmitted to the University must follow the Bulletin under which they were readmitted. Please refer to the section Withdrawal From the University.
Implications of an Academic Leave or Withdrawal
Financial Aid and Tuition Refund
For the purpose of financial aid, the University processes students with an academic leave as withdrawn students. The effective date of separation from the University is:
- the date the student files a written request for the withdrawal from the University;
- the date the student files an academic leave if the leave is to commence immediately; or
- the first day of the semester of the requested academic leave if the leave request is for a future semester.
Students requesting an academic leave for a semester in progress will be completely withdrawn for the semester and receive a grade of W for each course in which the student is registered for that semester. Students receiving any form of financial aid must discuss the leave with a Student Financial Services counselor to understand the implications of stopping attendance at Hofstra. Refunds will be processed in accordance with the University’s policy and published refund schedule.
International Students
International students must discuss their intent to file for an academic leave or withdrawal from the University with the International Students Office prior to filing the online form to fully understand the implications of a leave or withdrawal on their visa status and eligibility to remain in the United States.
Service Member Readmission
Hofstra University is sensitive to the fact that our students may leave the University in order to perform military service, and encourages those students to complete their education degree once that service has ended. Qualified U.S. Service Member students who seek to take a leave of absence to perform such service must give advanced notice of service to the Office of Student Financial Services & Registrar, unless military necessity prevents this. If such notice is not provided, the student will have to provide sufficient documentation that the student performed such service, upon seeking readmission. The student must contact the Office of Admission to submit a readmission application. A Service Member student who is readmitted will be readmitted with the same academic status as when he/she last attended so long as there is no disqualifying event, such as a dishonorable or bad conduct charge, and the length of absence does not exceed the established time period for such leave (generally five years).
University Services and Access
Students who are on academic leave or who withdraw from the University will no longer have access to certain physical and electronic resources and University discounts.
Maintaining Matriculation
Maintaining matriculation is to be used by students in academic pursuits that do not include registration for classes. Students maintaining matriculation are considered “registered” at the University. Examples of academic pursuits include, but are not limited to, work on a thesis, completion of course work where a grade of incomplete was received, approved study abroad and approved visitation at another institution. Students on Hofstra approved study abroad or approved visitation at another institution are required to maintain matriculation.
Dismissal
Students will be dropped from the rolls of the University after two semesters attendance if they have:
- attempted less than 25 hours and have a cumulative grade point average below 1.3;
- attempted 25-30 hours and have a cumulative grade point average below 1.5;
- attempted 31-57 hours and have a cumulative grade point average below 1.7;
- attempted 58-93 hours and have a cumulative grade point average below 1.9;
- attempted 94 or more hours and have a cumulative grade point average below 1.95.
Note that “attempted hours” include course work taken at all institutions of higher education, but that the cumulative grade point average is based on course work taken only at Hofstra University.
Students will be dropped because of poor scholarship only in May except in special cases (such as the recommendation of the Center for University Advisement, Office of Academic Records or other responsible adviser). However, students may be dropped at any time, whether currently on probation or not, when they show insufficient probability of meeting graduation requirements. All special cases will be acted upon by the Academic Records Committee. For students who entered New College for Interdisciplinary Studies prior to fall 2006, see the New College for Interdisciplinary Studies Addendum for dismissal standards.
Students who have been dropped may appeal to the Academic Records Committee only through the Center for University Advisement. After the student speaks with a representative of the Advisement Office, the Committee will review the appeal. The Committee will consider a report of the interview, the student’s total academic record, and a letter stating reasons the student believes the appeal merits consideration.
Exclusion From the University
When students make application for entrance to Hofstra University, they understand and agree that the University reserves the right to exclude any student at any time for conduct or academic standing regarded by the University as undesirable, without assigning any further reason. It is understood and agreed that the University, or any of its officers or faculty, shall not be liable in any way for such exclusion.
To ensure the protection of each individual’s rights, procedures for appeal are provided by the University to assure the student fair treatment in cases of disciplinary action.
University Probation Standards and Completion Ratio Requirement
| 1. |
Students will be placed on probation for either not meeting grade point average or completion ratio requirements. |
| 2. |
Grade point average requirement: a full-time or part-time student will be placed on probation at the end of any fall or spring semester in which his or her cumulative grade point average is less than 2.0 but above the University’s minimum retention standards. Full-time or part-time students will be placed on probation at the end of a second consecutive semester with a term GPA below a 2.0. |
| 3. |
Since both grades and degree progress are important, the University calculates the completion ratio for each student by using the number of credits attempted and the number of credits satisfactorily completed.
Students who do not meet the standards below in any single term will be placed on academic warning. Students whose cumulative completion ratios fall below this standard will be placed on academic probation.
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- 0-29 attempted hours: must satisfactorily complete at least 60% of attempted credits
- 30-59 attempted hours: must satisfactorily complete at least 70% of attempted credits
- 60 or more attempted hours: must satisfactorily complete at least 80% of attempted credits
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To calculate a student’s completion ratio: |
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- Satisfactorily completed credits are made up of
- transfer credits
- credits completed with a passing grade of D or better
- credits completed with a passing grade of P.
- Attempted credits are made up of
- satisfactorily completed credits, as defined above
- failures, withdrawals, unofficial withdrawals, incompletes, and no reports (F, W, UW, I, NR)
- Repeated courses are included in both attempted and earned hour calculations.”
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| 4. |
Students placed on probation for low grade point averages will receive a letter from the Office of Academic Records informing them of their probationary status and warning that they must raise their grade point average to 2.0. The letter will explain the consequences of failing to raise the grade point average to 2.0 or above. |
| 5. |
Students placed on probation for low grade point averages will be required to meet with an adviser in the Advisement Office as soon as possible to discuss their standing. When they meet with the adviser, they will be informed of the support services available and the average they must achieve to raise their grade point average to at least 2.0. Students will also be reminded that if their grade point average drops further, they are in danger of being dismissed from the University. |
| 6. |
Students placed on probation for low completion ratios will receive a letter from the Office of Academic Records informing them of their probationary status and warning that they must complete 75% or more of attempted semester hours. The letter will explain the consequences of failing to complete 75% or more of attempted semester hours. |
| 7. |
Students placed on probation for low completion ratios will be required to meet with an adviser in the Advisement Office as soon as possible to discuss their standing. When they meet with the adviser, they will be informed of the support services available and the percentage of attempted semester hours that must be completed to raise their completion ratios to minimum standards. Students will also be reminded that if they do not complete 75% or more of attempted semester hours, they are in danger of being dismissed from the University. |
| 8. |
All students placed on probation will be required to take a course on strategies for academic success for one semester hour of non-liberal arts credit. The course will assist students in developing study skills, test-taking skills, and time-management skills. The course will also offer support services related to financial aid, relationships, and mental health issues. |
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Students must meet with their Advisement Dean in the fall or spring and must take and complete the one semester hour course (UNIV 1) during the term that probation takes effect in order to register for subsequent classes. |
| 10. |
A full-time student on academic probation may carry no more than 13 semester hours in addition to the one semester hour academic success course. A part-time student on academic probation may carry no more than seven semester hours in addition to the one semester hour academic success course. |
| 11. |
Students on academic probation may not elect an option Pass/D+/D/Fail grade. |
| 12. |
Students will be on academic probation for low cumulative grade point averages as long as their cumulative grade point average remains below 2.0 and is above the University’s minimum retention standards. Students who have a 2.0 or higher cumulative grade point average but have been placed on probation due to low term GPA performance will remain on probation until they have earned a term GPA of at least 2.0.
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| 13. |
Students will be on academic probation for low completion ratios as long as their completion ratios remain below the standards specified above. They will continue to be subject to all the requirements of students on academic probation. |
| 14. |
When appropriate, students admitted to the University through a special academic program may be exempted from these probation criteria until they transition from the program. |
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