Enrollment FAQ (e.g., Half-Time, In Absentia, Leave of Absence, Withdrawal)

The system takes overnight (or longer) to refresh, so the student should be able to submit the form the next day. If the next day is after the deadline, the student needs to alert the department to submit it on his/her behalf ASAP; the department should provide a brief explanation. 

Students must be enrolled in 12 units of research (e.g., 298 or 299), and no other coursework.

For more details and FAQs regarding in absentia, please refer to the FAQs posted on the GEPA website.

The posted deadline is the end of the second week of the quarter. This aligns with the standard enrollment deadline (via WebReg), as the expectation is that students should have their plans for the quarter finalized by end of Week 2, including their intention to take a leave. It is recommended to submit LOAs as soon as possible; however, GEPA will accept LOA requests received after the Week 2 deadline. The effective date is based on the day the form is initiated by the student or department. Students who have enrolled are subject to the refund schedule based on the day the LOA is initiated. Students will only receive a 100% refund of tuition and fees if the LOA is initiated on (or before) the first day of instruction; starting from the second day, students will only receive a partial refund.

When submitting an LOA that is initiated after the first day of instruction, if the student is enrolled in any course/s, please do the following before submission:

1. Determine the refund percentage that the student is eligible for based on the form initiation date and the Registrar’s Refund Schedule.

2. Confirm with the student that s/he is aware of the refund amount.

3. In the Comments section of the LOA form, include a statement such as, “Student is aware that s/he is not eligible for a 100% refund” or “Student is aware that s/he is eligible for a 50% refund.”

Course Drop/Withdrawal Refund Schedule for Graduate Courses. See Registrar's website for exact dates.

If the student was not enrolled in classes, then there is no impact.

If the student was enrolled in classes, then a refund or reversal of student fees will be issued to the student’s account. The amount refunded depends on the Registrar’s Refund Schedule. For example, if a 90% refund of student fees will be issued, then the student is billed the remaining 10%. The student is always billed, regardless if the fees are covered by the department or fee remission.  If the department wishes to cover the 10% fee balance, they must submit an exception request to GEPA's Financial Support Unit.

When submitting an LOA or withdrawal that is initiated after the first day of instruction, if the student is enrolled in any course/s, please do the following before submission:

1. Determine the refund percentage that the student is eligible for based on the form initiation date and the Registrar’s Refund Schedule.

2. Confirm with the student that s/he is aware of the refund amount.

3. In the Comments section of the LOA/WD form, include a statement such as, “Student is aware that s/he is not eligible for a 100% refund” or “Student is aware that s/he is eligible for a 50% refund.”

Course Drop/Withdrawal Refund Schedule for Graduate Courses. See Registrar's website for exact dates.

The student should notify the graduate coordinator of the intent to return to enroll prior to the start of the applicable quarter. Students may use the leave of absence tool in the Student Portal to request a leave return. 

Graduate coordinators use the "Return from Leave" tab in the Leave of Absence tool in the Student Database to submit a return request. The return request must come from the department/program. 

The appropriate GEPA advisor will be notified and will reinstate the student for the requested quarter. The coordinator will be notified via email once the return is processed and the student will be able to enroll. 

Please note: the return request is only needed if the student intends to enroll/register for the given quarter. Students who plan to defend and pay the filing fee do not need to be returned from leave.