Leave of Absence and Withdrawal
Leave of Absence
Review if I need to file a leave of absence:
I will be absent only one semester:
If you have completed at least one semester (Spring or Fall) at SJSU and are in good standing or on academic notice, you qualify for a "One Semester Leave" - see SJSU catalog for policy. This allows you to skip one semester without filing a leave request. You will receive a registration appointment on MySJSU for the semester following your leave and must enroll to maintain active student status.
- International students should contact their advisor in the ISSS office before taking one semester leave.
- Graduate students with RP grades need to maintain continuous enrollment through 1290R.
I will be absent for two or more consecutive semesters:
If you need two or more consecutive semesters off (Spring & Fall or Fall & Spring), you must file a leave request before the next semester starts, following a One Semester Leave. The maximum leave is four semesters.
Note: Students who are out for more than 12 months will lose access to MySJSU.
Preparing to file a leave:
Understanding the policy & types of eligible leaves:
Read the Leaves of Absence policy on the SJSU catalog. The following are eligible types of leaves:
- First-Semester Leaves
- Medical Leaves
- Primary Caregiver Leaves
- Personal Hardship Leaves
- Military Leaves
- Planned Educational Leaves
- International Student Leaves
Gather the names and emails of those who need to sign the petition:
| Type of Students | Signatures needed |
| All students | Department Chair of Your Current Major* |
| International Students | ISSS contact |
| Undeclared Undergraduate Students | Exploratory Student Success Center |
*See SJSU directory for full name and email address of your department chair.
Preparing support documents
For all types of leave except military leave, include a personal statement explaining your situation. For examples of supporting documents, see the samples below:
| Type of Leave | Sample of Documents |
| Medical Leave | Healthcare provider verification of medical condition form |
| Primary Caregiver Leave | Healthcare provider verification of medical condition form |
| Educational Leave | A letter of support from advisor, mentor, professor, or chair from SJSU |
| Military Leave | Military orders |
| Personal Hardship Leave | A personal statement explaining your situation |
File a leave of absence:
Complete and submit the Leave of Absence Request as per the instructions in the link. Fill out names and email addresses of the signers and attach your personal statement and supporting documents.
What to expect after filing?
The review process may take up to 30 days. You will be notified of the decision and, if denied, the reasons via email.
Returning from leave of absence:
- You must enroll in the semester following your leave to maintain active student status.
- To return early, notify the Office of the Registrar in writing by emailing registrar@sjsu.edu and indicating the semester you will return.
- To extend your leave, file another leave request and indicate it is an extension of your current leave.
- Students granted a leave are guaranteed a return to their program/ major.
Withdrawal
Students do not need to submit forms to withdraw from SJSU. Your student status will be automatically canceled if you do not enroll for two consecutive semesters (Spring and Fall). However, if you are currently enrolled, you must drop all classes via MySJSU by the deadline (see calendar for deadline date) to avoid academic penalty.
If the drop deadline has passed:
- Undergraduate students will need to submit the Withdrawal from Semester Request which is available on Undergraduate Education's Petitions page.
- Graduate students need to file the Graduate Petition for Course Drop/Semester Withdrawal. Go to the GAPE Forms page and look under Special Petitions.
Maintaining Student status
You remain an active student as long as you are enrolled in at least one class each semester, regardless of the number of units.
If you miss two consecutive semesters (Spring and Fall), you must reapply for admission through Cal State Apply site as a former returning student. For questions, contact the Admissions office.
If you are a new student and do not attend your first term, you must reapply for the next available term through the Cal State Apply site.
