Taking a term off and coming back to your aid

A leave of absence or a withdrawal

Federal rules allow an approved leave of absence, but with tight limits. The leave generally cannot last more than 180 days in any 12-month period, you usually have to request it in writing, and you return to the same program. Many colleges do not offer a leave that meets the federal standard at all.

Without an approved leave, a term off counts as a withdrawal for federal aid. If you stop partway through a term, the return calculation runs on grants already paid. Stepping away between terms, after finishing your classes, avoids that calculation entirely.

What to arrange before you go

Ask the aid office to explain your satisfactory academic progress status as you leave. A student who returns while on suspension needs an appeal before federal grants resume. Clearing a hold or a balance now makes readmission simpler later.

Check the terms on each state and college award. Some state grants and many college scholarships require continuous enrollment, and the state agency or scholarship office may allow a pause only if you ask in advance. A written approval is worth keeping.

Private scholarship sponsors set their own rules about deferring an award. Write to each sponsor to ask whether the money can wait for you.

Coming back

If you return in a new award year, file the FAFSA for that year and add your college's school code. Pell resumes under that year's rules, and the time away does not count against your lifetime limit. Your college may ask you to apply for readmission first.

Ask the aid office for a new offer once you are readmitted. College grants awarded at entry may not return automatically, so ask what is still open to you. Some states also run grants for students coming back after time away, and the state agency can tell you how they work.