Withdrawal and Leave of Absence FAQs

What is my withdrawal date?

Your official withdrawal date, also known as your date of notification, is the last day you attended class or the date you obtained the Semester Withdrawal Form from the Registrar’s Office—whichever is later. If it has been more than three calendar days since you picked up the Semester Withdrawal Form, the date of notification is the date the completed form was received by the Registrar. Tuition adjustments and potential refunds are based on the date of notification.

Where do I get the form?

It is expected that you will obtain the Semester Withdrawal Form by contacting the Registrar’s Office directly. If a documented medical or family emergency makes that impossible, the Registrar’s Office will work with you by phone or email to begin the withdrawal process. Note that semester withdrawals must be initiated with the Registrar’s Office before 4 p.m. on the last day of instruction for the semester.

What grades will I earn this term?

If you withdraw from all courses during the semester, you will be awarded W grades. W grades are nonpunitive grades—they don’t impact your cumulative grade point average (GPA) and simply indicate that you withdrew from all classes that semester.

What about my academic standing?

W grades will not impact your GPA, so will not impact your academic standing. Our full standing policy can be found in the college catalog. Your advisor(s) may still contact you at the end of the semester, however, to discuss and plan for a successful return.

How can my parent(s)/guardian(s) talk to someone about my withdrawal?

All information connected to your educational record is protected by FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act). If you would like someone to be able to speak to a college official about your withdrawal, you will have to authorize release of that information in writing. However, this authorization does not allow the person or people you designate to act on your behalf. You may revoke authorization at any time. Contact the Office of the Registrar if you have questions about completing a release.

What if I have a balance due on my student account or I am enrolled in Nelnet/TMS?

When completing a semester withdrawal, make sure your student account has been paid in full. If you make Nelnet/TMS payments, you will need to make all payments necessary to cover remaining costs, then cancel your monthly payment plan directly with TMS. You will receive a notification if the account remains unsettled, so be sure to monitor your student account and send payment immediately if needed. Contact Student and Departmental Account Services at 503-768-7829 or accountservices@lclark.edu if you need assistance.

Will I get a refund after my semester withdrawal?

It depends on how late into the semester you withdraw. If the semester is less than 60 percent completed, then you will get a prorated refund of tuition and ASLC Student Body Fees based on their per-day cost and your date of notification. If the semester is more than 60 percent complete, the charges for tuition and the ASLC Student Body Fee are not adjusted.

If you are a financial aid recipient, Student Accounts will not process a refund until the Financial Aid Office has completed a recalculation of financial aid eligibility. Prior to receiving a refund, please update your refund preferences by logging in to the Student Account Center and selecting the Refunds tab. Contact Student and Departmental Account Services at 503-768-7829 or accountservices@lclark.edu if you need assistance.

On-Campus Housing

What happens to my room and meal plan if I leave the college mid-semester?

If you live on campus but withdraw before the end of the semester:

• If you are a residential student who is taking a leave or withdrawing during the semester, please notify Campus Living of your departure by completing an Agreement Termination Notice. You will have 72 hours upon your leave approval to vacate your residential assignment. We will send you information about the vacate and key return process.
• *COVID-19 protocol: you must email your Area Director and/or the Campus Living office to confirm when you are leaving.*
• Your refund for housing and meals is prorated from the date you move out of the residence hall.
• Campus Living will typically allow you three days beyond your official withdrawal date to pack up and move out of the residence hall.
• You will be financially responsible for any room charges that are incurred beyond the date of your official withdrawal from the college. Financial aid will not cover those charges. (Room charges can include rent, damage, or fees related to improper check out.)
• You must check out, complete the Room Condition Report, and return your room key to your Resident Advisor before leaving campus.
• You will not be allowed to leave any of your belongings behind in the room or in any campus storage facility, even if you plan to return the following semester.
• You may continue to use your meal plan for the three days you remain in the residence hall. If you have flex points and spend more than normal, your refund for meals will be adjusted accordingly.
• If your room has not been left in reasonably good condition, you will be charged for noncompliance with check-out procedures. If you do not return your room key, you will be charged $150.

Student Health Insurance

Will my student health insurance continue after I withdraw? 

Under certain circumstances, you may continue your student health insurance coverage after withdrawing. Visit go.lclark.edu/insurance_continuation to learn about your insurance options.

Where can I find information about health insurance options after I am no longer covered by student health insurance?

If you are losing coverage on the student health insurance plan, you should take steps to enroll in an alternative health insurance plan. Visit healthcare.gov to learn about options.

Financial Aid

Will withdrawing from the semester affect my financial aid?

If you are withdrawing during the fall or spring semester, a calculation will be done to determine how much federal and institutional aid can be retained. During the summer session, if you are withdrawing, dropping, or do not begin scheduled coursework that is offered, a recalculation of aid eligibility may be required.

How is the financial aid eligibility calculated?

The Registrar’s Office informs Financial Aid when you withdraw, at which point they use the Return of Title IV Aid Worksheet to calculate the amount of federal aid you earned. The amount of earned federal aid will be based on the percentage of the semester completed using the last date of attendance (this may be different than the date of notification; it’s the last time you attended a class). Institutional financial aid (i.e., scholarships, L&C grants) eligibility will be calculated using the date of notification.

If you completed (attended classes for) more than 60 percent of the semester prior to withdrawing, you have earned eligibility for 100 percent of your federal and institutional funding for the semester and will have no financial aid revision. Please note: if you are eligible for any institutional financial aid during the withdraw semester, this will count toward one of your eight semesters of eligibility.

If I am no longer eligible for my financial aid, what happens?

You may owe money if any of the disbursed financial aid is determined to be unearned by the withdraw calculation. Lewis & Clark will return the portion of unearned aid no later than 45 days after your withdrawal date. Once the aid has been returned, Student Account Services will be able to provide you with an updated student account balance.

You will be notified in writing the amount of aid the school is required to return and if you are responsible for the return of any unearned federal grants or loans.

How does my withdrawal affect my financial aid satisfactory academic progress?

All financial aid recipients are monitored for satisfactory academic progress after each semester. Satisfactory academic progress has two components: your pace of course completion and your cumulative GPA, which needs to be at least a 2.0. Withdrawing does not affect your GPA, but it will affect your pace of course completion. A mid-semester withdrawal from courses will affect your pace of course completion, which needs to stay above 67 percent for satisfactory academic progress. The pace of course completion is calculated by dividing the number of cumulative completed credits by the number of cumulative attempted credits. The semester credits you withdraw from will count as attempted credits in this calculation.

For example: A second-semester sophomore has completed 48 credits prior to the beginning of the semester. If they are currently registered for 16 credits and then withdraws from all 16, the student would have a 75 percent pace of course completion based on 48 completed credits divided by 64 attempted credits.

The first semester you are below 67 percent course completion or that your Lewis & Clark cumulative GPA is less than 2.0, you will receive a warning about your satisfactory academic progress. You will still be eligible for financial aid for your warning semester. If after your warning semester you still have not reached the 67 percent pace of course completion and/or a cumulative GPA of 2.0, you will be notified of your financial aid ineligibility and be invited to petition for your financial aid eligibility to be reinstated. You can find the Lewis & Clark Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy on our website.

How do I request a leave of absence?

Before filing a request for a leave of absence, you must meet with your college or faculty advisor to explore how the leave will fit into your overall academic plan. The request is done through the Registrar’s Office, and the Leave of Absence Form can be completed online.

How long is a leave of absence?

Except for extraordinary circumstances, the maximum leave that may be granted is one year (two semesters).

What are the deadlines?

The filing deadline for a planned leave beginning in the spring semester is November 1; the filing deadline for a planned leave beginning in the fall semester is April 1. Students who need to take an unplanned leave (initiated after the deadline) may file this request until 4 p.m. on the last business day before the first day of classes.

While on leave, can I take courses elsewhere and apply those courses to my degree requirements?

Some courses taken at other colleges and universities are transferable to Lewis & Clark College. Use this Google form to prescreen any classes you plan to take during your leave. By having courses prescreened, you will know in advance if a course is transferable to Lewis & Clark and, if it is, how that course may apply to your degree requirements. For more information about transfer credit, click here.

When will I have to start paying my loans back?

Federal subsidized and unsubsidized loans have a six-month grace period before you have to start making payments.

You can find information about your loan repayment requirements at the following websites:

• nslds.ed.gov
• studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans

What happens if I decide to take a leave of absence and I have a full-year housing contract or lease?

If you live on campus, your housing and meal plan will be canceled for the period you plan to be away from the institution. At the end of the semester and before you leave, you will be expected to meet the published check-out procedures, complete the Room Condition Report, and return your room key to your Resident Advisor. You may be charged for damages or for noncompliance with check-out procedures. If you live off campus, you will need to discuss this with your landlord.

Where can I find information about health insurance options after I am no longer covered by student health insurance?

If you are losing coverage on the student health insurance plan, you should take steps to enroll in an alternative health insurance plan. Visit healthcare.gov to learn about options.

I’m ready to return to L&C!

If you took a planned leave of absence, you will be allowed to return to the college without a formal reentry process. If you took an unplanned leave of absence, including withdrawal during the fall or spring semester, you will complete a reentry process managed by the Leaves and Reentries Committee. This process is designed to ensure you are prepared for holistic success upon their return to Lewis & Clark.

If you want to return to Lewis & Clark without having taken an official leave of absence or if your approved leave has expired, you must apply for readmission. Information concerning readmission, including application materials and procedures, is available in the Registrar’s Office. Readmitted students are subject to Lewis & Clark requirements in effect during the year of their return.

What should I do when I am ready to register again?

Get in touch with your college or faculty advisor to discuss your course schedule during Registration Advising for the Following Semester period. To find the dates for this advising period, visit the Undergraduate Academic Calendar. Once your advisor has approved your registration for the next semester, make sure you register at your appointed registration time found under Registration Permissions in WebAdvisor.

What should I do if I have questions about my degree requirements or graduation plan?

If you have questions at any time about your degree requirements or graduation plan, contact your college advisor, your faculty advisor, or the College Advising Center. If you are unsure who your advisors are, the College Advising Center can help you find this information.

Will I still be able to graduate on time?

Students need to earn 128 credits—covering general education, major, and elective requirements—in order to graduate from Lewis & Clark College. You will be able to graduate when anticipated if you are able to meet all of your degree requirements. Your current progress toward your degree requirements, including the number of credits you have earned, is visible in your Program Evaluation in WebAdvisor. Please make plans to connect with your college or faculty advisor to determine how time away impacted your graduation plan.

If I need housing following my leave of absence, what should I do?

You must file a new Residence Hall Contract, Roommate Preference Sheet, and a $200 deposit to request housing and a meal plan. The request should be submitted to the Campus Living Office by November 1 for spring semester or April 1 for fall semester. The application may be downloaded from the Campus Living website.

Will I be required to fulfill the four-semester housing rule if I return to the college after my leave?

Yes. If you did not live on campus for four semesters, you will be expected to complete the residency requirement. You can apply for just one semester of housing, instead of a full year, if that will fulfill the requirement. To do this, submit a Residence Hall Contract, Roommate Preference Sheet, and a $200 deposit by November 1 for spring semester, or April 1 for fall semester.

Will I owe tuition for a future semester?

If you are registered for courses, you are responsible for tuition and fees even if you do not return to campus. It is your responsibility to notify the Registrar’s Office if you are not returning to campus so that you can be dropped from courses and avoid charges—you will not be able to drop all of your courses on WebAdvisor.

Campus Living
living@lclark.edu
503-768-7123

College Advising Center
cac@lclark.edu
503-768-7600

Financial Aid
fao@lclark.edu
503-768-7090

Registrar
reg@lclark.edu
503-768-7335

Student and Departmental Account Services
accountservices@lclark.edu
503-768-7829

Student Health Insurance
counsel@lclark.edu
503-768-7160