UCT Senate may grant a student leave of absence for a specified period but our institution's LOA does not meet the criteria for an "Approved Leave of Absence" under the US regulations.
Consequences when applying for leave of absence
- your LOA will be treated as an official withdrawal
- a return of Title IV funds (US federal aid) will be calculated to determine if aid received, is earned
- any unearned aid must be returned by the student to UCT immediately
- should UCT have to return any unearned funds on the student`s behalf, the student will have to settle the outstanding amount with UCT immediately
- failure to do so will result in the student not being able to complete their studies until the outstanding amount has been paid in full
Reasons for not accepting the LOA as an enrolment status vs the conditions for an approved LOA under US regulations
- UCT has no guarantee that the student will return by the agreed date
- after leaving the country any unearned funds cannot be retrieved from the student when the student fails to return. UCT still has to return the funds whether the student gave it back or not
- UCT cannot allow the student to resume classes at the same point in the academic programme when the student began the LOA
- all courses for the period for which results have not yet been entered, will be withdrawn from the student's record
- UCT cannot freeze tuition fee costs while the student is on LOA
- the student has to re-register and pay the new fees, should there be an increase in costs
- See refund policy for information regarding the fee rebates when an LOA is granted. Any outstanding amounts must be settled immediately.