Students who will not be enrolling at the university should file a Leave of Absence form in order to secure their status. It eliminates the reapplication processes and paperwork when you return, and maintains access to your UB email during your time away.

Requirements

• Students seeking a leave of absence must submit the form by the last day of classes of the term in which the leave is to begin.
• A leave of absence may be granted for a maximum of one year, but may be extended for up to one additional year if circumstances warrant. The Director of Graduate Studies may require documentation in support of the reason for the Leave of Absence.
  
• Students returning early from a Leave of Absence must contact the Office of Student Success and Engagement.
• Students approved for a Leave of Absence remain liable for any outstanding tuition and fee charges on their student account.
• Any existing “incomplete” grades are held to the regular default time limit for completion.

International Students

• F-1 and J-1 international students must obtain approval from International Student Services (ISS) before their leave of absence request will be processed. Contact International Student Services, 210 Talbert Hall, North Campus, 716-645-2258, prior to applying for a leave of absence.
• Review Requesting a Leave of Absence on the ISS website.
• Submit the LOA form to ISS by logging in to UB Global. Do this BEFORE dropping courses during the semester. Be sure to select "F-1 Student Services" then "Graduate Student Leave of Absence." ISS will then update the SEVIS record and forward the LOA form to Registrar with the ISS advisor signature.
  
• If your Leave of Absence is approved, contact ISS (iss@buffalo.edu) 4-5 months before you plan to return to the U.S to determine eligibility for a SEVIS re-activation or if an initial I-20 is required. You will be asked to submit documents required for returning to UB. Please read Returning from a Leave of Absence for more information.

Failure to register for classes or secure a leave of absence by the last day of classes of the semester in which the leave is to begin, will result in the student losing their access to register for classes in a future semester.