Free Application for Federal Student Aid (School code 001319)
Withdrawing From School
Checklist
Taking a Break from your Health Professions' Education
Students sometimes interrupt their education to accommodate educational goals or special circumstances. It’s important for you to know how to manage the break and to carefully consider the ramifications of how such a break in your education affects your student loans, graduation and other milestones.
Planning to take a Leave of Absence
Typically, a Leave of Absence (LOA) is a period of non-enrollment when you are not required to pay tuition or fees. An LOA must be approved by the curriculum or student dean at your school and the timing must be carefully considered so you exit and enter your educational program appropriately. There are many acceptable reasons for considering a LOA, including:
- Research
- Additional graduate degree
- International opportunity
- Extramural elective opportunity
- Family leave or medical leave
- Additional time to study for Boards
- Customized curriculum
- Other personal reasons
Preparing to Leave and Return to campus
There are several simple things to do to ensure that your departure and re-entry are as smooth as possible. Be sure your Student Affairs or Curriculum Office staff knows how to reach you. Continue to read all UCSF e-mails that are sent by the Registrar, Financial Aid Office or from your school. File time-sensitive documents on (or before) their posted deadlines. Be aware that UCSF has a formal re-admittance procedure that you must complete when you return to school.
Of primary financial importance, be sure you have investigated the impact that your LOA will have on student loans. Most educational loans have a six-month grace period that begins as soon as you cease to be enrolled. If your LOA exceeds this six-month period, or you have loans that no longer grant this benefit (for example, undergraduate loans that were already in repayment or consolidated loans that no longer have a grace period), your loans enter repayment immediately.
Talk to your Financial Aid Advisor or our special Resource Advisor, Annie Osborne, about your loans before you take a LOA so you know what to expect and plan accordingly.
Taking an LOA reduces your eligibility for aid during the academic year in which is LOA is taken. You must be enrolled to receive aid. Scholarships and grants may be adjusted as well as loans.
Checklist
Before you Leave
- Discuss plans with your dean or curriculum advisor
- Check your loan status to determine whether loans will enter repayment during LOA
- If you are entering a graduate fellowship program you might be eligible to defer your loans. Contact your lender/Direct Loan for more information.
- Consider your health insurance needs. Check with the Student Health Office about your coverage
- Notify the Registrar and obtain the necessary “withdrawal” form
- Attend a mandatory Exit Interview
- Be sure that the Registrar, Financial Aid, Student Health and Student Affairs know where you can be contacted during your LOA
- Find out when you need to apply for financial aid so it’s available when you return
- Consult with your program and review the readmission procedure, available online on the Registrar’s website: registrar.ucsf.edu
During your LOA and prior to your return:
- Check loan status and stay current with payments of deferment/forbearance forms
- Notify UCSF if your plans change
- Confirm registration and course registration deadlines
- File a re-admittance form with the Registrar
- Continue to check and read e-mail messages from UCSF!
- Keep your address updated on the Registrar’s on-line student portal
- Remember to complete a new financial aid application if your LOA is during winter, spring and/or summer (typically, applications are due in February for each new academic award year cycle)
Please Note: Taking an LOA reduces your eligiblity for aid during the academic year in which an LOA is taken. You must be enrolled to receive aid. Scholarships and grants may be adjusted as well as loans.
Medicine
Taking extra time to complete school
Many medical students extend their medical school program to do research, travel or obtain a special certificate. During this period of time they are considered “away” from the normal medical curriculum. After making your leave arrangements with the School of Medicine, it is helpful to talk to a financial aid advisor about your student loans if you are not enrolled during this time and your financial aid when you return.
Considerations
It’s best to make an appointment with your financial aid advisor so that you can discuss your options in detail.
1. Your Enrollment Plans
Will you be enrolling or not enrolling? Your type of leave will often determine if you will need to enroll.
Enrolling – Your leave from the normal medical curriculum may still involve you enrolling at UCSF. Your fees cover medical insurance, and your student loans remain in a “student status” or “in-school deferment” during periods of enrollment. If you decide to enroll, you may only be eligible for certain loans during these quarters, however, many students are receiving departmental funding during these periods.
Not Enrolling – It’s expensive to register for school, and you may not plan to file a study list or need to receive academic credit. Do you have another method of paying medical insurance? Also, your student loans may also go into repayment while you are not enrolled. See below for details.
2. Your Student Loans
Once you know your enrollment plans, consider if your non-enrollment period will exceed six months. The grace period on your Direct (Stafford) and University Loans may expire after six months and these loans will go into repayment. If you have any Perkins, HPSL, or any other Campus-based loans, the grace period may be longer. For example, the Perkins Loan has a nine-month grace period before you go into repayment. You may also want to consider any Undergraduate loans which you may have already used your grace period on and any Graduate PLUS Loans which do not have a grace period and immediately go into repayment when you are not enrolled. You are responsible for keeping in contact with your lender and keeping your repayment status up to date.
Options to Defer Repayment:
- Qualifying Fellowships or Half-Time Enrollment Deferment
- Forbearance
Deferment & Forbearance – Delaying Repayment
You can request that your loans be placed in deferment or forbearance for the remainder of your time away from school, but during any forbearance, interest will accrue on all your loans. You must file the deferment or forbearance form with the lender(s) who made your Direct (Stafford) or Graduate PLUS loans, with the University’s loan servicer, ACS, and with your Undergraduate lender(s) before repayment begins. Once you are enrolled again, the government will once again pay the interest associated with your subsidized loans and you may qualify for in-school deferment.
3. Financial Aid When You Return
Remember to reapply for financial aid for the following academic year while you are gone. For example, if you are going on leave during Fall 2010 and Winter 2011, but will re-enroll for Spring 2011, make sure you complete your UCSF financial aid application and FAFSA by the March 2010 deadline for the 2010-2011 year in order to receive full consideration for all funding when you return.
Financial Aid — Standard
You are eligible to receive full financial assistance (assuming you are otherwise eligible) for the normative time allowed for your program. For professional students in medicine, that’s four years (although exceptions are occasionally made for students with academic concerns).
Financial Aid — With Extra Time for Leave/Research
If you elect to extend your program beyond four years (of enrollment), you may fund the additional time with a Federal Direct (Stafford) or Graduate PLUS loans (or outside loans). To receive financial aid, you must be enrolled, attending at least half-time, and paying fees. If you don’t enroll, you must find funding sources outside of financial aid. (The four years of financial aid are counted by the quarters you are enrolled.)
4. How to Proceed With Your Leave of Absence
Complete the “Notice of Withdrawal” for the OAR (Registrar’s Office). The following requirements need to be completed if you have received financial aid and will not be officially enrolled at UCSF during your leave.
Student Financial Aid Office (SFAO) Requirements:
If you have received a Federal Direct (Stafford) or Graduate PLUS Loan while enrolled at UCSF, the SFAO will request that you complete an Exit Session. All students must complete loan exit counseling online at NSLDS before SFAO can sign your Withdrawal form. This online session usually takes about 15-20 minutes.
Student Accounting Office Requirements:
If you have received any campus-based financial aid (including University, Perkins and HPSL loans) while enrolled at UCSF, the Student Accounting Office will require that you call to arrange an exit session with their office. Contact (415) 502-8206 or (415) 502-8205 to make arrangements.
While You are not Enrolled at UCSF:
Remember to stay informed on when your student loans go into repayment and consider the deferment or forbearance options listed above. Make sure to follow up on any deferment or forbearance you request.
5. Re-applying for Financial Aid
Make sure to re-apply for Financial Aid for the following academic year by early March if you will be re-enrolling during any of the following year’s summer, fall, winter or spring quarters. Check our website for details on deadlines and how to re-apply. If you are unsure about whether you should apply, contact the SFAO.
Nursing
Leaves of Absence and Part Time Status
Many nursing students take a Leave of Absence or reduce their unit load to part time at some point during their normal nursing curriculum. After making your academic arrangements with the School of Nursing, it is helpful to talk to a financial aid advisor about how your student loans and financial aid will be affected. You must inform the SFAO as soon as you make a change in your enrollment or full time status.
Considerations
It’s best to make an appointment with your financial aid advisor so that you can discuss your options in detail.
1. Enrollment Plans
Will you be enrolling part-time or taking a leave of absence from enrollment? See details below for help with your decision-making.
Part time Status
For Nursing students, part time is less than eight units. If you will be taking four-seven units, you are not eligible for campus-based loans, but may still receive the Federal Direct (Stafford) and Graduate PLUS Loans. Under part time status, your student loans remain in "student status" or "in school deferment".
Non-Enrollment
If you decide to take time off to work or for personal reasons, and will not be enrolled at UCSF, see below for details on how your loans and financial aid will be affected.
2. Your Student Loans
If you decide to take time off and not enroll, consider if your time off will exceed six months. The grace period on your Direct (Stafford) and University loans may expire after six months and these loans will go into repayment. If you have any Perkins or Nursing Student loans, the grace period may be longer. For example, the Perkins loan has a nine-month grace period before you go into repayment. You may also want to consider any Undergraduate loans which you may have already used your grace period on and any Graduate PLUS loans which do not have a grace period and immediately go into repayment when you are not enrolled.
Options to Defer Loan Repayment
If you decide it is not possible to make payments while you are not enrolled at UCSF, you have a few options. You can request your loans be placed in deferment or forbearance for your time away from school (after any grace period expires).
If you feel your earnings qualify you to apply for an economic hardship deferment, you may apply for this with the lender to see if you qualify. You may wish to review the qualifications for this deferment before applying to see if you fit. If you apply and are not eligible, or determine yourself you would not qualify, but still feel you are unable to make your loan payments you may apply for forbearance.
During forbearance, interest will accrue on your loans. You must file the deferment or forbearance form with the lender(s) who made your Direct (Stafford) or Graduate PLUS Loans, with the University’s loan servicer, ACS (if you have Campus-based loans), and with your Undergraduate lender(s) before repayment begins. Once you return to school, the government will once again pay the interest associated with any subsidized loans, if you have been in forbearance or repayment.
3. Financial Aid When You Return
Remember to re-apply for financial aid for the following academic year. For example, if you will not be enrolled during Fall 2010 and Winter 2011, but will re-enroll for Spring 2011, make sure you complete your UCSF financial aid application and FAFSA by the March 2010 deadline for the 2010-2011 year in order to receive full consideration for all funding when you return.
Financial Aid - Standard
You are eligible to receive full financial assistance (assuming you are otherwise eligible) for the normative time allowed for your program.
Financial Aid – With Extra Time in Your Program
If you elect to extend your program beyond the typical length of enrollment for the Nursing program, you may fund the additional time with a Federal Direct (Stafford) or Graduate PLUS Loans (or outside loans). To receive financial aid, you must be enrolled, attending at least half-time, and paying fees. If you don’t enroll, you must find funding sources outside of financial aid. (The years of financial aid are counted by the quarters you are enrolled.)
4. How to Proceed With Your Leave of Absence
Complete the “Notice of Withdrawal” for the OAR (Registrar’s Office). The following requirements need to be completed if you have received financial aid and will not be officially enrolled at UCSF during your leave.
Student Financial Aid Office (SFAO) Requirements:
If you have received a Federal Direct (Stafford) or Graduate PLUS Loan while enrolled at UCSF, SFAO will request that you complete an Exit Session. All students must complete loan exit counseling online at NSLDSbefore SFAO can sign your Withdrawal form. This online session usually takes about 15-20 minutes.
Student Accounting Office Requirements:
If you have received any campus-based financial aid (including University, Perkins and HPSL loans) while enrolled at UCSF, the Student Accounting Office will require that you call to arrange an exit session with their office. Contact (415) 502-8206 or (415) 502-8205 to make arrangements.
While You are not Enrolled at UCSF:
Remember to stay informed on when your student loans go into repayment and consider the deferment or forbearance options listed above. Make sure to follow up on any deferment or forbearance you request.
5. Re-applying for Financial Aid
Make sure to re-apply for Financial Aid for the following academic year by early March if you will be re-enrolling during any of the following year’s summer, fall, winter or spring quarters. Check our website for details on deadlines and how to re-apply. If you are unsure about whether you should apply, contact the SFAO.
Graduate Academics, Dentistry, Pharmacy & Physical Therapy
Leaves of Absence/Part time Status
Some students take a Leave of Absence or reduce their unit load to part time during their normal curriculum with the consent of their program and advisor. After making your academic arrangements with your Program, it is helpful to talk to a financial aid advisor about how your student loans and financial aid will be affected. You must inform the Student Financial Aid Office as soon as you make a change in your enrollment or full time status.
Considerations
It’s best to make an appointment with your financial aid advisor so that you can discuss your options in detail.
1. Enrollment Plans
Will you be enrolling part time or taking a leave of absence from enrollment? See below for help with your decision-making.
Part time Status
Part time status is less than 12 units. If you will be taking six-11 units, you are not eligible for campus-based loans, but may still receive the Federal Direct (Stafford) and Graduate PLUS loans. In part time status, your student loans remain in "student status" or "in school deferment".
Non-Enrollment
If you decide to take time off, and will not be enrolled at UCSF, see below for details on how your loans and financial aid will be affected.
2. Your Student Loans
If you decide to take time off and not enroll, consider if your time off exceeds six months. The grace period on your Direct (Stafford) and University loans may expire after six months and these loans will go into repayment. If you have any Perkins or Health Profession Student loans, the grace period may be longer. For example, the Perkins loan has a nine-month grace period before you go into repayment. You may also want to consider any Undergraduate loans which you may have already used your grace period on and any Graduate PLUS loans which do not have a grace period and immediately go into repayment when you are not enrolled.
Options to Defer Loan Repayment
If you decide it is not possible to make payments while you are not enrolled at UCSF, you have a few options. You can request your loans be placed in deferment or forbearance for your time away from school (after any grace period expires).
During forbearance, interest will accrue on your loans. You must file the deferment or forbearance form with the lender(s) who made your Direct (Stafford) or Graduate PLUS Loans, with the University’s loan servicer, ACS (if you have Campus-based loans), and with your Undergraduate lender(s) before repayment begins. Once you return to school, the government will once again pay the interest associated with any subsidized loans, if you have been in forbearance or repayment.
3. Financial Aid When You Return
Remember to reapply for financial aid for the following academic year. For example, if you will not be enrolled during Fall 2011 and Winter 2012, but will re-enroll for Spring 2012, make sure you complete your UCSF financial aid application and FAFSA by the March 2011 deadline for the 2011-2012 year in order to receive full consideration for all funding when you return.
Financial Aid - Standard
You are eligible to receive full financial assistance (assuming you are otherwise eligible) for the normative time allowed for your program.
Financial Aid – With Extra Time in Your Program
If you elect to extend your program beyond the typical length of enrollment for your program, you may fund the additional time with a Federal Direct (Stafford) or Graduate PLUS Loans (or outside loans). To receive financial aid, you must be enrolled, attending at least half-time, and paying fees. If you don’t enroll, you must find funding sources outside of financial aid. (The years of financial aid are counted by the quarters you are enrolled.)
4. How to Proceed With Your Leave of Absence
Complete the “Notice of Withdrawal” for the OAR (Registrar’s Office). The following requirements need to be completed if you have received financial aid and will not be officially enrolled at UCSF during your leave.
Student Financial Aid Office (SFAO) Requirements:
If you have received a Federal Direct (Stafford) or Graduate PLUS loan while enrolled at UCSF, SFAO will request that you complete an Exit Session. All students must complete loan exit counseling online at NSLDS before SFAO can sign your Withdrawal form. This online session usually takes about 15-20 minutes.
Student Accounting Office Requirements:
If you have received any campus-based financial aid (including University, Perkins and HPSL Loans) while enrolled at UCSF, the Student Accounting Office will require that you call to arrange an exit session with their office. Contact (415) 502-8206 or (415) 502-8205 to make arrangements.
While you are not Enrolled at UCSF:
Remember to stay informed on when your student loans go into repayment and consider the deferment or forbearance options listed above. Make sure to follow up on any deferment or forbearance you request.
5. Re-applying for Financial Aid
Make sure to re-apply for Financial Aid for the following academic year by early March if you will be re-enrolling during any of the following year’s summer, fall, winter or spring quarters. Check our website for details on deadlines and how to re-apply. If you are unsure about whether you should apply, contact the SFAO.
