Yes, the transcript notation for medical leave and personal leave are the same "leave of absence". If a time away is granted while a semester is in progress, the student will be withdrawn from ALL courses, and a "W" notation will be assigned for each class. The "W's" will be recorded permanently on the student record. If you are concerned about how to address a leave on your transcript (many students take time away and continue to get into top graduate, medical and professional schools), we are happy to connect you with the Career Center and PreHealth Advising teams to help you address any concerns you may have.
Students holding F1/J1 visas should contact Duke Visa Services (919) 681-8472 or email visahelp@mc.duke.edu to obtain information about visa status implications. It is important to explore this information before requesting your time away so you can be prepared about the implications. The Time Away Office can help you develop a plan moving forward.
Full details on transfer credit policies may be found in the T-Reqs and Pratt Policies.
Students who are on a voluntary time away from the university may enroll in courses taken at another four-year accredited institution and transfer them back to Duke. Per university policy, students are allowed a maximum of two institutional transfer credits during their entire undergraduate career for Trinity students and four institutional transfer credits for Pratt students. Students are not allowed to enroll in a course while away and repeat the course, or its equivalent, at Duke.
Students on academic dismissal are able to take up to two transfer credits during a dismissal period if they have not used them. Students must first complete any outstanding incompletes to be eligible for transfer credit while on dismissal.
If you are eligible to transfer credits back to Duke, you must request that an official transcript be sent directly to Duke's Registrar's Office. Only transcripts sent directly from the visiting institution's Office of the Registrar are considered official documents. Students who have been involuntarily time away from Duke due to conduct matters are not eligible to transfer credits for courses taken during their period of separation.
The Time Away Office can assist you in exploring transfer credit options.
Students seeking to complete their final units outside of Duke should meet with their academic dean to explore Special Leave of Completion/Return for Graduation (SPCM). Special Leave Completion students must meet the following eligibility guidelines: (1) be in good standing with the university; (2) have no pending disciplinary matters; (3) be eligible to transfer credits back to Duke; (4) have at least 32 of the 34 required graduation credits; (5) meet with academic dean to verify the missing credits/graduation requirements; (6) follow all Trinity/Pratt policies to get approval for the transfer credit; (7) complete remaining credits at an accredited four-year college or university; (8) complete all required tasks to transfer the credit back to Duke.
Your academic dean will support you throughout this process. Once a plan is established between you and your academic dean, you will need to complete a Time Away Inquiry Form to request a Special Completion Time Away.
Trinity students may not use acceleration credits (Advanced Placement, International Placement or Pre-Matriculation credit) in order to compensate for time taken away as a result of any type of time away. Trinity students who take time away are limited to a maximum of two AP credits.
Some reasons for an Involuntary Administrative Withdrawal include instances when students do not return to campus at the start of the semester and provide no reason for their absence; when students are separated from Duke for extended periods of time (e.g. longer than 2 years) and do not respond to outreach or contact the Time Away Office to indicate a desire to return, they may be involuntarily withdrawn from Duke in order to discontinue unwanted, ongoing communication from the institution.
If you have been withdrawn and want to return, please contact the Time Away Office and we will help you.
When you go on a time away, you will be an "inactive" student, and future course registration, housing contract, and dining contract will be cancelled. After you are returned to active student status, you will be able to register and apply for housing.
More info here but the basics are below:
Personal Leave
Must be requested before the semester begins by published deadlines.
Typically used when a student plans to return after a short, defined period away to pursue personal or career interests like travel, an internship or job and/or to help with family or personal matters.
Follows standard Time Away timelines and processes.
Voluntary Withdrawal
Most often used when a student decides to leave the university during the semester.
- May include transfer-related decisions.
Results in the student becoming inactive for the remainder of the term and the following term.
Students who voluntarily withdraw are generally expected to be away for the current and following academic term. Return requests must follow published timelines:
Spring return: Request opens August 1, closes October 1
Summer return: Request opens February 1, closes April 1
Fall return: Request opens March 1, closes June 1
Some students may request an early return, which requires additional review and documentation and is not guaranteed. Please contact Time Away to submit documentation for an early return request.
Students approved for a leave are required to vacate campus housing within 72 hours of the approval date if they have not already moved out. This timeline is set by university policy and coordinated with Housing & Residence Life.
Students should contact Housing directly with questions about move-out logistics. Additional housing charges may apply if a student does not vacate within the required timeframe.
Housing & Residence Life will work with you to:
Identify a specific move-out window
Arrange temporary building access, if needed
Provide instructions for key return and move-out logistics
The Time Away Office can help connect you to Housing, but access arrangements must be approved and managed by Housing & Residence Life.
Being placed on an involuntary leave can be difficult and unexpected, especially when it occurs between academic terms. The Time Away Office is committed to supporting you through the required next steps and helping you navigate logistics during this transition.
Students placed on an involuntary leave are required to vacate campus housing before the start of the next academic term, in accordance with university policy.
Because these decisions often occur between terms:
Building and card access may be limited or deactivated
Move-out timing and access are coordinated directly with Housing & Residence Life
Temporary or scheduled access for move-out may be arranged by Housing
Generally, when students residing on campus request a time away during the course of the semester, they are provided up to 72 hours to move off of campus. The Time Away Office can help you develop a move out plan.
Students on time away are considered inactive students and therefore, observe the same rights as the public when entering Duke's campus. During time away, students are not allowed to enter university residential buildings (permission under the Housing Guest Policy does not apply to students on time away), campus gyms, participate in student activities, or access student health services. Students on time away are ineligible to work for Duke University units in jobs funded by Duke or federal work study dollars. If you are unclear the funding stream of the position and want help exploring the issue, please contact the Time Away Office.
While on time away, students are not permitted to attend or audit Duke courses. If you are a student-athlete, a club member, member of a performance group, or hold an office in a student organization, you are not permitted to participate in meetings, rehearsals, practice sessions, have access to studios, stages, locker rooms, strength conditioning and film areas of DUAA or sit on the bench during contests.
If you believe there are compelling reasons for you to access resources on campus, you must obtain written permission from the Time Away Office. You must submit a written note via email requesting special dispensation for limited access to specific campus resources and specify the time and duration of access. Your written request must be submitted seventy-two business hours before your anticipated time on campus. Students who do not adhere to this policy will jeopardize their ability to return to Duke.
Yes, as with the general public, Duke Medical Center is open and available to you.
If the Duke Gardens is open, you may visit it during your time away.
During your time away, you may not enroll in, attend, or audit a Duke course.
Financial Impact
Students who begin a time away during the first or second week of the semester receive 80% of their tuition back. During the third to fifth weeks, they receive 60% of their tuition, and during the sixth week, 20% of their tuition. After the sixth week of classes, no refund will be granted. If the leave was due to medical reasons, students who are enrolled in some type of tuition insurance may receive additional refund from their insurance company. The Time Away Office can help you navigate the insurance claim process.
Residence hall charges are prorated and will be calculated according to the number of days a room is occupied. The Time Away Office can help you navigate the refund/reimbursement process for both dining and housing. If you have tuition insurance, you may be eligible for a claim. The Time Away Office will help you navigate that process as well.
We encourage you to bring any questions to the financial aid team. They are there to help.
If you are receiving financial aid and considering a time away partway through the term, we strongly recommend that you contact the the Financial Aid Office to understand the policies related to withdrawal during a term.
As noted on the Financial Aid Office website, your semesters of financial aid eligibility (normally eight) do not have to be consecutive.
The start date of your time away will determine if a time away will impact your financial aid. If you take a time away before the semester starts, your time away semester will not count toward your allotted financial aid semesters (e.g., if you take a time away over the summer prior to the start of fall semester, then fall semester will not count as a semester of financial aid). However, if you start a time away partway through a semester, that semester will count as a semester of financial aid.
If you have specific questions about your time away packet, please contact the Financial Aid Office.
Yes, please complete your FASFA and CSS profile before your return semester starts and schedule a meeting with the Financial Aid Office to discuss your financial aid packet. Doing this before you physically return to campus, will allow you to financially plan for your return.
No worries. If you forgot which financial aid counselor you are assigned to, you can email the general email address (finaid@duke.edu) and they will answer your question and direct you to the right person.
Student loans will begin a repayment process approximately six months after your time away was processed. Please contact the Student Loans & Personal Finance Office to get information about the specific date when your repayment will start and learn about what options available to you.
Tuition insurance is available to you through various companies. Duke has selected GradGuard as a third-party vendor to provide tuition insurance for our students. You can get full coverage of tuition, housing (on or off campus), fees as well as other expenses you may incur if you need to take a medical time away. Students can pay for coverage directly through GradGuard or through NelNet within the Bursar's Office. Student can individualize their coverage based on their financial contributions. Insurance policies must be purchased BEFORE the semester starts.
This can happen, especially when a leave is approved between academic terms as in the case of a personal leave. There is often a delay while other campus offices (such as the Registrar, Housing, and Dining) finish processing the changes and update your balance.
In most cases, charges are adjusted or removed within a few weeks. Depending on the timing of your leave and whether required items (such as keys, library books, or parking passes) have been returned, some charges may remain on your account.
If you have questions about specific charges or would like an itemized explanation of your bill, please contact the Duke Bursar’s Office, as they are best equipped to review individual billing details.
Return Timing
Yes. Students on time away are not required to return by an exact term date. Your time away will continue until you request return. If your time away exceeds two years, please contact the Time Away Office to share your plans.
Yes. You will need to complete the Time Away Inquiry form before the first day of the semester and return when you are ready.
Having an outstanding balance on your Bursar account is the number one reason for a student's return to be delayed. If you have an outstanding balance, please reach out to the Bursar's office to clear that balance. Delays can also be caused by incomplete paperwork. If you need help or want to talk through your return, please reach out. We are here to support you!
No, you will not be able to register for classes or housing without going through the return process and being cleared for return. Once Time Away sends you your Welcome Back letter, please reach out to your academic advisor asap to be cleared for registration and to Housing regarding your housing options.
That is completely fine. When to return is a very personal decision and one you don't have to make alone. We would be happy to schedule a meeting to talk through your concerns and help you develop a plan moving forward. Again, we are here to support you and WANT to support you.
We know it can be hard to take the step to reach out and ask this big question after it has been some time since you were at the institution, but rest assured, we are here to support you. We will help you understand your status with the university and help you develop a return plan. We can also help you get connected to various resources across campus and orchestrate your return. Please reach out so we can help you chart a path forward.
A student administratively withdrawn for financial reasons may not submit a request or return for the same semester in which they were withdrawn.
Students returning from an academic dismissal may apply to return to Duke no earlier than two semesters after the original term of dismissal. Students dismissed twice for academic reasons are not eligible to return prior to two years (six semesters, including summers) after the second dismissal term. Academic Dismissal Policy
A student who was dismissed from Duke for disciplinary reasons must complete all required disciplinary sanctions in order to be eligible to return. If you are not sure about your sanctions or need assistance making a plan to complete them, the Time Away Office can help you. Please reach out to schedule an appointment.
Students who withdrew from Duke in order to transfer to another institution are eligible to return. However, the two transfer credit limit for Trinity students and four transfer credit limit for Pratt students will apply. The Time Away Office can help you through the process.
The Time Away Office conducts an individualized review with relevant campus partners based on each students' needs. The review committee will review the documentation submitted by each provider as well as content shared by the returning student in the Time Away Return Request Form to get an understanding of what the student has done during their time away, how they know they are ready to return and how the university can support them in the return process.
The review process (and the requested request for return materials) is based on a student’s time away and the nature of the circumstances that caused the time away.
During the review process, all members of your review committee have access to materials in your return packet. After a decision has been made regarding your return to Duke, your return packet remains in the Time Away Office. The Time Away Office is part of the Dean of Students Office.
All requests for return are reviewed as expeditiously as possible. You are always welcome to reach out to the Time Away Office to request a status update.
You are not eligible to register for classes until your return request is reviewed and the approval processed. Once you receive your Welcome Back letter from the Time Away Office, you must meet with your academic advisor to be cleared for registration, just like any other semester.
If your return request was postponed, the postponement letter outlines the steps and contact person for your appeal. Students have five business days to request an appeal in writing. The Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs for Programs and Education will respond to the appeal.
The Time Away Office will process your return and send a formal welcome back letter with information regarding registration and housing. We are available to help you develop an individualized return plan and will support you when you return to campus. In certain instances, the Dean of Students Office may also require a CARE plan.
Many returning students benefit from reconnecting with campus support offices, including:
Academic Advising
Academic Resource Center (ARC)
Financial Aid
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Student Disability Access Office (SDAO)
Your DukeCard will not work until the semester your return has been processed (if you complete the return in March for fall semester, your DukeCard will not work until move-in date for fall semester). If you card still does not work after move-in day, please contact the DukeCard Office or Time Away. We would be happy to help you.
Please contact the Time Away Office to talk through your plans to determine eligibility based on the program and your individualized situation.
Treatment conditions function to enhance your chance of a successful transition back to Duke. They are developed based on the information shared during the review process. The Time Away Office can help you identify local treatment providers to meet the treatment conditions.
Your conditions of return were determined by the the clinical review committee and your treatment provider recommendations. You must comply with the conditions of your return for the period of time stipulated in your return letter and as you agreed to. Feel free to discuss your concerns with your treatment provider. If the two of you agree that your treatment plan should be adjusted, simply reach out to the Time Away Office to schedule a meeting to discuss.
Of course, you can change providers if you do not feel like it is a good fit. However, it is important to note that it takes time to establish relationships. Be sure to give it a chance and share any concerns with your treatment provider. If you feel like you need a new provider, please reach out to the Time Away Office and we can help you find a new provider. It is important to note that the treatment recommendations are still in place, so it is important to make the change quickly so you can maintain the appropriate treatment frequency to demonstration clinical progress to return to campus when you ready.