Leaves of Absence
A student may find it necessary to leave the school for a period of time and then return to normal studies at a later date. Students take leaves of absence for various reasons, including but not limited to illness, military service, professional opportunities, or for purely personal reasons.
Sonoma State students who will not be enrolled at SSU for the upcoming semester may file for a leave of absence to maintain enrollment eligibility and catalog rights to specified degree requirements. Students may select a leave of one semester or two but not to exceed two semesters.
Students must file for a leave no more than 2 weeks into the semester of the requested leave. If you are enrolled in classes for that term, it is your responsibility to drop any classes before the semester begins if you wish to have a full reversal of fees. Otherwise, you may be subject to a pro-rata refund.
Students who are on a two-semester leave must register for classes during the first registration periods:
- April/May for a Fall return
- November/December for a Spring return
Students who do not register or return to Sonoma State at the conclusion of their planned leaves will be inactivated and required to reapply for admission.
As long as you are returning the semester indicated on your petition, you will automatically receive a registration appointment for that semester. Log in to your Student Center to find out your registration appointment day and time.
For general questions regarding leaves, please contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@sonoma.edu