Students enrolled in term-based credit hour programs who need to interrupt their program of study for military service requirements, jury duty, or a Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) affecting the student or a member of the student’s immediate family (spouse and/or children), are not able to resume training at the same point where the training was interrupted, would qualify for the Academic Leave of Absence (ALOA) provision. To qualify for this provision, the ALOA must meet all eligibility criteria below, the request must be made prior to the first scheduled class day of a term or module and the student may only return at the beginning of a subsequent term or module. Students enrolled in term-based programs that are approved for an ALOA will begin their grace period on any Federal Student Loan(s) as of their last date of attendance. Furthermore, the “Return to Title IV” policy and “Tuition Refund Policy” as listed in the catalog will be applied.
The following are the criteria for making application and approving an Academic Leave of Absence:
- The request and reason(s) for the Leave of Absence must be made by the student in writing on a Leave of Absence Request Form in advance of the ALOA. If unforeseen circumstances inhibit a student from making the ALOA request in advance, Denver College of Nursing may grant an ALOA on behalf of a student without prior written request as long as Denver College of Nursing can document the reason for its decision and collect the request from the student at a later date. This would apply in such instances where the student sustained an injury due to an accident, became suddenly ill, or had an immediate family member become suddenly ill that was in need of immediate care.
- In certain documented, unforeseen and extenuating circumstances, a student who cannot continue attending the course(s) may find it essential to request an ALOA after a term or module has started. The institution is not required to approve this type of ALOA request; however, if the institution grants this type of mid-term ALOA request, the student will receive a grade of W for each course attempted in the term. The W grade will be determined in accordance with the normal grading policy and will have the same impact as usual. SAP will need to be calculated for the student before a decision on the ALOA is determined. If a student would be SAP Not Met after the W grade for the current term are awarded, then the ALOA is denied. The Return to Title IV policy and Tuition Refund policy as listed in the catalog will be applied based upon the percentage of the term or module the applicant has attended.
- The applicant for the ALOA should have successfully completed at least one grading period, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0, be making Satisfactory Academic Progress, be current in their tuition and fees obligation, and have satisfactorily completed all student financial assistance requirements.
- The initial leave period requested should be no more than 90 days; however, in certain semester-based programs, the initial ALOA request may be extended to 120 days. If the student requires an extension of the original leave period, the student must apply for an extension and provide new documentation. The request for extension will follow the same approval process as the original request, which requires the written approval from Denver College of Nursing. Denver College of Nursing cannot extend the period of leave originally requested without a written request from the student (or family member if the student is incapacitated) that includes third-party supporting documentation. All ALOA extension paperwork and documentation must be turned into Denver College of Nursing prior to the student’s initial ALOA return date. In any 12-month period, the cumulative leave period(s) may be no longer than 180 calendar days.
The applicant for an ALOA will be notified by the Registrar or the Campus President if the application for an Academic Leave of Absence has been approved or denied. If the leave is approved, the student will also be notified of the scheduled return date and any other conditions required of the student. All students that are approved for an ALOA must meet with the Financial Aid Department prior to returning to the College.
Students returning to the College after an Academic Leave of Absence may be required to demonstrate clinical competence prior to placement in clinical nursing courses.