Graduate On-Leave Status

Graduate students are required to maintain graduate status during their program of study. Failure to maintain this status requires readmission to the University of Washington. For complete details regarding on-leave status policy, refer to Graduate School Memorandum 9.

Petition for On Leave Status

On-leave Eligibility

• Must be a graduate student in good standing.
• Must be currently registered or on-leave.
• Must satisfy any graduate program policies pertaining to on-leave.
• US citizen and permanent residents must have completed at least one quarter of graduate study at UW and have approval from their graduate program.
• International students must be registered full time (10 or more credits) for three consecutive quarters and have approval from both their graduate program and the International Student Services office.
• Pre-registered students must officially withdraw via MyUW or the Registration office prior to the first day of the quarter*.

* Registered students are not eligible for on-leave status.

Students on-leave are entitled to:

• return as a graduate student to the graduate program
• use University libraries
• maintain access to the UW email account
• use Hall Health Primary Care Center on a pay-for-service basis
• use the IMA with additional fee

Students on-leave are not entitled to:

• faculty and staff counsel/resources (very limited counsel/resources are permitted)
• examinations of any type (except for language competency)
• thesis/dissertation filing
• University housing
• student insurance
• financial assistance

Procedure for requesting leave - Seattle campus only (for complete details and for Bothell/Tacoma procedures, refer to Memorandum 9):

• Complete and sign the Petition for On-Leave Status.
• Acquire Graduate Program Coordinator’s signature on petition (graduate program faculty adviser).
• Pay the non-refundable on-leave fee to the Cashier’s office and submit the petition to the Registration office by the 5th day of class.
• The Registration office will issue an On-Leave Graduate Student Card which must be presented with Student ID at libraries and computer labs. If you mailed your petition to the Registration office and need the On-Leave Graduate Student Card mailed to you, you must include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your signed petition and check. For questions regarding on-leave status, please contact the Graduate Program Assistant within the graduate program and/or Graduate Education Services at gsstusrv@u.washington.edu or 206-685-2630.