Boston University
What Boston University says
Exact quotes from Boston University’s official pages, checked word for word on Oct 22, 2026.
Requests for leave of absence must be submitted by undergraduate degree candidates to the University Service Center.
— bu.edu ↗Generally, it’s best to arrange a leave or withdrawal a month to several months before the start of the new term (for example, in December for the upcoming spring term…
— bu.edu ↗In general, undergraduate students can take up to four semesters of leave.
— bu.edu ↗Students returning from an official leave of absence should meet with their advisor.
— bu.edu ↗Non-medical reasons for leave: academic; academic difficulty; Church mission; family; financial; military service; safety/security; visa; and work-career-internship.
— bu.edu ↗Written by AI from the quotes and pages we read. It may be incomplete or wrong; the school’s own pages win.
- BU appears to use a leave request through MyAcademic Guide.
- Spring leaves seem typically arranged in November or December; earlier looks better.
- Up to four semesters seems allowed; some schools may differ.
- Reasons accepted: listed reasons (career included) (Closed reason list, but includes work-career-internship; residency likely fits).
- Time away allowed: Up to 4 semesters.
- Classes start Jan 19.
Before you decide
Check on the following…
- Will my spot be held?Check how long your school keeps your place and whether you have to apply to come back.Ask: Registrar
- Will I graduate later?A term off can push back your graduation. Ask which required classes only run in the spring.Ask: Academic advisor
- Is there a deadline to ask?Some schools want your leave request before January. Find out the exact date and the form.Ask: Dean’s office or registrar
- What happens to my scholarships and aid?Ask whether your scholarships and grants pause while you’re away or end, and what you need to do to get them back.Ask: Financial aid office
- When would I have to start repaying loans?Student loans usually stop being deferred when you’re not enrolled. After a short grace period, often six months, payments can start.Ask: Financial aid office
- Will I still have health insurance?A student health plan usually needs you to be enrolled. Make sure you’re covered from January to April.Ask: Student health office
- What about my housing?Ask whether you can leave your housing contract without a penalty and whether you’ll get housing when you come back.Ask: Housing office
- I’m on a student visa. Does this affect it?For F-1 students, not enrolling usually ends your visa status. Talk to this office before anything else.Ask: International student office
Hackathon
- BostonHacks ↗24-hour MLH hackathon at BU's George Sherman Union, Nov 21-22, 2026
Entrepreneurship center
- Innovate@BU ↗University innovation center: New Venture Competition, Summer Accelerator, Innovation Pathway; events Oct-Nov 2026
- Innovate@BU Summer Accelerator ↗BU's summer startup accelerator for student ventures
Hard-tech team
- BU Rocket Propulsion Group (BURPG) ↗Undergrad liquid-rocket team aiming for space; members from engineering, physics, CS and business
CS club
- BU Spark! ↗CDS innovation lab: X-Lab, Code & Tell, Demo Day, hackathons, Ignite student clubs
Why 81
Spend the winter building. Southbound runs Jan 11 to Apr 11, 2027 in Miami. Acceptance is rolling.
What we could find (checked Oct 22, 2026). Not final: confirm dates and aid with your school before you act. One source page hasn’t changed in a while, so we re-checked the rule against a current 2026–27 source on Oct 22, 2026. Older pages: www.bu.edu/academics/cas/policies/withdrawal-leave-of-absenc (last changed Sep 2024). We date pages from server timestamps, page metadata, “last updated” text, PDF dates and the Wayback Machine.