Brown University
What Brown says
Exact quotes from Brown’s official pages, checked word for word on Oct 22, 2026.
Once you are certain of your decision to request a leave, you should submit an electronic leave request form in ASK, which the Dean must approve.
— college.brown.edu ↗Students intending to file for a personal leave of absence should request their intent to do so … by December 1 for the following spring semester.
— college.brown.edu ↗Students on any kind of leave for more than three years must petition the Committee on Academic Standing to return to studies … by October 1 for the spring semester…
— college.brown.edu ↗Students should complete the online petition to request to return from a leave of absence by October 1 for the following spring semester and by April 1 for the following fall semester.
— college.brown.edu ↗Students request a personal leave of absence for many reasons: To take a break from the pace of college, explore a career pathway in an internship or job
— college.brown.edu ↗Written by AI from the quotes and pages we read. It may be incomplete or wrong; the school’s own pages win.
- Brown appears to require a leave request in ASK that the Dean must approve.
- The spring request deadline looks like December 1, 2026.
- Returning seems to need a petition, with deadlines by term.
- Reasons accepted: any personal reason (Dean must approve the ASK leave request).
- Time away allowed: not stated on public pages.
- Classes start Jan 27.
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
Student founder community
- Brown Entrepreneurship Program (EP) ↗Student-run entrepreneurship hub (since 1998) under the Nelson Center; inspires, consults and funds founders.
- Innovation Dojo ↗Brown's student startup incubator: teams build ventures over a semester with mentorship and pitch for funding.
- Van Wickle Ventures ↗Student-run venture fund investing in Brown-affiliated startups.
Entrepreneurship center
Why 78
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. Source pages look current for 2026–27. We date pages from server timestamps, page metadata, “last updated” text, PDF dates and the Wayback Machine.