George Washington University
What GWU says
Exact quotes from GWU’s official pages, checked word for word on Oct 22, 2026.
A degree student who finds it necessary to interrupt active pursuit of the degree can petition their advising office for a leave of absence…
— bulletin.gwu.edu ↗Requests should be submitted prior to the semester of the request.
— cps.gwu.edu ↗…for a specific period of time, generally limited to one calendar year.
— bulletin.gwu.edu ↗…a student granted a leave who does not return to active study at the close of the period of approved absence, must apply for readmission…
— bulletin.gwu.edu ↗A degree student who finds it necessary to interrupt active pursuit of the degree can petition their advising office for a leave of absence
— bulletin.gwu.edu ↗Written by AI from the quotes and pages we read. It may be incomplete or wrong; the school’s own pages win.
- GW appears to require a leave petition to your advising office.
- No university-wide deadline is stated; requests look best before the semester.
- Leave seems limited to about a year; each school sets its own forms.
- Reasons accepted: dean's approval (Petition; no reasons listed).
- Time away allowed: Up to 1 calendar year.
- Classes start Jan 11.
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
- George Hacks ↗Student healthcare-innovation hackathon org; listed on SEAS student organizations page
Entrepreneurship center
- GW New Venture Competition ↗University startup competition open to every GW student, six tracks, $2M+ in prizes
- GW Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship ↗Runs I-Corps at GW, Lean Startup courses, mentorship; events scheduled Oct-Nov 2026
Hard-tech team
- GW Baja ↗Baja SAE off-road vehicle team; listed on SEAS student org page
- GW Robotics ↗Student robotics club; listed on SEAS student org page
- GW Rocket Team ↗Student rocketry team (listed on SEAS student org page)
CS club
- GW ACM ↗ACM student chapter; listed on SEAS student organizations page
Why 80
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.