Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
What RPI says
Exact quotes from RPI’s official pages, checked word for word on Oct 22, 2026.
Complete the Undergraduate Voluntary Leave of Absence/Withdrawal Request form online.
— doso.rpi.edu ↗All undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to request a voluntary LOA for a given semester up until the last day of classes.
— doso.rpi.edu ↗Students may take a leave for as long as needed. … Students who do not return within one calendar year may be administratively withdrawn…
— doso.rpi.edu ↗To return from a leave, students must apply through the Dean of Students Office by the published deadlines, resolve any outstanding holds or financial obligations…
— doso.rpi.edu ↗A leave of absence from RPI allows a student to step away from academics to focus on personal needs
— doso.rpi.edu ↗Written by AI from the quotes and pages we read. It may be incomplete or wrong; the school’s own pages win.
- RPI appears to use an online Voluntary Leave of Absence request for undergrads.
- It looks possible up to the last day of classes, with earlier timing affecting the record.
- Leave seems to last up to a calendar year.
- Reasons accepted: any personal reason (No reason limits).
- Time away allowed: 1 cal. year (may withdraw).
- 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
- HackRPI ↗24-hour student hackathon; 13th annual edition Nov 7-8, 2026.
Entrepreneurship center
- Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship ↗RPI's startup hub: Catalyst Incubator, Ignite activator, SCALE.Rensselaer Accelerator, NSF I-Corps, Founder Fellowships and pitch competitio
CS club
- Rensselaer Center for Open Source (RCOS) ↗Community of RPI students building open-source projects with mentors; the site lists a Fall 2026 semester.
Why 87
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.