University of California, Santa Cruz
What UC Santa Cruz says
Exact quotes from UC Santa Cruz’s official pages, checked word for word on Oct 22, 2026.
Leave of Absence (LOA) : A withdrawal with a pre-approved return date (between one and six quarters).
— advising.ucsc.edu ↗Before the quarter begins File the online petition before the first day of classes.
— advising.ucsc.edu ↗Withdraw from UCSC / Leave of Absence Nov. 4, 2026 Feb. 16, 2027 May 7, 2027
— registrar.ucsc.edu ↗If you wish to change your specified return term … you must contact your college advisor or preceptor before the first day of instruction in the term you were scheduled to return.
— advising.ucsc.edu ↗You may withdraw without documentation through the withdrawal deadline
— advising.ucsc.edu ↗Written by AI from the quotes and pages we read. It may be incomplete or wrong; the school’s own pages win.
- Looks like you file an online Leave of Absence petition with a pre-approved return quarter.
- Filing appears due before Winter classes begin on Jan 4; leaves seem to run one to six quarters.
- Your residency may cover parts of two quarters; confirm with your college advisor and eligibility.
- Reasons accepted: any personal reason (No reason or documentation is required before the deadline; LOA needs satisfactory academic progress).
- Time away allowed: 1 to 6 quarters (LOA).
- Classes start Jan 4.
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
- CruzHacks ↗UCSC's student-run hackathon; listed on UCSC's Giving Day site. Recent edition January 2026.
Entrepreneurship center
- Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development (CIED) ↗Campus entrepreneurship center: I&E certificate, Launchpad 2026, internships and competitions.
Hard-tech team
- Formula Slug ↗UC Santa Cruz's Formula SAE team with mechanical, electrical, software and business subteams; active 2025-26.
CS club
- UCSC ACM ↗Largest computing club at UCSC (1,000+ members); runs workshops and the annual ACM Hacks. Featured by Baskin Engineering in 2025.
- UCSC ACM-W ↗Student-led ACM-W chapter for women and non-binary students in computing, hosted on a Baskin Engineering site.
Why 76
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.