University of Colorado Boulder
What CU Boulder says
Exact quotes from CU Boulder’s official pages, checked word for word on Oct 22, 2026.
Undergraduate students may take up to two semesters off plus summer after their last graded semester at CU Boulder without having to apply for a leave of absence.
— colorado.edu ↗You're automatically eligible to return to the university within two semesters plus summer from your last graded semester at CU Boulder without reapplying for admission.
— colorado.edu ↗The Office of the Registrar will automatically assign enrollment dates for your returning term…
— colorado.edu ↗Undergraduate students may take up to two semesters off plus summer after their last graded semester at CU Boulder without having to apply for a leave of absence.
— colorado.edu ↗Written by AI from the quotes and pages we read. It may be incomplete or wrong; the school’s own pages win.
- Undergrads appear to need no leave request; you may just skip the term.
- Looks like you can be away up to two semesters plus summer.
- If you're already registered, ask your registrar or advising office about dropping classes.
- Reasons accepted: no leave request needed.
- Time away allowed: Up to 2 semesters + summer.
- What to file: nothing to file.
- Classes start Jan 7.
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
- HackCU ↗Student-run hackathon org, listed as recognized student org
Student founder community
- Boulder Venture Club ↗Recognized student org (Business) in BuffConnect directory
Entrepreneurship center
- ESCEND (Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship) ↗College of Engineering's entrepreneurship program; links to NVC and seed funding
- New Venture Challenge (Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative) ↗Campus-wide startup competition; 2026 finals held April 2026
Hard-tech team
- CU Hyperloop ↗Hyperloop student team (Engineering & Technology RSO)
- CU Robotics ↗Student robotics club (Engineering & Technology RSO)
- CU Sounding Rocket Laboratory ↗Student rocketry lab; recognized student org
- Colorado Space Grant Consortium ↗Student-built satellite and space hardware projects hosted at CU Boulder
- Solar Car Club ↗Student solar car team (Engineering & Technology RSO)
CS club
- CU Women in Computing ↗Computing student org in BuffConnect directory
Why 99
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.