VCOM College Catalog and Student Handbook

• There must be a reasonable expectation that the student will return from the LOA. This condition is specified to make clear that a school may not grant a student an LOA merely to delay the return of unearned Title IV funds. • The school may not assess the student any additional institutional charges, the student’s need may not increase, and, therefore, the student is not eligible for any additional Title IV aid. The school may grant a full tuition credit toward the course the student chooses to re-enter as a way to comply with this requirement that the student not be assessed any additional charges upon return from the leave. • The LOA, together with any additional leaves of absence, must not exceed a total of 180 days in a 12 month period. • A student returning from an LOA must resume training at the same point in the academic program that they began the LOA. • If the student has a Title IV loan, the school must explain to them, prior to granting the LOA, the effects that their failure to return from an LOA may have on the loan repayment terms, including the expiration of the grace period. As outlined above, not all LOA from VCOM will qualify as an approved LOA for federal student financial aid. For example, since a VCOM Administrative Leave of Absence is school-mandated (not at the request of the student), it does not qualify as an approved LOA for federal financial aid. Any student who received financial aid who is considering requesting an LOA, should consult with the Financial Aid Office to determine how their financial aid will be affected. Unapproved Leave of Absence A student who has unexcused absence(s) for the block/rotation must meet with the appropriate Associate Dean and will be brought before the Honor Code Council or the Professional and Ethics Standards Board (PESB). Students should be aware that if found guilty by the Honor Code Council or PESB, the findings will become part of the permanent record and will be reported on the Medical Student Performance Evaluation. According to the Department of Education a student may not miss greater than seven consecutive days without reporting such information; therefore, a student who takes an unapproved leave of absence that exceeds seven days may be dismissed by the college without the ability to reapply, subject to the decision of the Professional and Ethics Standards Board. A student who takes an unapproved leave of absence that is 14 days or greater will be dismissed by the college without the ability to reapply. Types of Leaves of Absence A request for a Leave of Absence may be requested by the student to the Campus Dean for the following reasons: academic, administrative, medical, military, or personal and must be pre-approved using the processes outlined. Academic Leave of Absence An Academic Leave of Absence is a voluntary leave that is requested by a student to pursue research, an externship, a degree-granting program outside of VCOM, or any other career advancing activity that does not exceed 180-days. An Academic Leave of Absence may occur only between the OMS 3 and OMS 4-year curriculum. Students requesting an Academic Leave of Absence must be in good standing at the time of the request. A request for an Academic Leave of Absence that extends beyond 180-days within an academic year or 12-month period, will result in a temporary withdrawal if approved by the Campus Dean. Should the original request be planned for more than 180-days, the Campus Dean will consider it for an Academic Temporary Withdrawal instead of an Academic Leave of Absence.

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