I am a graduate student; can I take a leave of absence or withdraw?

You are expected to complete your degree program without interruption. The Office of Graduate Education has general information on withdrawals and information on medical withdrawals.

Funding

If you’re granted a medical withdrawal or required to withdraw for a medical reason, you’re no longer registered for classes and no longer eligible to receive funding from or through MIT. This includes research or teaching assistantships. Under most circumstances, external fellowship funding is also suspended. You must contact your fellowship administrator for the applicable policy, since some fellowships pay stipends directly to students.

Loans

Once we receive notification from the Office of Graduate Education that you were granted a medical withdrawal, we will make the necessary adjustments to your student account and financial aid. If you have an outstanding student loan, you need to have an exit interview before leaving or withdrawing. The exit interview will recap your rights and responsibilities, including when repayments begin. Please contact your loan counselor to set up an exit interview.