Enrollment Change, Withdrawal or Leave of Absence

Students with federal education loans must be enrolled at least half-time to receive the loans and to continue to qualify for in-school deferment. For financial aid purposes:

JD Program: Full-time is considered 10 or more credits per semester for Day Division students and 7 or more credits per semester for Evening Division students. Half-time enrollment is considered 5-9 credits per semester for Day Division students and 4-6 credits per semester for Evening Division students.
LL.M. Program: Full-time is considered 9 or more credits. Half-time enrollment for LL.M. students is considered 5 or more credits.
Summer Semester: Students must be enrolled at least half-time during the summer to receive federal aid. Half-time enrollment is considered 3 credits for JD and LL.M. students and 6 credits for Dual Degree students enrolled solely in CAS or SSOM classes.

Students with federal loans who are enrolled less than half-time must complete exit counseling.

Withdrawal and Leave of Absence

The Office of Financial Aid is required to recalculate federal financial aid eligibility for students who withdraw, drop out, are dismissed, or take a leave of absence prior to completing 60% of a semester.

The date the student began the Withdrawal process with the Office of Academic Services, or
The date the student began the Leave of Absence process with the Law Dean of Students Office, or
The student's last date of attendance, or
The mid-point of a semester for a student who leaves without notifying Suffolk Law

In some cases, federal loans already refunded to the student may need to be returned to the lender. Please note that his could result in an outstanding tuition balance owed to Suffolk University.

Other actions you may need to take if you are considering a withdrawal or leave of absence

Students withdrawing or dropping credits after a semester begins will be assessed tuition charges in accordance with the University's Withdrawal Policy.
If you leave Suffolk Law for any reason, you must file either the Withdrawal form [PDF] to the Office of Academic Services, or the Leave of Absence form [PDF] with the Law Dean of Students Office. Not completing the appropriate withdrawal or leave of absence forms can prove costly since students will be assessed tuition charges for a semester not completed.
Students with federal loan obligations either from Suffolk Law or a prior institution may wish to explore loan deferment or forbearance options.
Students with federal loans must complete exit counseling.

Institutional Aid Recipients

If a student withdraws or takes a leave of absence prior to incurring 100% tuition liability, all institutional aid is returned. One hundred percent tuition liability occurs after the add/drop period and the last day to drop a class without a ‘W’ grade. Once a student incurs 100% tuition liability, no adjustment is made to institutional aid.