Policy Rationale
Vermont State University (VTSU) supports students serving in the military. This policy allows students to manage their academic responsibilities with no financial or academic penalty if they are issued orders for active-duty deployment.
Policy
If VTSU students in the military receive orders that call them to active-duty service, Basic or other Training, or a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) that prohibits them from finishing the semester and they notify the university, they are withdrawn from their classes and placed on a Leave of Absence effective to the beginning of the affected semester extending through the final date of deployment/PCS, if available. Their semester financial charges are adjusted to zero, any financial aid is returned to the source, and they are fully refunded any personal payments made to the University.
Students may have the option to request Incomplete Grade(s) per the Incomplete policy. In this case, course withdrawals are not made and there is no need for financial adjustments for any courses for which an Incomplete grade is approved. In the case of Incomplete grades for all courses in the semester, the Leave of Absence would begin the following semester, if necessary.
Students whose active military deployment/PCS lasts longer than one year will be granted an extension to their Leave of Absence.
Procedures
- Once a student receives orders that call them to active-duty service, Basic or other Training, or a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) that prohibits them from finishing a semester, they should send an email notification to their current instructors and the VA certifying official in the Registrar’s Office by emailing veterans@vermontstate.edu notifying them of the orders/PCS. Students may request Incomplete grade(s) from their instructor(s), per the Incomplete policy.
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The student should complete a Leave of Absence Form located on the VTSU Veteran and Military Service Members webpage. When submitting the form, they must attach a copy of their orders (security classification dependent) or a Memorandum for Record (MFR) by a unit commander noting any dates about Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration (RSOI) or PCS. On the form, they will also indicate their intention (if applicable) to earn Incomplete grade(s) for any class(es) as approved in Step 1.
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The Registrar’s Offices authorizes the request for a Leave of Absence and notifies the VA certifying official and the Financial Aid office regarding the Leave of Absence and status of courses for the current semester (withdrawals or Incomplete grades).
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The Registrar records the Leave of Absence in the student information system, with the start date beginning either the first day of the semester from which the student is fully withdrawing from classes or the first day of the following semester in the case of Incomplete grades. The Registrar records an end date for the Leave of Absence utilizing the end date on the orders that call them to active-duty service or a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) or, in the absence of such information, one year. The Registrar also processes any needed class withdrawals and/or records any Incomplete grades.
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The Financial Aid office reduces the student’s bill for the semester to zero dollars, returns any scholarship monies to their source, and reimburses the student for any personal payments that have already been incurred in the case of any withdrawals from classes.
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If a Leave of Absence needs to extend beyond the initial end date, the student fills out a Request to Extend Military Leave Form before the initial Leave of Absence expires.
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Upon completion of active duty deployment/PCS, notify faculty advisor of intention to return to VTSU to initiate reentry to the university.
Responsibilities
Students:
- Confer with current instructor(s) regarding the decision to either withdraw from courses or to request Incomplete grades for the semester.
- Submit a Leave of Absence Form in a timely fashion notifying the university of the upcoming active service and/or PCS, attaching official documentation and including intent to either withdraw from courses or continue based on agreements reached with current instructors to receive Incomplete grades.
- Submit a Request to Extend Military Leave, as needed, in a timely fashion.
- Inform faculty academic advisor upon return from active duty.
Instructors:
Registrar:
- Record the student’s Leave of Absence with accurate start and end dates, based on official military documentation and/or any Request to Extend Military Leave Forms submitted.
- Withdraw the student from their current courses.
- Record Incomplete grades, as needed.
- Communicate with the VA Certifiying Official and Financial Aid when Leave of Absences have been processed.
Financial Aid:
Related Documents and Forms
Veteran & Military Service Members VTSU webpage
Exit/Leave of Absence Form
Request to Extend Military Leave Form
Related Policies
Academic Status of Returning Service Members after Active Deployment
Adjustments to Financial Aid Awards
Incomplete Grades
Date of Last Approved Revision: March 2025
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