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Military Leave of Absence

Pace University is required by federal law to readmit students who left the University or did not accept an offer of admission from the University in order to perform military service. The general requirements for readmission after military service are described below.

This Military Leave of Absence Policy (the “Policy”) applies only to United States military veterans seeking readmission to the same program in which they were enrolled when they last attended the University. Veterans seeking admission to a different program are not eligible for readmission under this Policy, nor are veterans eligible who began their military leave of absence prior to August 14, 2008.

A student is eligible for readmission if during his or her leave of absence the student performed voluntary or involuntary active duty service in the United States Armed Forces, including service by a member of the National Guard or Reserve on active duty, active duty for training, or full-time National Guard duty under federal authority, for a period of more than thirty consecutive days. In order to be eligible for readmission under this Policy, the cumulative length of the absence and all previous absences from the University for military service cannot exceed five years, including only the time the student spent actually performing military service. Veterans who received a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge are not eligible for readmission under this Policy.

Ordinarily, unless notice is precluded by military necessity, a student (or an appropriate officer of the Armed Forces or official of the Department of Defense) must give written notice to the University Registrar of the student’s leave for military service as far in advance as is reasonable under the circumstances. To be readmitted students must give written notice to the Office of the Registrar of their intent to resume their studies no later than three years after completion of the military service, or two years after recovering from a service-related injury or illness. Students who do not submit a notification of intent to resume their studies within the required time periods may not be eligible for readmission under this Policy, but may be eligible for readmission under the University’s Leave of Absence and Resumption of Studies Policies.

After the student provides notice of intent to re-enroll, ordinarily the University must readmit the student into the next class or classes in the same program, with the same enrollment status, number of credits, and academic standing as when he or she was last in attendance at or admitted to the University. The student may also request a later admission date or, if unusual circumstances require it, the University may admit the student at a later date. If the University determines that the student is not prepared to reenter the program with the same academic status where he or she left off, or will not be able to complete the program, the University must make reasonable efforts at no extra cost to the student to enable him or her to resume or complete the program. Reasonable efforts include, but are not limited to, providing a refresher course and allowing the student to retake a pretest as long as they do not place an undue hardship on the University. If, after reasonable efforts by the University, the University determines that the student is not prepared to resume the program where he or she left off, or the University determines that the student is unable to complete the program, or the University determines there are no reasonable efforts the University can take to prepare the student to resume the program or to enable the student to complete the program, the University is not required to readmit the student.

If the program in which the student was previously enrolled is no longer offered, he or she must be admitted to the program that is most similar, unless the student requests or agrees to admission to a different program.

If the student is readmitted to the same program, for the first academic year in which the student returns, unless there are sufficient veterans or other service member education benefits to pay the increased amount of tuition and fees, the student will be charged the same tuition and fees the student was or would have been assessed for the academic year the student left on a military leave of absence. For subsequent academic years, veterans admitted to the same or a different program may be charged the same tuition and fees as are other students in the program.

For additional information about readmission under this Policy, please contact the Veteran Services, at VeteranAffairs@pace.edu or 877-672-1830 (option 8).