Please read the following information about the Averett attendance policy carefully. If you are already enrolled in an Averett GPS program, we advise you bookmark this page for reference. If you are considering our degree programs and have questions, please contact an admissions counselor for more information.
Student Responsibility of Absence Notification
Recently-updated federal regulation requires Averett University to more closely monitor student attendance. As such, we require students to notify their academic advisor if they will be absent from a course workshop. We prefer e-mail notification, as this allows written documentation to be kept in the student’s file.
Any student missing 2 consecutive workshops or 14 days of class must submit in writing their intentions for completing the course or returning to class. Students who miss 2 consecutive workshops and fail to contact their academic advisor prior to the 15th day of absence will be exited from the program for non-attendance, and may be subject to a tuition balance due. E-mail notification is preferred so that written documentation may be kept in the student’s file.
Leave of Absence (LOA) Request Procedure
Averett will grant leaves of absence for up to 160 days in any 12-month period. Time in excess of 160 days will not be approved. The LOA start date will always equal the student’s last date of class attendance and will be used to count the number of days in the leave. The count should be based on the number of days between the Last Date of Attendance and the re-entry date. The initial Last Date of Attendance prior to the LOA is used when determining the start date for the 12-month period.
Any LOA will be considered approved if Averett determines that there is a reasonable expectation that the student will return. During an approved LOA, the student is not considered withdrawn from the University, and, if using financial aid, no return of funds calculation is required, and the student is still continued to be in payment deferral for any loans. The student will not incur additional tuition charges from Averett while on an approved Leave of Absence.
In addition, the student must follow Averett’s policy in requesting the leave of absence by completing the Leave of Absence Request form. The Leave of Absence (LOA) Request form must include the reason for the request, be signed, dated, and must be submitted to the student’s academic advisor no later than the second workshop of the course of the requested leave. The leave of absence request form can be located in the Academic Services site on Blackboard or a copy can be requested from the academic advisor.
Averett will not approve Leaves of Absence (LOAs) that are requested after 6 PM of the first workshop of the course except as the result of unforeseen circumstances (see below).
Documentation for Late LOA Requests
If unforeseen circumstances prevent a student from contacting their academic advisor to request a leave of absence prior to 6 PM on the first day of the course, Averett may grant the leave of absence (s) provided the student submits appropriate documentation that substantiates the unforeseen circumstance.
The student must submit the LOA request and appropriate documentation to their academic advisor within 30 days of initial request, to be considered for approval. If the student is approved for an LOA in the middle of a course, Averett will credit the student’s account for that course to ensure no additional charges are accrued. Examples of unforeseen circumstances may include medical and family emergencies, natural disasters, and others as determined by Averett University.
One Request for Multiple Leaves of Absence
Averett may grant permission for one leave of absence for multiple dates when those dates are all requested for the same reason, and provided the number of absence days requested do not exceed 160 total days in a 12-month period.
Completion of Coursework Upon Return
Title IV federal regulations indicate that upon the student’s return from a leave of absence, the student should be permitted to continue with the current degree plan they began prior to the leave of absence. Therefore, Averett extends to all students the opportunity to make up missed courses upon their return with the next available course offering.
LOA Returns Prior to the Scheduled End Date
Students may cancel or return early from an approved leave of absence prior to the LOA end date. The LOA will be shortened according to the student’s return date. The break will be considered an approved leave of absence and will be counted against the 160-day limitation in a 12-month period.
The student will be required to re-register with their academic advisor for courses that were included in original LOA period when they cancel or return early from their LOA.
Failure to Return
Any student failing to return from their leave of absence will be considered withdrawn as of the last date of attendance and is required to contact their academic advisor to complete and sign all exit paperwork. If the student has a financial aid package, the Financial Aid Office will explain to the student, prior to the student being granted the leave of absence, the effect that his/her failure to return from the leave may have on student loan repayment terms, including the exhaustion of some or all of their grace period.
If a student does not return from an approved leave of absence, the withdrawal date and beginning of the grace period will be the last date of class attendance.
Leave of absence due to course exemption
The same leave of absence rules apply to any courses that a student will not be attending due to an exempt status for transfer credits or credits already received in prior course work. The academic advisor should complete the Course Exemption – Request for Leave of Absence form with the student when evaluating any prior course work and registering student to begin their degree program.
For questions about GPS attendance policies, contact us.
