Students who wish to pause their academic progress,  at any time before graduation, with plans to resume their studies after one or two terms, must complete a Leave of Absence form and submit it to the Office of the Registrar. 

 

Leaves are generally granted for one or a maximum of two terms only. Students desiring re-entry after one term of leave of absence may register for courses without reapplication. Students desiring re-entry after two terms of leave must re-audition for placement in major lessons. 

 

Students taking a leave of absence before the Add/Drop period ends will be dropped from all courses that they are enrolled in during that semester. If the personal leave of absence begins after the Add/drop period has already ended, the student will receive a grade of “W'' and be withdrawn from all courses for that term. 

1. Authorized Withdrawal

 

Students may withdraw from Mahanaim at any time, but if students later desire re-admission, they must reapply and have no right of guaranteed readmission following withdrawal. Students wishing to withdraw must notify the Office of the Registrar in writing or via email and must complete a Withdrawal Form. Withdrawing students are also required to have an exit interview with the Vice President of Academic Excellence. A student must notify the Office of the Registrar in writing of their intent to withdraw in order to receive any refund of tuition due pursuant to Section 5002 of the Education Law. Not filing notice will affect processing time and could affect the amount of the refund.

Students withdrawing during the add/drop period will be dropped from all courses they are enrolled in during that semester. If the authorized withdrawal begins after the Add/drop period has already ended, the student will receive a grade of “W” and be withdrawn from all courses for that term. If the student withdraws during the drop/add period, no notation of the registered courses will be placed on the transcript.

 

1. Unauthorized Withdrawal

 

Students who have not attended any classes or instructional events for 3 consecutive weeks without notice to the school or any instructors will be in violation of the general attendance policy and will be considered to have withdrawn from the school without the authorization of Mahanaim. An unauthorized withdrawal forfeits all fees and deposits paid by the student to the school. An unauthorized withdrawal will result in a grade of F for all courses the student was enrolled in. This unauthorized withdrawal does not qualify a student for a tuition refund. 

 

If a student has not registered for courses for two consecutive semesters and has not applied for a leave of absence, the school will assume that the student has permanently withdrawn from the school. Such a student must reapply for admission. 

International students should be aware that both Leaves of Absence (except for medical leaves of absence) and Withdrawals have visa implications.

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• International students requesting a leave of absence are required to leave the United States for the duration of their leave unless they are on a medical leave of absence. This is in accordance with federal law governing the visa status of F and M students. Thus, an international student must follow the procedures for a leave of absence and their duration cannot exceed one year. Once the student's leave of absence is approved the student has 10 days to depart the country. After 10 days the students’ I-20 will be canceled. Students may return to Mahanaim within 5 months and they must request a new I-20. After 5 months students must apply for a new visa. 

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• International students holding an F-1 visa who receive an authorized withdrawal will have a 15-day grace period to leave the country. This grace period does not apply to students with an M-1 visa. 

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• Students who have withdrawn from the school without authorization will have their visa status terminated immediately and must exit the country.