An F-1 or J-1 student may be authorized for part-time or non-enrollment, if necessary, due to the student's documented temporary illness or medical condition for a period of time not to exceed an aggregate of 12 months (3 semesters) while the student is pursuing a course of study at a particular program level.
A student may be authorized to reduce course load for a reason of illness or medical condition on more than one occasion while pursuing a course of study, so long as the aggregate period of that authorization does not exceed 12 months.
In order to be approved for a reduced course load due to a medical condition, the student must provide to the ISSS "medical documentation from a licensed medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy, or licensed clinical psychologist." This would be a letter from one of the above referenced professionals indicating:
- The specific nature of the illness
- How and for what period of time has the medical professional has been treating student for this illness
- The medical professional's recommendation for either a partial reduction of courses or a recommendation for complete withdraw from classes
- The medical professional's prognosis as to when student will be able to resume full-time studies.
The letter must be typed on the medical professional's letterhead and signed by the medical professional. This letter must be accompanied by the RCL Request form.
If the ISSS finds the documentation sufficient, we can authorize the student to withdraw from some or all of the courses for which the student is registered. If the illness continues and the student needs to request authorization for an additional RCL, the student must submit the request to this office BEFORE the beginning of the semester in question. The request must include a new letter from the medical professional and a new Request for Reduce Course Load form.
The student should not assume that the request will be approved. Students must register for a full course of study. If the request is approved, the student will be permitted to withdraw. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the paperwork is submitted to the ISSS in time to avoid any University fees associated with a late withdrawal.