We recognize life can sometimes get in the way of Scholars completing the program exactly as intended. Therefore, we offer Leave of Absence and reinstatement opportunities for all Scholars. WSOS carefully considers requests for Leave of Absence (LOA) from WSOS through a petition process.
All Opportunity Scholars can request a maximum of one academic year of LOA in the lifetime of their scholarship. Approved LOA requests will be processed as a deferment, which means that scholarship funds will be put on hold until students are enrolled back in school. In other words: while on LOA, students won’t lose out on funding. We’ll extend your expiration date by the number of terms you were approved for LOA.
Currently enrolled Scholars should submit a LOA request via the Scholar Portal if they know they will not meet the scholarship eligibility criteria in the upcoming quarter. For their LOA request to be approved, they must have a clear plan for becoming eligible again within one academic year.
Once Scholars have been on LOA for one year, they cannot be approved for an additional LOA. Therefore, we encourage Scholars to utilize their LOAs for extenuating circumstances.
If a Scholar is reinstated after being withdrawn for one or more terms, a retroactive LOA will automatically be applied to the terms they were not eligible for. These retroactive LOAs count towards the one-year limit for LOAs.
Although Scholars can request reinstatement following time away from WSOS, those who are currently enrolled and know they will need future time off are encouraged to submit a LOA request before taking time off. This ensures prompt reinstatement of their funding when they return.
Community College Nursing BSN/RN Deferment
There is a special type of LOA that is only available to Baccalaureate (BaS) Scholars majoring in nursing who have completed an ADN/DTA program at a community college and transferred to complete their BSN/RN. We understand that this path requires BaS Scholars to complete a year of work experience between completing their ADN/DTA program and the beginning of their BSN/RN program. Scholars who have completed an ADN/DTA program at a two-year college and are planning to transfer to complete a BSN/RN can access up to a one-year deferment from WSOS. Submit an LOA request in the Scholar Portal.
Learn more about the Community College Nursing BSN/RN Deferment.
Reinstatement Request
If you were withdrawn from the Opportunity Scholarship within the past academic year and now meet the requirements, you may submit a Reinstatement Request in the Scholar Portal.
Submitting LOA and Reinstatement Requests
Scholars can complete both Leave of Absence and Reinstatement Requests in the Scholar Portal. While completing the LOA or Reinstatement Request forms, students should be prepared to provide:
- For which term(s) they are requesting as a temporary withdrawal from WSOS
- A statement, 500 words or fewer, detailing the reason for their request
- A copy of an unofficial, current college or university transcript
- Optional: any other documents that may help WSOS understand the nature of the request
Processing LOA & Reinstatement Requests
When a request is received, WSOS staff will review the information provided within two weeks. During the lifetime of their scholarship, any Scholar, at any time, for any reason can automatically qualify for one term LOA from WSOS. However, for this to take effect, the student must request it either in advance (by submitting a leave of absence request) or retroactively (by submitting a reinstatement request). Therefore, first time requests for one term off will be approved, provided the Scholar can meet eligibility requirements by the conclusion of the LOA or at time of reinstatement.
If a Scholar has already taken a term off from WSOS or is requesting more than one term, the request will be reviewed by the petition committee. Only requests that outline reasonable, extenuating circumstances will be approved. The committee will approve or deny the request in accordance with previous precedent and internal policy. The decisions of the petition committee are final; there is no appeals process.
If Scholars are withdrawn and not approved for reinstatement, they may re-apply if they are still eligible.