<p>This week our D announced she is thinking of not going back for her junior year. While part of me thinks it could be good for her to take time out -she's got some health issues and hasn't really found her passion, I don't know everything to consider. She now has a nice scholarship pkg and finances are an issue. Advice is welcome.</p>
<p>By nice scholarship and finances are an issue-does that mean she is going for basically free or that your budget is stretched for her to attend. If she is going for next to nothing or free, I would encourage her to finish just to have the degree. If money it tight, let her take a year off to work and explore options.</p>
<p>See if her college will grant her a leave of absence for the year. Some schools will do this. If her aid is merit aid, you will want to inquire about whether she will have this when she returns. If it is need based aid, you will be applying for the aid again for the FOLLOWING school year anyway…so the school may no be able to give you numbers for that.</p>
<p>Your daughter won’t be the first to take a leave of absence. Sometimes that is just the right thing so that the student can wrap their head around what they want to do.</p>
<p>Many schools will let a student take a year of absence and aid/merit isn’t affected. Just ask, get answers in writing.</p>
<p>Sometimes it helps if you include a good reason…(in your case) health, co-op, charity work abroad, etc.</p>
<p>I strongly advise going through the application for a leave of absence even if your D thinks she does not want ever to return to this particular school. She should not burn her bridges just yet. Most colleges don’t balk too much at granting at least a semester’s LOA as long as the student is proactive about it and provides some vaguely understandable reason–you may not have to provide documentation for health, for example. Students are not indentured to the college. It’s only if they want to withdraw after the deadline during the semester that documentation of health problems is required (for reasons of maintaining integrity of academic standards for all students).</p>
<p>Many college have provisions only for semester LOA; she may have to reapply for the spring semester. But she should be sure that she has filled out her forms, etc. so that she does not have to reapply for admittance at a later date (and possibly lose her merit aid, etc.).</p>
<p>Totally agree with leave of absence rather than just leaving - also, I think she should spend some time with the school’s career services discussing the career options related to her potential degree. She may not have found her passion yet but she might be able to start envisioning ways in which her degree could lead her further toward that answer even if it isn’t the whole answer in and of itself.</p>
<p>Don’t forget, if your D has taken any loans, those will become due to start payments in about 6 months. Does she have a plan to start paying on any loans? If/When your D returns to school, and graduates, she will not be given the 6 month grace period again. Her loans will start repayment right away. (looked into this because D was considering taking a year off to nanny abroad.)</p>
<p>I wish my S would approach me with the thought to take a year off so he could find his passion. It sounds like your D is looking at her future in a mature way - and should ask her school about taking a year off. She has plenty of time in front of her; taking a year off will not impede her future.e</p>
<p>Thank you everyone. It’s taken me a while to get back to you. We are working through and it has been helpful to have insight from all of you. She is officially on leave of absence for one semester with all aid still in place. Still lots to work out but I am thinking more clearly now than a couple weeks ago.</p>
<p>This is potentially an exciting change for her. I hope so!</p>