Time Limit for Degree Completion

[kh741776]

<p>Does Harvard College limit ones time to complete an undergraduate degree?</p>

[gibby]

<p>Harvard does not limit ones time to complete their degree; you can take a year off, ten years off, 30 years off and they will still take you back without re-application. The caveat: if you are attending the college on financial aid, I believe your financial aid is only good for four years. After that, your welcome to come back, but you must petition the financial aid office for aid (which may or may not be given) and explain why you have not completed your degree in 8 terms.</p>

[JHS]

<p>I think that’s not quite true. The current version (and every version going back at least a decade) of the Harvard Undergraduate Student Handbook says the following:

Students who have been away from the College for five or more years must petition the Administrative Board for permission to register. Those planning to return to the College after a period of five or more years will ordinarily not be eligible for scholarship aid from institutional sources. Petitions for readmission after an interval of five or more years must include evidence of financial resources necessary to meet all College expenses.

<a href=“http://handbook.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k95151&tabgroupid=icb.tabgroup162922#a_icb_pagecontent1262134_4[/url]”>http://handbook.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k95151&tabgroupid=icb.tabgroup162922#a_icb_pagecontent1262134_4&lt;/a&gt;
That’s for students who took leave when they were in good standing. Students required to take leave for academic or disciplinary reasons have more detailed requirements.</p>

[gibby]

<p>In actuality, a student must petition the Administrative Board to take a leave of absence – that’s true if a student is in good standing or not, or whether the student takes a semester off, a year off, or 10 years off. Student’s not in good standing must petition the Ad Board for their return regardless of the number of semesters they have been away from school. I’ve never heard of a student in good standing not allowed to return to the college, unless the student spent more than 5 years away and did not have the financial resources to afford paying for it on their own. See: <a href=“http://static.fas.harvard.edu/registrar/ugrad_handbook/current/chapter2/voluntary_leaves.html”>http://static.fas.harvard.edu/registrar/ugrad_handbook/current/chapter2/voluntary_leaves.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

Returning to College
A student in good standing who has been granted a leave of absence may ordinarily return for any term he or she wishes by notifying the Allston Burr Resident Dean (or Resident Dean of Freshmen, for students who were granted a leave during their first term) eight weeks in advance of that term. </p>

<p>A student who has been granted a “leave of absence—late in the term” or a “leave of absence—on probation” must petition the Administrative Board for permission to register and must provide the Board with evidence that he or she is ready to resume college studies. </p>

<p>Students who have been away from the College for five or more years must petition the Administrative Board for permission to register. Those planning to return to the College after a period of five or more years will ordinarily not be eligible for scholarship aid from institutional sources. Petitions for readmission after an interval of five or more years must include evidence of financial resources necessary to meet all College expenses.

</p>

<p>Also see: <a href=“http://www.adboard.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do”>http://www.adboard.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;