Apply for and get approval from your academic advisor with financial aid in mind.

Meet with your academic and financial advisors to discuss the impact on your scholarships and aid, as well as your academic progress. Discuss your steps to reenter the university after your leave or reduced course load is over.

Apply for and get approval from OISVS

Submit Your Medical Reduced Course Load Request to OISVS with a medical letter meeting the following requirements:

• on medical office letterhead and dated,

• states your name and ACU ID number or your date of birth,

• states that either reduced course load or zero course load is recommended for you for a specific semester due to a temporary illness or medical condition,

• AND signed by a licensed U.S. medical doctor, psychiatrist, doctor of osteopathy, licensed psychologist, or clinical psychologist.

You can use this sample letter to provide to your healthcare practitioner. This medical letter must then be uploaded to the permission request e-form below.

Please note that your medical reduced course load permission from OISVS ends if you are withdrawn, discontinued, or dismissed from your academic program.

Receive your updated I-20 (J-1 students keep the same DS-2019)

Once the OISVS approves your request, we will issue a new I-20 with the authorization. Students in J-1 status do not need a new DS-2019 to reflect the medical leave or reduced course load.  

Please note:

• If you will need more time to finish your degree because of your leave of absence or reduced course load, you will also need to apply for an extension before your I-20 or DS-2019 expires.

• If you need to extend your medical leave of absence or reduced course load for another semester, you must submit a new permission request along with new supporting documents to OGS by the beginning of the next semester.

• If you no longer need Medical RCL permission after you have been approved, then you must contact OISVS immediately so that we may update your record to reflect your continued eligibility for the appropriate amount of Medical RCL at your degree level.

• Employment is generally not permissible while authorized for a medical reduced course load. If you have questions or concerns, please schedule an appointment with an OISVS  advisor to discuss participating in employment while authorized for a medical reduced course load.

Resume Your Full-Time Study

If you received approval from your school for a leave, then contact your academic advisor to find out about how to get approval to return to your program. You are required to resume full-time study at the next available semester. If you need an additional reduced course load, you must submit a new request and be approved before the following semester.

If you are returning to the US from abroad, then you must use your most recent I-20 or DS-2019 to return to the US with a valid travel signature. If the signature on your I-20 or DS-2019 will be more than a year old by the time you reenter the US, you need to get a new signature before you travel.

If you intend to travel internationally and reenter the United States during or directly following an approved Medical Leave of Absence or Reduced Course Load, be prepared to answer any questions related to your leave. You must have all required travel documents (including a travel signature from the last 12 months). Depending on when you travel, please keep the following in mind.

Travel during Your Medical Reduced Course Load

You may be asked by a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official why you are traveling back into the United States if you are not registered for any courses for the current academic term. Remember that if you are entering the US as an F-1 or J-1 student, US CBP officials will anticipate that your reason for traveling to the US is related to your studies. US CBP ultimately provides the decision on whether to readmit you into the United States after an absence. Unless you are seeking medical treatment within the US during your leave or entering the US for a purpose connected to your academic program at NYU, it may be difficult for you to prove to the officer the rationale for your entry into the United States. Be prepared to justify your need to return to the United States if you are not currently enrolled in courses and your travel date is within an academic term. F-1 students must present your I-20 with Medical Reduced Course Load Authorization. Both F-1 and J-1 students should also carry a copy of your medical letter recommending you take a reduced course load/full leave due to your medical condition.