The official term for permission to enroll in fewer than a full course load is a “Reduced Course Load (RCL).” Any RCL must be approved by ISSD in advance, before the semester in which you plan to attend part-time. In limited situations, an RCL may be approved mid-semester if you need to drop a class. Please be aware that these rules are strict and exceptions are limited, so careful planning is essential.

A. Last Semester

• Duration: Last semester before graduation only.

• Limitations: Up to 2 semesters, if the student later discovers that their last semester will not actually be their last (requires an I-20 extension)

• Enrollment Requirements:  Only required to enroll in credits remaining to graduate – at least 3 credits.

• Requirements to be approved: Your I-20 end date must show that this is your last semester.  Special approval is required from ISSD.

B. Medical Reduced Course Load (RCL)

• Duration: Approved one semester at a time, can be granted until the deadline to drop classes during a semester.

• Limitations: Up to 12 months cumulative during one degree program.

• Enrollment Requirements: Enrollment can be part-time or not at all.

• Requirements to be approved: You must provide the Medical Leave Request Form AND a letter from your doctor indicating their recommendation that you do not study full-time this semester based on a medical situation.

Mental Health conditions such as depression, anxiety or a wide range of conditions can be eligible for a Medical RCL with the recommendation of a licensed mental health practitioner.  Please note, this kind of support from a professional counselor usually requires multiple visits and building a relationship with the staff, so they can best help address these concerns.

Important note to students who are pregnant: Please note, unfortunately the immigration rules do not allow a healthy pregnancy or child birth to be considered for a Medical RCL, though a pregnancy or birth with complications can be considered.  Please see our section on Pregnancy and Childbirth in the US for more information.

There is a one-year limit for a student to use a Medical RCL throughout the entire degree program, so students with very serious conditions that are highly disruptive to their studies for a term beyond one year should consider relocating outside the US for their care, or applying to change their immigration status to B-2 status, which allows visitors to remain in the US specifically for medical treatment.

C. Academic Difficulty RCL

• Duration: One semester.

• Limitations: Available to use for one semester ONLY during a degree program – cannot be used more than once!

• Enrollment Requirements:  Must enroll in half of full-time enrollment (at least 3 credits for Graduate students, at least 6 credits for Undergraduate students)

• Requirements to be approved: Email or letter from course instructor or academic advisor, recommending that the student be allowed to drop the class for one of the following reasons:

Improper Course Placement:  This option is appropriate for students who were advised inappropriately and have taken classes out of sequence, or who were inappropriately allowed to take a course for which they did not have the prerequisite knowledge to be successful.  In other words, if the class assumes you have some specific background knowledge, and you do not, this might be an option to drop the class.

Unfamiliarity with US Teaching Methods: This option is appropriate for students for whom the professor or adviser feel the lack of success is due to cultural differences in classroom expectations.  This is not often appropriate later in a student’s degree program.

First semester students only! Initial Difficulty with English Language or Reading: Students in their first semester in the US can also be eligible to drop credits during the semester if they find they are struggling significantly with the English language used in the classroom, or with the new teaching methods. Written support from the instructor is required, indicating the student’s difficulty.

Process to Apply:

Step 1: Start filling out the Reduced Course Load application

Step 2: Read the directions and complete all sections of the application

Step 3: Upload the Medical Leave Request Form and a letter (on letterhead) from your Licensed Doctor containing the following:

• • • Be on the medical/clinical practice's stationary/letterhead

    • Include the student's full name and date of birth

    • Recommend the student take a reduced course load due to the student's own medical health reasons

    • Be signed by a currently practicing licensed medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy or licensed clinical psychologist, and include the medical/clinical official's license number

    • Be dated and specify for which semester the reduced course load (or, if necessary, no course load) is being recommended

Step 4: ISSD advisors will review your application and contact you within 2-3 business days after your advisor recommendation is received.

Deadlines and Refund Information:

SFBC has a final deadline to drop a class during each semester.   Please note these deadlines for each semester on the semester calendars managed by the Registrar’s Office.  ISSD does not have the ability to allow a student to drop a class after the deadline!

Students withdrawing from a class after registering or after attending need to be aware of the refund schedule.  Full refunds are only given for a very short period of time at the beginning of each semester, and decrease incrementally throughout the first 5 weeks of school.  By the end of the Schedule Adjustment period, no refund is given.  If you drop a class during the semester, you will not receive a refund.  Please refer to the refund schedule for semester-specific deadlines.

Applicable Maintenance Fee(s): International students requesting a reduced course load (RCL) due to illness or a medical condition must pay the following one-time maintenance fees:

• First RCL request: $750.00

• Second RCL request: $1,250.00

Responsibility for Tuition upon Course Withdrawal: In addition to the maintenance fees, students are responsible for tuition according to the course withdrawal policy outlined in the Student Handbook, Populi, and on the website:

• 2nd Week of Class: Responsible for 25% of tuition

• 3rd Week of Class: Responsible for 50% of tuition

• 4th Week of Class: Responsible for 75% of tuition

• 5th Week and Beyond: Responsible for 100% of tuition

Note: A medical reduced course load request must be authorized by the Vice President of Student Life, based on a formal recommendation from a licensed medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy, or licensed clinical psychologist, specifying the recommended leave duration. The note must also state if the student should remain in the U.S. for treatment or return to their home country. Students must provide appropriate medical documentation to support the request.

Withdrawing from courses: International students must get prior approval from the SFBC&TS Academics Department before withdrawing from courses due to illness or medical conditions. Students must fully follow their medical or psychological treatment plan and seek to improve their health and stability.

Currently on approved medical RCL: If a student is currently on an approved reduced course load and their physician recommends a reduced course load for the following term, the student must submit an updated Reduced Course Load form along with new medical documentation, including a letter from their clinician. ISSD will then send the request to the Vice President of Student Life for final approval.

International students are not authorized for work while on an authorized medical reduced course load. 

Taking a Semester Off

Students are not able to remain in the US in F-1 immigration status if they are not enrolled. Students that need to take a semester off should plan to leave the US until ready to return to their studies.  Students leaving the US for more than 5 months will need a new I-20 to return to the US; students outside the US for less than 5 months MAY be able to use the same I-20 to return to the US, working closely with ISSD.  Please contact ISSD at issd@sfbc.edu to notify us if you are taking a semester off, and discuss how you can return to the US when you are ready.