Deferrals and Leaves of Absence
Deferring or Taking a Gap Year (Students New to Tufts)
If you are new to Tufts and have not yet started your Tufts program, you may be able to ask for a deferral of one semester or even one year (i.e., take a 'gap year'). A deferral means that you will not be taking any classes but starting your program at a later date.
Incoming first-year undergraduate students may request a gap year although all requests are subject to approval. However, one semester deferrals are not granted. If approved, the next start date may be Fall 2021 or even as late as Fall 2022 (in two years). See here for instructions on requesting a gap year. Instead of taking a gap year, students may also choose to start their programs on-line. Please note, students who are transferring to Tufts from other higher education institutions are not eligible for a gap year and must enter in Fall 2021.
Incoming graduate students may request a deferral for a semester or longer. All requests should be made directly to their programs, who will be responsible for determining whether to grant a deferral.
If you received your I-20 from Tufts for Fall 2020 but decided to defer for one semester or one year or longer, your I-20 should not be used for entering the US. Once your school has approved your deferral request, the International Center will work with you to obtain a new I-20.
For Spring 2021 arrivals, we will work on deferring your Fall 2020 I-20 for spring arrival dates. In most cases, we will start this process in mid to late July.
If you are not planning on arriving until Summer or Fall 2021, your current I-20 issued for Fall 2020 will be canceled. The International Center will contact you in September with instructions about starting the I-20 application process for Summer / Fall 2021 arrivals.
It may be possible to change your mind and attend Tufts this fall, but your options may be limited to starting classes on-line from your home country (if you are outside the US) rather than coming to campus for in-person classes. This depends on when you make your decision and other factors. All changes are subject to approval.
Undergraduate students who have already submitted their Fall 2020 notification response (due on July 7, 2020) should know that they may not be allowed to start studies on-campus, but may be given the option to study remotely. This is because assignments for on-campus housing and other campus services are being decided based on the July 7th response. (First and second year undergraduate students are required to live on-campus). For upperclass undergraduates (juniors and seniors), contact studentservices@tufts.edu or your undergraduate advising dean with your request to see if your deferral decision can be canceled.
Graduate students should notify their graduate admissions office and program to request a cancellation of any deferral request.
Changes to any deferral requests should be made as soon as possible before the start of the Fall 2020 semester in order to ensure appropriate planning can be made with respect to housing, dining, classroom, laboratory and other resources. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University must plan the use of these spaces and resources depending on how many students are expected to arrive and take classes.
Taking a Leave of Absence (Continuing / Returning Students)
If you have already started your Tufts program (i.e., you are a continuing / returning student), you may take a leave of absence if you do not want to or are not able to take classes during the Fall 2020 term. A leave of absence is approved by your undergraduate advising dean or by your graduate department following school policies. All requests for a leave of absence should be made in SIS.
Once a leave of absence is approved, there are immigration consequences, as described below.
For questions regarding leaves of absence for Arts & Sciences and Engineering, read these responses.
Taking a leave of absence will have different consequences depending on the nature of the leave.
If you are a current F-1 student and you are taking a medical leave of absence, you have the option of either remaining in the US in valid F-1 status or discontinuing your status and returning to your home country or another international destination. To be eligible to stay in the US, you must qualify for an F-1 medical reduced course load. Please follow the instructions indicated to request a medical RCL.
If you are taking a personal leave from school for non-medical reasons, you must receive the approval of your school or program first. Once you have been approved for a leave, please contact the International Center at internationalcenter@tufts.edu. Include your full name, student ID number, school / program, and expected leave terms (e.g., Fall 2020 semester, Spring 2021 semester). Your I-20 will need to be terminated for authorized withdrawal, since you will not be in active student status for the Fall 2020 term (or longer, depending on the length of your leave of absence).
Reactivating Your I-20 versus Reapplying for a New I-20 after a Leave of Absence
During a leave of absence, your I-20 will be terminated for an authorized early withdrawal. This is required because the I-20 cannot be in active status when you are not actually enrolled as a student. In addition:
- You will need to prepare for departure from the US within 15 days (if you are still in the US) once you are approved by your school to go on a leave of absence
- It is your obligation to also notify the International Center that you will be taking a leave
- You will not be permitted to re-enter the US in F-1 status until your I-20 has been reactivated or until you have received a new I-20 from the International Center (see below)
Depending on Department of Homeland Security guidelines for Fall 2020, we may be able to request a reactivation of your I-20 if the leave is for only one semester and you departed the US in a timely fashion after your leave was approved. When your I-20 is reactivated, you do not need to apply for a new I-20, but will use your existing I-20 when re-entering the US.
If the Department of Homeland Security does not approve an I-20 reactivation, or if your leave of absence is more than one semester, you will need to apply for an initial attendance I-20 from the International Center. This will 'restart' your F-1 status, although you do not need to apply for a new F-1 visa if your existing F-1 visa is still unexpired and valid.
Usually, no - when you are on a leave of absence, you are not taking any classes at all. If you are taking Tufts classes remotely, from your home country, you are still a Tufts student so a leave of absence would not be appropriate.
However, depending on what you are doing while outside the US, your existing F-1 status may be continued or may need to be deactivated. If you are meeting any of these conditions, your F-1 status and I-20 will be maintained:
- You are on an approved Tufts-managed study abroad program (for Fall 2020, only Tufts-in-Oxford is operating) and studying full-time as a participant in that program
- You are a graduate student registered full-time for thesis / dissertation research and doing research outside the US
- You are registered full-time for on-line classes
Your F-1 status will not be maintained if:
- You are not enrolled full-time
- You are taking classes, but not with a foreign university or non-Tufts study abroad program
- You are not eligible for a reduced course load such as a medical reduced course load