Q. Will taking a leave of absence from my RRU program impact my eligibility for funding programs?

There are lots of reasons why students need to step away from their programs – life happens, and sometimes school can’t be the priority. Here are some important details to keep in mind as you’re making your decision.

Government Student Assistance

When you receive government student aid—loans or grants—you enter into an agreement with the government. Part of this agreement is to remain a student for the study period indicated on your loan application. 

TIP: You can find your study period dates by looking at your student loan notice of assessment or by logging into your loan account.

Reducing your course load, changing programs or schools, withdrawing from studies, or taking a leave of absence during a funded study period can affect your eligibility for government student aid.

Each lending province handles eligibility changes differently. In BC, for example, any of the above actions may lead to a withdrawal from your student loan study period. A withdrawal will result in the following:

• Upcoming loan and grant disbursements will not be issued.
• Student loan repayment grace period will begin on the first day of the month following the withdrawal date. i.e., interest starts collecting on your loan and repayment begins in 6 months.
• StudentAid BC will re-calculate your loan based on the number of weeks you actually attended school.
• Students who withdraw twice during a funded study period will be denied further financial assistance. Students can appeal under exceptional circumstances.

If you need information, contact the National Student Loan Service Centre.

RRU Awards and Canada Graduate Scholarships

Making changes to your study plans can affect your eligibility for RRU awards and federal funding.To remain eligible for an RRU in-course award, you must be taking courses in a RRU program for three months following the award uptake date. For entrance awards, the award uptake date is your first day of class. For in-course awards, the award uptake date is the first day of the month following the award deadline, except if you’re graduating.

Withdrawing or taking a leave of absence during an award period may result in one of the following:

• If you are eligible for a tuition refund, the award will be deducted from the refund amount.
• In certain cases we may re-calculate the award based on the date you withdrew/went on leave and request repayment of the remainder.

To remain eligible for Canada Graduate Research Scholarship funding (e.g., SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR) you must be actively enrolled in an RRU program for the 12-month award period.

Other Funding

Other funding programs, such as bank loans, may have their own procedures for when students make changes. Please contact funders directly for instructions before making any decisions.

Questions?

Your situation will decide who you need to speak with before you make changes to your study program e.g., your program associate, Student Accounts, Accessibility Services, your family, or employer. If you have a government student loan, an RRU award, or a Canada Graduate Research Scholarship, please contact Financial Aid and Awards so that we can let you know what to expect.