Student Life Office

Returning from a Medical Leave of Absence

Submit a Request to Return

Students on medical leave must secure an endorsement from a healthcare (medical and/or mental health, as applicable) provider and the Dean of Students or designee to return. In order to authorize your return to Reed, the student’s provider will submit a Provider Questionnaire that states whether the condition that prompted the medical leave is sufficiently managed for the student to return to Reed.

Toward this end, when you feel you are ready to return, please send the following 2 documents to Student Life office at (student-life@reed.edu) and schedule a meeting with the Dean of Students as soon as your schedule allows thereafter:

1. A letter to the Student Life Office requesting to return from medical leave. The letter should describe how you used your time away, including: what you have done to manage the medical/psychological situation that resulted in the interruption of your studies, and why you believe that you are ready to return to Reed College. 
2. A Provider Questionnaire, completed and signed by your primary treatment provider, to Student-Life@reed.edu or via fax 503-777-7225.
3. After you have submitted these two documents, schedule a meeting via Zoom with the Associate Dean for Health and Well-Being Yasodha Gopal or Dean of Students Chris Toutain.
   

Deadline to Request to Return

The deadline to request to return from a medical leave of absence is no later than:

• To return for Fall semester: June 30
• To return for Spring semester: November 30

This deadline is designed to give students adequate time to plan for their return, including securing housing, registering for classes, and applying for financial aid. With any requests received after the deadline, please be advised that if you are approved to return, there may be limited access to housing, first-choice classes, and financial support.

Following Receipt of Your Request

Once we receive the aforementioned documents, the Dean of Students or designee will conduct a thorough review of your request to return, consulting with HCC personnel and the student’s healthcare provider as appropriate. You will be informed of the decision via an email from the Student Life Office. Please allow 1-2 weeks for your request to be reviewed.

Registering for Classes

Students on a medical leave of absence can register for the upcoming semester after they have been officially approved to return by the Dean of Students or designee.

Apply for Financial Aid

Reed students who intend to return from a medical leave of absence may apply for financial assistance on the same basis as continuing students, with the same forms, supporting documents, and deadlines.

To be eligible for the greatest amount of institutional and federal financial aid, you must complete all financial aid application requirements by the typical deadlines regardless of the semester you plan to return to Reed. The deadlines are the same for students returning for the spring semester of an academic year and require advance planning. Please visit Applying for Financial Aid for more information.

Please note: If your application is completed between May 1 and July 1, the amount of institutional aid offered is reduced. After July 1 students are no longer eligible for institutional aid, but may still apply for federal financial aid.

Apply for On-Campus Housing

If you would like to live on-campus when you return to Reed, please follow the steps and timelines below. If you are not yet approved to return from your MLOA and encounter any difficulties signing up for the housing lottery, please contact Residence Life (res.life@reed.edu).

Please review this webpage first for up-to-date information.

If you plan to return for the fall semester:

• Follow the instructions and deadlines for applying for the housing lottery as listed on the Residence Life Room Registration website
• If you miss room registration, you can contact the Residence Life (res-life@reed.edu) to sign up for the waitlist

If you plan to return for the spring semester:

• Review the information on the Residence Life website for applying for Spring semester housing
• Complete the Spring Housing application form or contact Residence Life directly following the instructions on the website linked above

Please note: due to limited available spaces, housing is not guaranteed for returning students. If you do not receive a room on-campus, visit Off-Campus Housing for resources on finding off-campus housing in the Portland area.

Request or Update Disability Accommodations

If you will be requesting disability-related classroom or housing accommodations, visit the Disability and Accessibility Resources (DAR) website for important information regarding documentation and timelines.

You are encouraged to contact DAR to confirm that any classroom or other accommodations you had in place before you took your Medical Leave of Absence are still current.

International Students

Contact International Student Services (iss@reed.edu) as soon as you know you would like to return to discuss renewing your program visa and other entry requirements.

Checklist for Returning from a MLOA

Advising

• Upon approval to return, contact your faculty adviser and request your SOLAR pin to register for classes 
• Meet with your faculty adviser to discuss your return and plan for your first semester back at Reed
• Schedule a meeting with a dean in Student Life to discuss your transition back to Reed, including academic and other support resources. You will be invited by email to meet with a dean during the first week of the semester.
• If you plan to transfer credits from another institution to Reed, contact Ben Bradley in the Registrar’s Office (bradley@reed.edu, 503-777-7295, Eliot 311)

Accounts

• Update your mailing and/or permanent address in IRIS, if changed
• Visit the Reed Bookstore to re-set up your Reed Bookstore account
• Consult the Business Office or PacificSource directly if you have any questions about resuming your student health insurance
• If you wish to waive the student health insurance, complete the health insurance waiver before the first day of classes
• If you misplaced your Reed ID card, visit Community Safety in 28 West for a new student ID card  

On-Campus Employment

Students returning from a medical leave of absence for the fall semester are eligible to begin on-campus work as early as July 1. Visit Handshake to search for job openings on or off campus, look for Federal Work-Study positions, find internships, and search volunteer opportunities.

Campus Life and Community

Connect to student groups, campus committees and/or club sport teams you are interested in. Contact the following offices to learn more about opportunities to connect to campus social and cocurricular activities: