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Military Readmission Policy

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Who is this for?

Service members who are unable to attend classes for more than 30 consecutive days; and service members who are unable to attend classes for less than 30 days when such an absence would result in a withdrawal from the college.

Scope and purpose

In accordance with federal regulations, 34 C.F.R. § 668.18 and the Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University (FAS) will promptly readmit service members who seek readmission to a program that was interrupted due to a uniformed service obligation.

Eligibility

This policy shall apply to:

Service members who are unable to attend classes for more than 30 consecutive days; and service members who are unable to attend classes for less than 30 days when such an absence would result in a withdrawal from the college.

A student is eligible for readmission under this policy if, during an absence, the student performs uniformed service, voluntary or involuntary, in the Armed Forces, including the National Guard or Reserve, active duty, active duty for training or full-time National Guard (under federal authority). The cumulative length of all absences for uniformed service (service time only) must not exceed five years.

A student must provide orders, or written notice by Commanding Officer, of a Uniformed Service Obligation, such as Temporary Duty (TDY), etc., to the Registrar’s Office or designee as far in advance as possible, unless precluded by military necessity, such as service in operations that are classified or would be compromised by such notice. Such notice does not need to indicate when the student will return to FAS.

Notification of Intent to Return

The student must also give oral or written notice of Intent to Return and supporting official military obligation documentation to FAS Registrar’s Office within three years after the completion of the period of service.

A student who is hospitalized or convalescing due to an illness or injury incurred or aggravated during the performance of service must provide notification within two years after the end of the period needed for recovery from the illness or injury. A student who fails to apply for readmission within these periods does not automatically forfeit eligibility for readmission but is subject to established leave of absence policy and general practices.

Tuition and Fees

If the student is readmitted to the same program, FAS will assess the tuition and fee charges that would have been assessed for the academic year during which the student left (first academic year only). However, if veteran’s education benefits or other service member education benefits will pay the higher tuition and fee charges that other students in the program are paying for the year, FAS will assess those charges to the student.

Readmission Requirements

A returning student will be permitted to reenroll in the next class(es) scheduled in the same academic program unless the student requests a later date of reenrollment or agrees to a different program. A returning student will be readmitted into the same academic program the student was enrolled in prior to the military service obligation. If the exact program no longer exists, the student must be admitted to the program that is most similar, unless the student requests or agrees to admission to a different program. Returning students will be reenrolled with the same enrollment status, number of completed credit hours, and academic standing as the last academic year of attendance.

The cumulative length of the absence and of all previous absences from the school for military service may not exceed five years. Only the time the student spends performing service is counted.
If FAS determines that the student is not prepared to resume the program with the same academic status or is unable to complete the degree, FAS will make reasonable efforts to enable the student to resume or complete the degree at no additional cost to the student.

In accordance with federal regulations, returning students who receive a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge from the Armed Forces (including the National Guard and Reserves) are not eligible for readmission under this policy. However, service members who receive dishonorable or bad conduct discharge may remain eligible for readmission even though they will not be entitled to the benefits outlined in this policy.