Making an aac return plan is easy!

Non-Medical Leave of Absence Agreement (in collaboration with, and at the discretion of Faculty)

LOA – Withdraw Form 

MLOA Request Form

MLOA Provider Report Form

Return from MLOA Provider Report Form

The Medical Leave of Absence (MLOA), when approved, withdraws a student from a semester for
medical reasons. A student may request a Medical Leave of Absence (MLOA) from the Art Academy of
Cincinnati (AAC) by the last day of classes in a given semester if, during the course of that same
semester, they encounter a physical, psychological and/or emotional health condition that prevents
them from meeting the normal expectations of a student. The severity and duration of the condition
must be such that it would not be reasonable for the student to make up any absences or missed work.
A MLOA cannot exceed 180 days in any 12-month period. The request must be clearly supported with
documentation by a licensed medical or mental health provider seen during the semester in question.
Requests for a MLOA are made by the student through the processes outlined below. The Office of the
Academic Dean, or designee(s), hold the ultimate authority to approve a MLOA. The student will receive
a decision via email once their forms and documentation have been submitted and reviewed.
All required paperwork must be submitted by 11:59 pm EST on the last day of classes as published in the
Academic Calendar for the current Academic Year. The Academic Calendar can be found in the Student
Handbook and on the AAC website.

Current Term Medical Leave of Absence: Students will need to work with their licensed provider to
complete the process in its entirety.

1. Complete the MLOA Request Form that is accessible from the Office of the Registrar page found
   on the AAC website. This must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar.
2. The student must complete an MLOA Provider Report Form with their licensed medical or
   mental health provider. This must be submitted at the same time as the MLOA Request Form, or
   within 30 days of the “Approved MLOA Date” that is issued on the student’s MLOA Request
   Form. This must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar or Office of the Academic Dean.

Under extraordinary circumstances, a student may request a Late Medical Leave of Absence (Late
MLOA) for a semester that has already been completed. All requests for a Late MLOA must be submitted
no later than 30 days from the last day of the semester term for which the withdrawal is requested. The MLOA Provider Report Form and all pertinent documents must be submitted at the same time as this request. A Late
MLOA request adheres to the same policies and procedures as the Current Term MLOA previously
articulated.

Decision: Once all steps have been completed, The Office of the Academic Dean, or designee(s) will
review the request and paperwork and the student will receive a decision via email. If the MLOA
Request is approved, the student’s effective Date of Determination (DOD) will be established at this
time, as will the student’s Approved MLOA Date. Please note that submitting forms during peak times
(beginning and end of term) will result in delayed processing.

What the Medical Leave of Absence Does
Student Records: An MLOA will relieve a student of responsibility for uncompleted academic work by
withdrawing them from all classes but will not provide credit for work already completed that term. In
order to protect the privacy of the student, the student’s official transcript, from a term for which an
MLOA has been granted, will indicate only “Officially Withdrawn [date]” without specifying the nature of
the reason for that withdrawal.

Grades: The normal grading policies and procedures for students who withdraw during the given
semester will apply to students who have medically withdrawn. This means a student may receive a “W”
(for ‘withdrawal’) on their official transcript for courses dropped due to a Medical Leave of Absence
depending on the date they last attended classes. A “W” carries no credit and is not calculated in the
grade point average (GPA) but does count toward a student’s “Completion Rate” and may have an
impact on future financial aid eligibility.

Determine Financial Options: Please review the information in the “Tuition Refund/Tuition Credit”
section.

Required Return from MLOA Steps: The following information must be provided in order to re-enroll at the AAC.

• A written explanation from the student documenting how they have addressed and dealt with
  the behaviors/illness that caused difficulty when last enrolled. If applicable, the student should
  describe a health management plan for his/her return to AAC.
• The student must have their licensed Medical or Mental Health Provider complete a Return From MLOA Form
  • Students may also include letters from the student’s health care provider(s) (licensed
    physician, psychiatrist, and/or therapist as appropriate) attesting to the student’s
    readiness to return. Letters must be on the provider’s office letterhead and must state
    support for the student’s return to this academic environment. Letters from family
    members will not be accepted. Letters are optional, not required.

The letters and MLOA forms must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar, who will then forward
them to the Office of the Academic Dean; the student will receive a decision via email once all of their
forms and documentation have been submitted and reviewed.

Tuition Refund/Tuition Credit
If your MLOA is approved, you will be withdrawn based on your “Approved MLOA Date”. Please note
that the “Date of Determination” and “Approved MLOA Date” are distinctly defined and may have
different dates. The tuition refund and credit will be determined as follows:

• If your Approved MLOA Date falls within the drop/add period (first 4 weeks during the
  fall/spring term; or, first 2 weeks during the summer term) a 100% tuition refund for the term is
  provided.
• If an Approved MLOA Date with an effective date later than the drop/add period (after week 4
  in the fall/spring term; or, after week 2 in the summer term) but before the end of the term is
  determined, the Art Academy of Cincinnati retains all tuition and fees and financial aid. You
  may be eligible for a Medical Leave of Absence (MLOA) Tuition Credit that can be used toward a
  future semester’s tuition at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. The value of the credit may be a
  percentage of, or up to 100% of, the student’s tuition and fees—for the semester in which the
  MLOA was granted—minus any AAC scholarships, grants, waivers, or adjustments to financial
  aid during that semester. The MLOA Tuition Credit is a one-time, non-refundable option, and
  must be used within one (1) Academic Year, or it will expire. The tuition credit is not transferable
  to other institutions or to other parties. Once your MLOA is approved, you will have the
  opportunity to request additional information about your eligibility for the MLOA Tuition Credit.
• If an Approved MLOA Date with an effective date at the end of term or between terms is
  determined, there will be no financial effect as the student completed the previous term.

The Office of the Academic Dean or designee(s) must notify AAC’s Financial Aid and Business Offices
once the MLOA is approved so the proper tuition refund or tuition credit can be tracked for the student.
While the student is on MLOA, no new charges will be added to the student’s account. If the student has
an outstanding balance while on MLOA, the student must have a payment plan in place with the
Business Office in order to register for classes once released from the MLOA. From a financial aid
standpoint, any student who is approved for MLOA after receiving financial aid for the semester may be
required to return a portion of the aid previously received. Federal educational loan regulations state
that when a student borrower ceases to be enrolled for more than 180 days, the borrower will be
considered as withdrawn from school for loan repayment purposes. At that point AAC is required to
calculate the amount of financial aid the student earned and the amount of financial aid that must be
returned. These calculations are based upon the Date of Determination (DOD), and not the Approved
MLOA Date. For more information, please contact the Registrar Director.