Who is elligible for a leave of absence from their studies?
Students who do not wish to use their right to study in their given study program in the coming academic year or semester, can be granted leave in accordance with the Examination regulations at UiA § 20.
Students have the right to leave in accordance with the Act relating to universities and university colleges § 4-3 d and § 4-3 e. This applies to documented need in the following circumstances:
Students who become parents during their studies
Conscription and service in the armed forces
Students serving in political positions
Other special cases (e.g. top athletes)
When can I take a leave of absence?
Leave is normally only granted for full semesters. The application deadline is the 1st of September for the autumn semester and the 1st of February for the spring semester.
Leave in the first semester of study is not normally granted, but will be allowed if you are entitled to leave according to the Act relating to universities and university colleges § 4-3 d and § 4-3 e.
If there is a need for a shorter absence/leave, e.g. in connection with military service /home care services or other special cases, a legitimate absence may be applied for during examinations or compulsory teaching, cf. Examination regulations at UiA § 41.
If for some reason you need to take a break from your studies after you have registered for classes, you will still be regarded a student for the rest of that semester. If you cannot take an exam, you have to withdraw from your exam, or hand in documentation of your legitimate reason for absence within the deadlines.
How to apply for leave
To apply for a leave of absence from your studies for an entire semester, you must fill in an application form. Choose login via Feide (username/password) or the ID port.
If you experience difficulty logging on to the form (error message "tilkobling er ikke privat/your connection is not private", you can safely go on, click "advanced/avansert" and "continue to skjema.uia.no/fortsett til skjema.uia.no". You can also try a different browser.
If you have any questions, please contact your faculty/department of teacher education. Your faculty/department of teacher education will respond to your application.
Right to study and payment of semester fees
A leave of absence normally means that you do not make use of your right to study for an entire semester and that you are a passive student.
If you are on leave, you should therefore not normally register for the semester or pay the semester fee for the semester(s) in question.
If during the leave period you only register for a new or postponed exam, cf. Examination regulations § 26, you do not need to pay the semester fee, cf. § 19 of the regulations.
If you have been granted a leave of absence in accordance with the Act relating to universities and university colleges § 4-3 d and § 4-3 e, you can sit the exam in subjects you were not allowed to take before the leave period if you meet the conditions for sitting the exam and requirements for prior knowledge. For access to such an exam, you must pay the semester fee and register for the exam by the deadline.
Note that you can pay the semester fee when you are on leave in order to keep your SiA accommodation.