Should I take time off?

National University's dedicated advising team is here to guide and answer any of your questions throughout your academic journey.

Services Provided:

Adding & Dropping Courses

Assistance with Course Challenges

Assistance & Guidance with University Process

Scheduling

Financial Aid

Find your Advisor's contact information in your Student Portal
Once logged into your Student Portal, Scroll down to "My Support Team" and your Advisor's contact information will be listed there.

The main advising line number is located on the right hand side as another way you can reach out. For immediate assistance, please click here to be connected with an advisor. Our chat advisors are available Monday - Friday, 6am - 6pm PST.

Note: If you have not yet passed the 10th day of your first class, email admissions@nu.edu instead of advisor@nu.edu as this will get you in touch with your assigned Enrollment Staff Member.

There are a few options when it comes to taking time off from school, with all options speaking with your advisor is critical as every student's situation is unique. Click here to learn more about connecting with your advisor.

• Intent to Return (ITR) – If you need a break between your courses that is less than 60 days, you simply need to notify your advisor via email.

• Leave of Absence (LOA) – If you need more than 60 days off from class (up to 180 days), you can complete a Leave of Absence Request in your Student Portal. Go to: Single Sign On > Portal > Academic Records > e-forms > Leave of Absence (LOA). There will be a lot more information on this e-form to let you know about the process.

Click here to view the "Class Drop and Withdrawal" section of National University's general catalog to learn about when you can drop a class, how to do so, and what happens when a course is dropped.

You can locate the section by clicking the link above and looking at the righthand side page, first section.

An important step regarding dropping a class involves connecting with your Academic Advisor. You can find your advisor's contact information in your Student Portal
Once logged into your Student Portal, Click on the "My Advisor" under Quicklinks Your Advisor's contact information will show up in a new tab.

Also, if you are using any VA educational benefits (i.e. GI Bill, Voc Rehab, etc.), you need to notify the NU VA department regarding the change in your schedule. It is important that you update this office so that things are properly processed. The VA office can be contacted by phone at 858/541-7970 or email at veteransaffairs@nu.edu.

Also, if you applied for financial aid, please contact the financial aid office regarding your dropped course. Financial aid can be contacted by phone at 858/642-8590 or email at finaidinfo@nu.edu.

Letting your professor know what is going on is so important as the earlier they know about a situation, obstacle, or emergency the better they can assist you. Sometimes it can be intimidating can reach out to a professor and share what is going; however, if you don't reach out and ask, then you'll never know!

Another tip for communicating with professors is to think through a potential solution and mention that to the professor. For example, if you went to the ER for an emergency and needed some more time to submit an assignment. You would share with the professor when you were in the ER, request more time for the assignment ("Would it be possible for me to submit the assignment to you by _____?"), and discuss what you have completed ("I have already complete the first two parts of the paper so I know I can complete the remaining two parts by _____.").

The Academic Success Center's mission is to support students in attaining their maximum potential both inside and outside of the classroom. Their trained professionals are devoted to empowering you to conquer challenges and get the most out of your NU experience along the path to graduation.

Whether you’re grappling with time management, academic challenges, or simply feeling stagnant, they can assist you in gaining clarity, cultivating skills, and taking action to create positive change. They offer one-on-one coaching sessions, workshops, and additional resources to aid your success and empower you to reach your goals.

Student Wellness staff can provide support and assistance to active students (including those on a leave of absence) with a variety of issues through one-on-one case management support. Here are some of the more frequent situations that staff works with students on:
- Mental health concerns (anxiety, depression, etc.)
- Housing, financial, and food insecurities
- Financial wellness and budgeting
- Other personal matters impacting academic success

If you would like for a Student Wellness team member to reach out to you within 2 business days, please complete this form and someone will be in touch!

The Writing Center’s mission is to coach undergraduate and graduate students in all stages of the writing process through collaborative, interactive, and individualized online or in-person sessions. Our goal is to help students become more effective, confident, life-long writers through critical thinking, self-observation, and the application of sound writing principles and strategies.

We offer 40-minute online or on-site consultations that are designed to help demystify the writing process. These consultations take the form of conversations on topics of your choice: for example, brainstorming ideas, developing your thesis statement or research question, organizing or outlining your paper, determining appropriate forms of evidence or support for your claim, avoiding plagiarism and citing sources, or strengthening your writing at the sentence level. Please note that we will not “fix” your paper for you. Instead, we are here to empower you with the thinking and writing tools you need to reach your academic goals. We are not editors, but teachers.

Students may make up to three 40-minute appointments with the Writing Center per week.
Click here to make an online or on-site appointment with a tutor.