Fellowships and Leave of Absence (LOA) Policies

Advisers in the Office of Fellowships and Funding are happy to talk through  LOA plans with students. Please feel free to make an appointment or send an email to fellowships@yale.edu

Note: Students should discuss their intentions to take a leave of absence with their residential college dean as soon as possible, ideally by the end of the semester preceding the leave of absence.

This page was last updated on March 23, 2023 for the Academic Year 2023-24

TOC:

International Study Award (ISA)

1.   Students who take a leave of absence for one semester (either fall or spring) of the academic year preceding their summer experience  are eligible for International Study Award (ISA) funding. Their ISA eligibility will be calculated based on their Yale Scholarship for the semester they attend during the academic year.

2.   Students planning to take a Leave of Absence the Fall semester following their ISA-funded experience are still eligible to receive ISA funding provided that they meet all other ISA eligibility requirements.

National/External Awards

Taking a leave of absence may impact eligibility for national awards that are only open to members of certain class years (e.g. sophomore, junior). Below you will find a summary but please be sure to carefully review each award’s formal eligibility policies before applying. Here are some questions that may help you: 

• Does the award determine class year by time since beginning college, time remaining to graduation, or some other factor?
• Does the award require applicants to be full-time students at the time of application? 
• Does the national application deadline fall in a different semester than the campus application deadline? 

Goldwater: Sophomore or junior standing is determined by semesters remaining until graduation. National application deadline is in spring term.

Truman: Students on leave of absence are eligible as long as they certify they will return to Yale to complete their degree. 'Junior' for the 2023-2024 cycle means a student who plans to continue full-time undergraduate study and who expects to receive a baccalaureate degree between December 2024 and August 2025. National application deadline is in spring term.

Fulbright: Students are required to complete a bachelor’s degree prior to the start of the grant. For most students, this means graduation in May 2024. December 2024 graduation could be possible depending on host country details. National application deadline is in fall term.

Udall: Sophomores and juniors on leave of absence are eligible to apply as long as they will return to Yale in the term following their award. Udall considers both terms of full-time study completed and remaining to determine class standing: applicants must have completed at least 3 semesters and have at least 2 semesters remaining to graduation. Students may only apply twice for the Udall. National deadline is in spring term.

Beinecke: Juniors on leave of absence are eligible to apply. Beinecke defines “Junior” as a student who plans to continue full-time undergraduate study and who expects to receive a baccalaureate degree between December 2024 and August 2025.

Marshall/Mitchell/Rhodes: Students are required to complete a bachelor’s degree prior to the start of the grant. For most students this means graduation in spring 2024. Graduation in December 2024 would require applicants to apply in summer of 2024 for entry to degree programs in fall 2025.

Yale Internal Fellowships

FAQ: Are there fellowships that I can apply for to support my Leave of Absence for the fall of 2023 or spring of 2024?

Unfortunately, we do not have any fellowships available to support a Leave of Absence for fall 2023 or spring 2024.

FAQ: I was awarded a fellowship for summer. Can I ask for more money from that fellowship to support my leave of absence for the fall?

We do our best to support as many students as possible every summer. All available fellowship funds are allocated.

FAQ: I plan to take a Leave of Absence in the fall of 2023 or the spring of 2024. Will I still be eligible to apply for summer fellowships for summer 2024?

Yes, you can apply for summer fellowships for summer 2024 if you are on a Leave of Absence, as long as you plan to return to Yale in the fall of 2024 or spring of 2025. You may not apply for Yale fellowships if you are withdrawn for any reason.

FAQ: Can I apply for a Light Fellowship while on a Leave of Absence?

Yes – you may apply for a Light fellowship and any other internal fellowship while on a Leave of Absence. You may not apply if you are withdrawn for any reason.

FAQ: There are some fellowships which are only for certain class years. If I take a leave of absence would I be eligible for these fellowships twice?

For the CIPE summer fellowships, you may apply for any fellowships for which you are eligible. Eligiblility requirements are listed on the Student Grants Database (SGD).

FAQ: What about students graduating in December who are interested in applying for a Yale College Postgraduate Fellowship or other internal fellowships?

Students who graduate in December are eligible to apply for most CIPE summer fellowships in the summer before graduation.

Students who graduate in December may apply for Yale College Postgraduate Fellowships in the spring after graduation (January/February Deadline). Students may apply for fellowships included in the Yale College Postgraduate Fellowships Common Application only once. Projects must begin BEFORE September 1 of the award year.

FAQ: When will fellowship competitions open for summer 2024?

We expect summer fellowship applications to open in early 2024 with deadines in February.

Making the Most of a Leave of Absence

While we do not have fellowships available to support students on a leave of absence, your time away from Yale can be a great opportunity to reflect and recalibrate. Here are some ideas and resources: 

• Do some good! There are many opportunities to volunteer. Dwight Hall lists some opportunities here.
• Many gap year opportunities have historically been geared toward the year before starting college or the year after graduation, gap year programs could be a good option for anyone taking a year off.
• Talk to people. Low-stakes conversations with people (even strangers) whose work you admire can help you make strategic decisions for your future. 
• Apply for fellowships – or plan to! Each fellowship has its own guidelines about applying while on a leave of absence, but waiting until you are back on campus means you might lose out on valuable opportunities. Deadlines happen throughout the year, so be sure to read our newsletter and explore external awards  to see what might be a good fit for your goals and interests. No matter how you decide to spend your leave of absence, you should be prepared to talk about why you made that decision and what you learned from it in an application.