Leave of absence:
pause instead of quitting
Illness, a child, a relative needing care, a project at work that swallows everything: most people who withdraw in such a phase did not have to.
Staying enrolled without having to study
A leave semester is not a special case for hardship; it is a standard part of every set of study regulations.
During a leave of absence you remain enrolled but are released from coursework and examinations. The semester counts as a leave semester and not as a subject semester. For standard period of study, for deadlines in your progression and for the question of whether you are "on track", you lose nothing.
The application goes to your university, usually before the semester begins and with evidence. Which reasons qualify is set out in the enrolment regulations, and the differences between institutions are larger than you would expect. What passes as a matter of course at one requires a medical certificate or an employer's confirmation at the next.
In distance learning there is an additional feature: with private providers a payment contract hangs on the semester, not just a student status. Whether the monthly fee rests, falls or runs on unchanged during leave is therefore the first question, not the last.
What universities grant leave for
The list is longer than most people assume. What counts is the evidence, not the drama.
Illness
Prolonged illness, rehabilitation, mental health strain. You need a medical statement confirming inability to study for the period, not the diagnosis itself.
Pregnancy and parental duties
The best protected ground. This kind of leave is frequently not counted against the maximum number of leave semesters.
Caring for relatives
Recognised by most universities, usually with evidence of the care level and the family relationship.
Work pressure
The most important ground for working students and the one handled most inconsistently. A confirmation from your employer about a project, shift work or an overseas assignment helps.
Time abroad and internships
Where a longer placement or a stay abroad cannot run alongside your studies, leave is the clean route.
Service and special circumstances
Voluntary service, military service and comparable obligations are expressly named in most regulations.
Five things that change with the application
Clarify these before applying, not afterwards. Two of them otherwise cost real money.
Examinations are usually blocked
This surprises most people. Being on leave means release from examinations, and many regulations therefore prohibit sitting them. Some allow resits. Anyone who sits anyway risks the result not being counted. If you only want to do less rather than stop, switching to a longer time model is often the better route.
The fee may keep running
At state universities usually only the semester contribution applies. At private distance universities it depends on the contract: some suspend the instalment, some reduce it, some debit unchanged. Get written confirmation of what applies in your case before you apply. A verbal assurance from student services is worth nothing afterwards.
Funding lapses, child benefit depends on the reason
On leave you are not pursuing studies, so BAföG funding generally lapses. For child benefit it depends on the ground. Clarify both in advance with the relevant offices, because a reclaim after the fact is considerably more unpleasant than a question beforehand.
Check insurance and status
Student status formally continues, but contribution rules can change. If you are enrolled internationally on a residence permit for study purposes, speak to the immigration authority before applying: leave without a compelling ground can be assessed differently there than at the university.
There is an allowance
Two consecutive semesters and a limited total across the degree are usual. Parental duties and caring are often excluded from the count. If it is foreseeable that one semester will not be enough, plan the period generously rather than applying twice in a row and running into the allowance.
The information on this page is general in nature and based on my advisory practice (last updated 02.08.2026). It does not replace an official credit transfer or recognition decision by the respective university and is not legal advice. Specific decisions are made by universities, the ZAB (Germany), the BMBWF (Austria), or the SBFI (Switzerland). I clarify binding next steps with you in the initial consultation.
Sometimes the pause is not necessary
Distance learning is more flexible than classroom study. Three routes with fewer side effects.
Switch to a longer time model
Almost all distance universities offer the same programme at several speeds, for instance over six, eight or twelve semesters. Moving to the slower variant lowers the weekly load, often the instalment too, and you may keep sitting examinations. For the most common cause, which is simply too little time, that is usually the better answer than a full stop.
Use the free extension
Many private providers grant a fee-free extension after the standard period of study, often across several semesters. Knowing about it lets you absorb a difficult phase within the existing contract without applying for anything. It is usually in the small print of the study conditions rather than in the brochure.
Reasonable adjustments instead of a pause
Where a health condition is the reason, a pause is not necessarily the answer. Reasonable adjustments change the examination conditions, for instance through extra time or a different format, and let you keep studying rather than stopping. The two do not exclude each other, but adjustments are frequently forgotten.
What should be settled before you apply
Six questions whose answers determine cost and study progression.
What is a leave of absence semester?
A semester in which you remain enrolled but are released from the obligation to study. It does not count as a subject semester, so you lose no time in your study progression, and your student status continues.
Which reasons are accepted?
Typically illness, pregnancy and parental leave, caring for relatives, an internship or period abroad, and substantial work pressure. The exact list is in your university's enrolment regulations and differs noticeably between institutions. Evidence is almost always required.
Do I keep paying tuition during a leave semester?
That depends on the provider and it is the most important point to settle before applying. Some private distance universities suspend the monthly fee, others reduce it, others let it run unchanged. Get it in writing before you file the application.
Can I sit exams during a leave semester?
As a rule no, and this is the most common misunderstanding. Being on leave means you are released from coursework and examinations. Some regulations allow resit examinations, others allow nothing. Sitting anyway risks having the result declared invalid.
What happens to student funding and child benefit?
German BAföG funding generally lapses during a leave of absence because no studying is taking place. For child benefit it depends on the reason. Clarify both with the relevant offices before you apply, not afterwards.
How often can I take leave?
Two consecutive semesters and a limited total across the degree are common. Leave for parental duties or caring is frequently not counted against that allowance. The details are in your university's regulations.
Before you stop, let us go through the alternatives
In 30 minutes we establish whether a pause, a change of time model or reasonable adjustments is the right answer in your situation.