Montana Barber Institute
1920 N. Zaragoza Rd. Suite 101 -103, El Paso, Texas 79938 Ph. (915)760-7964 / mbi@mbibarbering.org
Leave Policy
Leave of Absence (LOA)
Montana Barber Institute recognizes that over the course of your program, it may be necessary for you to take a short break from training for a variety of reasons. This is why the school has a written policy that is included in this catalog to address these situations.
The school will extend the enrollment agreement period and maximum time frame by the same amount of days taken in the LOA, this will ensure the student is not assessed additional institutional charges as a result of the LOA. This will require an addendum to the enrollment agreement that must be signed by the student and the school representative. Days included in an approved leave of absence are removed from your schedule and, therefore, do not count towards your attendance rate or under the 10-day absent policy. All veterans granted an LOA will be terminated during that timeframe to avoid overpayments from the VA but will be re-enrolled upon return.
Leave Categories
*Family Leave *Medical Leave *Administrative Leave *Personal Leave
Combined Leave Limits
The maximum combined personal and family & medical leave time cannot exceed 180 days in any 12 month period.
Planning & Requesting Leave
All students should follow this policy when requesting an LOA. If you are considering a leave, you should speak with the office manager about your circumstance.
The office manager will determine if you are eligible for leave and explain how the leave may impact your progress through the program. He or she will also assist you with the leave request process, including determining any supporting documentation that will be required to approve the leave.
An approved Leave of Absence must be submitted in advance in writing, including the reason for the student’s request, and be signed by the student.
Students are encouraged to reach out 30 days before the start of the
desired leave or, where that is not possible, as soon as the need for the leave is known. In cases where the need is unforeseeable (for example, a sudden illness), you must reach out within 7 days or as soon as circumstances otherwise permit.
If the school approves an LOA due to unforeseen circumstances the beginning date of the approved LOA will be the first date the student was unable to attend the school. Please note that in the event that you are terminated under the 10-day absence policy described in the previous section of the Attendance Policy of this catalog, that termination cannot be reversed regardless of the reason for the absence.
Family and Medical Leave
You may request up to two leaves based upon:
· Your own medical condition
· The care of a child, spouse, domestic partner, or parent with a medical condition.
· The birth or adoption of a child or placement of a foster child (provided that the leave must begin within 12 months of the birth, adoption, or placement)
· The family & medical leaves, when totaled, cannot exceed 180
calendar days (6 months). The medical leaves may be taken back to back.
Administrative Leave
Administrative leave may be taken in the event that absence from school is required for military duty or jury duty.
If you are called for jury duty, you must provide the office manager with documentation from the court certifying the day(s) required for jury duty.
If you are called to military duty, you must likewise contact the office manager to provide the school with documentation from the applicable military branch certifying the day(s) required for military duty.
In addition, Montana Barber Institute reserves the right to place a student on administrative leave under circumstances justifying such a leave.
Personal Leave (Director Discretion)
Personal leave can be up to 7 days consecutive days in length, except in rare extenuating circumstances. A request for personal leave must be submitted to the administration office 30 days in advance of the first scheduled day of leave.
When Leave is Approved
If you are granted leave from the program according to the
school’s policies,
· Scheduled hours falling within the approved leave time will not count and, therefore, will not affect your rate of attendance.
· Your enrollment agreement end date and the end date for your maximum timeframe for program completion will be extended.
· You will be informed as to the day you are required to return to the program.
A student granted an LOA that meets the policy criteria is not considered to have withdrawn, and no refund calculation is required at the time of approval.
Leave Amendment
If you wish to change the length of an approved (1) family & medical leave or (2) administrative leave (that is, to reduce or extend the leave), you are required to contact the office manager prior to the date that you are required to return to the school. Two business days’ notice is required, except in extraordinary circumstances. A new leave request form with updated dates will be required.
Personal leave must be 7 days and may not be reduced or extended; however, the 2 personal leaves may be taken back to back.
Return from Leave
The school will have a reasonable expectation that the student returns from his/her LOA. Failure to return from leave on the scheduled return date will result in immediate termination from the program, the last date of attendance will be used for the purpose of calculating a refund. A student returning from an approved leave or other official interruption of training will return to school at the same SAP status he or she maintained immediately prior to the leave.
