Deferment

 

Whether you are taking time before starting college or returning from a deferment, we’re here to support your journey toward a bright future at Utah State.

If you are a current USU student and need to take a leave of absence from the university, you will need to submit a notification of leave instead of a deferment. If you have only completed concurrent enrollment classes, you should use the deferral process to delay your admission.

Defer Your Admission

Come Back Soon

 
three students in dorm

Deferment Process: Confirm intent to enroll in a future semester.

A deferral is for admitted students who have not started classes at USU. Submitting a deferral accepts scholarships* offered by the USU Admissions Office and confirms your intent to enroll in a future semester. Deferrals are only available to students who are not attending another institution before beginning at USU.

*A deferral must be submitted by the scholarship acceptance deadline for a given semester in order for it to accept scholarships.

1

Submit a Deferral Request Form

  • Sign in to the account you used to apply to USU at applynow.usu.edu.
  • If you can't remember your password click the "Forgot Password" link. If you forgot what email you used when you applied, our service desk can help you out.
  • After logging in, click "continue" under the actions column next to the application you wish to defer. When the next page loads, if it is not already selected, click "application," then click "request deferral."
  • See the video on this page for a step-by-step view.
 
2

Check the Email Connected to your Application Account

Deferment requests take 7-10 business days to process, depending on the time of year. You may need to provide documentation for the reason you are leaving. The Admissions Office will ask for this via the email you used to apply, so make sure to check it often for updates. You can check the status of your deferral on the "My Account" page of your application account.

 
3

Check Scholarships

If you have officially been offered one or more scholarship awards from the USU Admissions Office and you defer your admission (confirming your intent to enroll in a future semester), your offered scholarships will automatically activate upon your return provided you deferred by the scholarship acceptance deadline for your semester. You accept your Admissions scholarships, and its terms, by submitting your deferral. If you received federal aid or other scholarships, contact the Office of Student Financial Support, USU Statewide Campus, department, or other awarding entity for deferment information. Please email scholarships@usu.edu for more information.

 
4

Create your USU Strong Password

If you have not already, create your USU strong password and "challenge questions" so you can retrieve an expired password if needed when you return. Your USU password will allow you to log in to systems such as MyUSU, where you can access many of the USU apps and services, and MyID, where you can manage your personal information.

 
5

Confirm your Enrollment (optional before you leave)

You have the option to pay the nonrefundable Enrollment Deposit now, which will streamline your enrollment in the future. Otherwise, you can pay it prior to your first semester. Students attending the Eastern, Moab, and Blanding campuses do not pay the deposit and will confirm their enrollment via the Enrollment Confirmation form prior to the semester they return.

 
6

Create a Delegate and Security Phrase

If needed, set up a delegate who has access to your preferred and recovery emails. We recommend you manage your own student account when possible, but understand there are cases where it is necessary for a parent, spouse, or other third-party to access information or complete transactions on your behalf. You can add delegates at myid.usu.edu. Sign in and then click "Delegates" on the left menu.

You can also create a security phrase, which allows you to verify your own identity if you need to conduct business with USU over the phone.

It could also be beneficial to add your delegates' phone numbers to your Microsoft MFA Sign-On Security account. You can add additional phone numbers by visiting Microsoft’s Security Verification.

 
7

Drop Courses

You will need to drop your courses if you registered before completing your deferment. If you have already paid your tuition, you will receive a refund according to the deadlines in the catalog

 
8

Know which Email to Check

If you registered and dropped classes prior to submitting your deferment, or if you took concurrent enrollment courses through USU in the past 3 years, you were assigned a USU email account in the format of A-number@usu.edu (ex. A01234567@usu.edu). All official communication from the university will go to this account, so you need to check it or make sure your delegate can check it, especially in the months prior to your first semester. More information is available at it.usu.edu/studentemail. If you do not have a USU email account yet, you should regularly check the email set as "preferred" in your MyID account.

 
9

Be Prepared to Apply for Federal Financial Aid

Federal aid offered through the FAFSA cannot be deferred to a future aid year. You must resubmit the FAFSA each year that you want aid. You can apply as early as October 1 before the academic year you plan to attend. Please visit usu.edu/financial-support for more information and to apply.

 
10

Set Reminders

Set reminders in your calendar so you remember important dates and information for your return. Visit usu.edu/admissions/whatsnext for details on each step.

  • The FAFSA opens Oct 1 each year prior to the following academic year (summer, fall, spring).
  • Students can begin confirming their enrollment Oct 1 for the following spring, summer, and fall semester.
  • Students can sign an on-campus housing contract and begin orientation after confirming their enrollment. On-campus housing is available on a first-come, first-served basis and spaces are not guaranteed.
  • The priority deadline to confirm enrollment and begin orientation is April 1 for fall or summer semesters and November 1 for spring semester.
  • Registration for classes begins in April for summer and fall semesters, and November for spring semester.
  • Remember to write down your student ID (A-number), strong password, challenge question answers, security phrase, and the semester you said you plan to return.

Returning from Deferment

Welcome Back

 
father and daughter on campus

Returning from deferment and starting school at Utah State University is an exciting transition. We want to make your return as seamless as possible.

Returning

If you are returning and starting school as you indicated in your deferral form, no worries. You are still admitted to Utah State. Just make sure to follow the steps on our “What’s Next” page.

  • Foreign Language Credit

    If you happen to learn a foreign language during your time away, check out the Department of World Languages & Cultures for more information on how to earn credit for your foreign language fluency.

Extending

If you need to extend your deferment, you can do that. Please submit a new deferral form. You can contact an admissions officer who can help you with the process at admit@usu.edu.

Returning Early

If you are coming back early from deferral, we recommend contacting an admissions officer at admit@usu.edu to help adjust your deferral.

As you reconnect with the University, we also hope you will engage in the vibrant USU community. Whether it's getting involved in clubs, exploring new majors, or adjusting to the rhythm of college life again, Utah State provides a supportive environment to help students smoothly reintegrate and succeed in their academic journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. You do not need to confirm your enrollment if you submit a deferral request. When you return from deferment, you will confirm your enrollment for the semester your application was deferred to.

You do not need to complete orientation now because you will complete it (or redo it) before your first semester. A delegate can complete orientation modules 1 and 2 for you in the future if needed.

Deferrals are due no later than the last week of classes of the semester for which you were initially admitted. If you are accepting scholarships offered by the USU Admissions Office, you must submit your deferral prior to the scholarship acceptance deadline for the term for which you were offered a scholarship.

Submit a new deferral request by following the deferral instructions. These requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. In the free text reasoning box within the deferral request process, please state why you are wanting to extend your deferment.

Deferments are generally granted for a total of 1 1/2 years. However, deferments can be granted for a total of 3 years for those participating in official assignments such as military, church, or humanitarian service. All deferment requests must be approved by an admissions officer who can be reached at admit@usu.edu.

Email admit@usu.edu stating that you want to shorten your deferment. Please include your A-number and which semester you would like to come back.

No. Students who attend another university or college while on deferment will need to reapply upon return.

Graduate students follow a different process than undergraduate students for deferment and notification of leave. Learn more on the School of Graduate Studies website for each process and steps.

USU is committed to providing the highest quality of service to service members who were unable to attend school due to military service. USU adheres to the provisions for U.S. Armed Forces members provided in Chapter 3 of Volume 2 of the Federal Student Aid Handbook. Please feel free to reach out to our Veterans Resource Office for any additional questions.

Make sure either you or your missionary assigns an official delegate, granting access to their information. Collect essential account access details: A-Number, strong password, challenge question answers, recovery email login info, leave and return semester dates.

Missionaries usually have internet access, enabling them to update details, complete orientation modules, and register for classes. If a student is unable to do this themselves while on their mission, an official delegate can complete these steps.

For any inquiries, contact Student Orientation and Transition Services at 435-797-0283 or orientation@usu.edu.