University of California, Davis
What UC Davis says
Exact quotes from UC Davis’s official pages, checked word for word on Oct 22, 2026.
The Planned Educational Leave Program (PELP) allows any continuing undergraduate or graduate level student to temporarily suspend academic work at UC Davis…
— catalog.ucdavis.edu ↗Completed applications for PELP must be filed by the 10th day of instruction during the quarter for which the student is requesting a leave.
— catalog.ucdavis.edu ↗Undergraduates may take one PELP leave up to three consecutive quarters during their academic career at UC Davis.
— catalog.ucdavis.edu ↗Students returning from PELP are considered continuing students and readmission to the university is guaranteed.
— catalog.ucdavis.edu ↗The Planned Educational Leave Program (PELP) allows any continuing undergraduate or graduate level student to temporarily suspend academic work at UC Davis
— catalog.ucdavis.edu ↗Written by AI from the quotes and pages we read. It may be incomplete or wrong; the school’s own pages win.
- UC Davis appears to use the Planned Educational Leave Program, with a formal application.
- For Winter 2027, the application looks due January 15, 2027.
- Up to three consecutive quarters seems allowed, with return guaranteed.
- Reasons accepted: any personal reason (No reason required; one PELP per career).
- Time away allowed: Up to 3 consecutive quarters.
- Classes start Jan 4.
Before you decide
Check on the following…
- Will my spot be held?Check how long your school keeps your place and whether you have to apply to come back.Ask: Registrar
- Will I graduate later?A term off can push back your graduation. Ask which required classes only run in the spring.Ask: Academic advisor
- Is there a deadline to ask?Some schools want your leave request before January. Find out the exact date and the form.Ask: Dean’s office or registrar
- What happens to my scholarships and aid?Ask whether your scholarships and grants pause while you’re away or end, and what you need to do to get them back.Ask: Financial aid office
- When would I have to start repaying loans?Student loans usually stop being deferred when you’re not enrolled. After a short grace period, often six months, payments can start.Ask: Financial aid office
- Will I still have health insurance?A student health plan usually needs you to be enrolled. Make sure you’re covered from January to April.Ask: Student health office
- What about my housing?Ask whether you can leave your housing contract without a penalty and whether you’ll get housing when you come back.Ask: Housing office
- I’m on a student visa. Does this affect it?For F-1 students, not enrolling usually ends your visa status. Talk to this office before anything else.Ask: International student office
Hackathon
- HackDavis ↗Student-run hackathon; 2026 event held, 2027 director applications open
Entrepreneurship center
- Student Startup Center ↗Engineering-linked center: PLASMA venture program, founder events, Certificate of Entrepreneurship
- Venture Catalyst ↗Campus venture office: START program, NSF I-Corps, Aggie Venture Accelerator (first cohort July 2026)
Hard-tech team
- Aggie Propulsion and Rocketry Lab (APRL) ↗Student rocketry lab listed on College of Engineering clubs page
- Formula Racing at UC Davis ↗Formula SAE team listed on College of Engineering clubs page
- Solar Car Team ↗Student solar car team
- Space and Satellite Systems ↗Satellite/space systems club listed on College of Engineering clubs page
CS club
- CodeLab ↗Student-run software and design agency building products for clients
Why 90
Spend the winter building. Southbound runs Jan 11 to Apr 11, 2027 in Miami. Acceptance is rolling.
What we could find (checked Oct 22, 2026). Not final: confirm dates and aid with your school before you act. Some source pages show no date or blocked our automated check. Confirm the details with your school. We date pages from server timestamps, page metadata, “last updated” text, PDF dates and the Wayback Machine.