Understanding Grades and Academic Probation

If you have a bad semester and get a few bad grades, you may suddenly find yourself on "academic probation" or "academic warning."  What does that mean?  It sounds pretty bad, and many veterans wonder if they should stay in school or just drop out.  This article will help you understand what academic probation means, and how it affects your VA benefits, so that you can decide what you want to do next.

Taking a Break from Classes

No matter how carefully you plan ahead, there may come a point in your educational career when you decide that you need to take a break, for any number of valid reasons.  You may have been called back into active-duty service.  You may need time to take care of a family member, recover

from an illness or injury, buy a house, get married, or have a baby.  Sometimes people have to face an unexpected crisis or disaster, and need time to deal with it.  Perhaps you are in the process of changing your academic goal or career focus and need a little time to sort through your options.  Sometimes people get stressed out or overwhelmed, and just need a change of scenery for a while.  Whatever the reason, sometimes you may just need to take a break.

Before you do, make sure you understand all the rules and implications of your decision, to avoid any unpleasant surprises.  Here are a few things to check when you’re thinking of taking a semester or two off: