Leaving on a Mission?
Making the decision to serve a full-time mission is an important step in the life of any young Latter-day Saint. It is our strong desire to help you prepare to leave the university in a manner that will allow the easiest possible transition back to BYU.
Deferment Forms
Download the Missionary Deferment Form here
Download the International Missionary Deferment Form here (for international students, NOT students serving international missions)
Download the Financial Release Form
Download the Missionary Information Release Form
Download the Missionary Registration Form
Deferment Conditions
To defer enrollment and scholarship (if applicable) without reapplying, the following conditions should be met:
- Be admitted as a regular day school, degree-seeking student at Brigham Young University.
- If you are a current BYU student, enter the Missionary Training Center (MTC) before the end of next semester (fall or winter) following your last day school enrollment. If you are deferring admission before attending BYU day school, you should enter the MTC during the semester to which you have been admitted.
- Do not attend or enroll at any college or university between leaving and returning to BYU.
- Do not be on academic suspension or dismissal from BYU.
- Complete a full mission and receive an ecclesiastical endorsement from your mission president. Failure to complete the mission, for any reason (medical, etc.), will void the deferment form and require a reapplication to BYU.
The Missionary Deferment Form should be submitted to the BYU Admissions Office after receiving your mission call and before entering the Missionary Training Center.
Following your mission, you must enroll at Brigham Young University within a given time period. The following shows when you must enroll:
| Return From Mission: | Enroll No Later Than: |
|---|---|
| October–April | Fall Semester |
| May–September | Winter Semester |
If you are registered for a future semester or term, but will be unable to attend due to your mission, you are responsible for discontinuing from the courses prior to leaving the university.
International Student Missionary Deferment
The guidelines above also apply to International Students. Proof of financial support is required.
Some Important Points to Remember
- As you gather all the materials pertinent to your return to BYU, including your academic record and other confidential material, make sure to choose a place for them that will be secure and offer the privacy needed.
- Designate an individual to assist you in academic matters while you are away. Do not assume that individuals who are not familiar with the university or have not been at the university in several years will be able to do everything that needs to be accomplished. Train this person on how to use the materials you will gather and how to use MyMAP. Make sure he or she understands what needs to happen. Your designee may be a sibling, parent, or anyone else you trust to complete these important steps.
- Carefully consider your missionary calendar and determine with the person assisting you what needs to be done and when so that the deadlines are met.
- Use this Web site as a information-gathering tool.
- You must attend the semester or term in which you indicated you would be returning. If you need to change your anticipated return to school, you will need to contact the Admissions Office to change your deferment date.
Academic Advisement
Prior to leaving you should gather the information needed to select which courses to register for when you return. You may want to meet with an advisor in your college advisement center for help in determining an appropriate schedule.
Although you may be knowledgeable about the university core requirements, please remember that the person who will register for you may need a thorough explanation of your options.
Be aware of the following as you gather information:
- Progress report--Acquire a copy of your progress report. Keep this report with your packet of information.
- Current/Last semester grades--If you request your progress report prior to completing the semester, be sure to record the grades from your last semester's courses. They may be helpful to your registration.
- Advisor--An advisor can help you explore which courses best meet your needs upon returning to BYU. Also, some parents and friends prefer to talk with someone who has reviewed your records. See the Missionary Registration Form located above to record your advisor's name and other information.
Missionaries Serving Foreign Language Missions
Check with the specific language department for information on the appropriate language course to enroll in and test language credit.
If your language is less commonly taught, you can prepare yourself to take a proficiency exam administered by the Humanities Technology and Research Support Center (801-422-3512, 1163 JFSB) when you return. (http://flats.byu.edu)
Important Registration Information
You can contact the Registration Office at B-130 ASB, 801-422-2824, or registration@byu.edu.
The registration page is accessed through the Route Y system. Simply enter your net ID and password on the homepage (www.byu.edu). Once you have logged on, type MyMAP in the white search box on the upper right side of the screen. When this page loads, select the Register tab which will allow you to view your planned classes and allow your parents to register for the available classes. You may also register for classes by clicking on the Add Classes button at the bottom of the appropriate semester/term.
It is very important for you to review registration instructions with the person who will be completing your registration while you are gone. Please choose someone you trust.
BYU must follow federal privacy laws. To authorize a third party to have access to your academic information, you must fill out the Missionary Student Information Release Form and the Financial Release Form and submit it to the Registration Office.
If this third party needs access to your academic information from your advisement center, you will need to indicate this on the information release form where it says Other and submit a copy to the advisor he or she will be working with.
Class Schedule and Catalogs
Class schedule and catalogs are available on the Internet.
The university has discontinued printing class schedules. They are located online at http://saas.byu.edu/classSchedule.
The undergraduate and graduate catalogs are located online at http://saas.byu.edu/catalog
- Registration Holds--If you were on academic warning or probation your last semester at BYU, you will have a hold that prevents registration.
International Students
International Services, 1351 WSC, 801-422-2695
If you are an international student who plans to serve a mission, you should check with International Student Services regarding special concerns, regulations, or needed actions that are specific to various countries. Also, you should complete a deferment form specifically designed for international students (available at Student Services window, D-155 ASB, 801-422-2500).
Please contact the office listed for questions regarding the following registration holds:
CAC.................................................................Your college advisement center (see directory)
Financial Holds................................................. Student Services 801-422-4104
Graduate School............................................... Graduate Studies Office 801-422-4091
University Standards.......................................... Honor Code Office 801-422-2847
Parents and FERPA
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) was passed in 1974 and governs access to educational records. The law gives individuals the right to inspect and review their records, to amend or correct their records, and to limit disclosure of confidential information from their records. While this law covers educational records from all levels, there are some distinctions at the post-secondary level. Parents do not have the right to access the educational records of their children once they enroll in a post-secondary institution. The individual is the only one with rights to access their record. That means parents do not have a right to know what grades their children receive at BYU or what classes they have taken.
Students may authorize other individuals to access their confidential records with a written release. This must include the following:
- Specify what records are to be released.
- Indicate the purpose of the release.
- Identify the party or parties to whom the disclosure may be made.
- Be signed and dated by the student.
- Choose a pass phrase (if needed).
The individual would then present this written release to the record holder, and present a picture ID showing they are the party identified in the release. In the event that the designated person calls on the phone the record holder would need to have a copy of the written release on file and the individual would need to identify themselves with the pass phrase the student has chosen. A student could use this process to give access to parents or any other individual they desire.
**There is an exception FERPA allows for parents, and that is if a parent claimed their child on last year's income tax (they were a dependent as per IRS regulation) and the parent provides a copy of the tax forms. If a parent does this BYU may, but is not required by the law, release data to the parents without written consent by the student.
Financial Information
Student Services, D-155 ASB, 801-422-4104
If you have any type of federal student loan, you will need to contact your lender and apply for possible deferment or forbearance while you are away from school. (Most federal loans are processed through UHEAA, 1-877-336-7378).
If you received any other type of financial aid, you may wish to discuss payment, reapplication, eligibility, etc., with a financial aid representative. Please keep written notes of the information like the date of the meeting, the representative's name, and important deadlines.
Scholarships
Student Services, D-155 ASB, 801-422-4104
BYU Scholarships are deferred by using the official LDS Missionary Enrollment and Scholarship Deferment Application. If you have specific questions regarding scholarships, please contact the BYU Student Services office directly.
BYU Student Health Insurance
2310 SHC, 801-422-2661 or 801-422-4460
If you are currently on the student health plan, you must notify the Health Plan Business Office before you leave BYU. You are not eligible for the health plan while you are on your mission. When you return you are eligible to sign up for the student health plan one semester prior to being enrolled as a 3/4 time student. Please contact our office for more information on this. If you do not enroll prior to being 3/4 time you will need to go through the Route Y and choose the student health plan or provide proof of private insurance. This must also be done each fall semester.
Ecclesiastical Endorsements
4440 WSC, 801-422-2847
Completing the LDS Missionary Enrollment and Scholarship Deferment Application will initiate appropriate action to ensure you have an up-to-date ecclesiastical endorsement from your mission president. If you have appropriately deferred, you do not need to get an endorsement after you return from your mission.
International Missions
The government requires a TB test after a mission for anyone who serves a mission outside the United States. A student can set up an appointment to have the TB test by calling the Student Health Center at 801-422-2771. A small fee is charged for the test. The county health department can also administer the test for a minimal fee. If the test is taken at the Utah County Health Department, you will need to fax appropriate documentation to BYU Medical Records at 801-422-0761.
Although you will be allowed to register for the first semester following your mission, all subsequent registrations will be blocked until documentation of the TB test is received by BYU.
Continuing Student Deferment
How do I defer classes for a semester?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to some commonly asked questions.
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