Presidents’ Honors Scholars who are in good standing, or meet the requirement to receive the scholarship, may apply for the deferment of their Presidents’ Honors Scholarship for but not limited to the following:

• Serving a Church Mission
• Awaiting Admission into a specific program (ie Nursing Program, Denial Hygiene Program, etc.)
• Medical Reasons
• Internship – cannot receive college credit for a college or university outside the Maricopa County Community College District
• Any other requests are at the discretion of the Honors Program Director

Deferment Application Process

Students must complete and submit a Deferment Application with their respective college Honors Program to initiate the process. Students must provide the required documentation regarding the leave of absence prior to their departure. Submission of the deferment does not guarantee automatic approval. In the case of an unpredicted situation, students should contact the Honors Program at their college to initiate the process.

The following stipulations apply to all deferments

• The student must be in good standing, or meet the requirements to receive the scholarship, to request deferral of the Presidents’ Honors Scholarship.
• Required documentation must be submitted with the deferment application. Example: Church Mission – call letter, Waitlist for a specific program – letter of acceptance to the waitlist, Medical reasons – letter from physician or institution under care, Internship – letter of acceptance into the program, etc.
• Deferment may be granted for a maximum of twenty-four months (four full consecutive fall and spring semesters). Please plan your deferment period/departure accordingly.
• The requested time must correlate with the time frame of the activity that is preventing you from the required continuous enrollment at the Maricopa County Community Colleges.
• Students may not attend another educational institution during the deferment period unless they are participating in a Maricopa-sponsored program.
• Students must return to an MCCCD school the semester immediately following the completion of the leave (fall or spring).
• Any changes to the deferment as originally approved may result in the loss of that deferment and the Presidents’ Honors Scholarship.
• Students may not receive more than one deferment.

Returning to a Maricopa Community College

Students must submit documentation of release; be accepted to begin a specific program; be able to resume full-time student status; return from internship and able to resume classes or other documentation the Honors Program director requested. Documentation must be submitted to the Honors Program at the college where the leave was requested at least one month prior to the beginning of the semester. The documentation should include the student’s name, his/her Maricopa ID number, and the semester he/she intends to return.