Although Leonardo's status is that of a delayed graduate senior, except for the Dean, the other four teachers do not really treat him as an ordinary student.
As long as the delay is long enough, everyone in the university becomes familiar, and it's possible that one of the doctors could be a junior.
Especially since Leonardo is a student of Master Quivarin, one could even say that River Island Royal University could exist without a king, but not without Master Quivarin.
When the teachers and students of River Island Royal University "split and broke out," they did not disperse according to colleges, but according to the teachers they followed.
Since Dean Senius doesn't have as strong a reputation as those masters, at least two-thirds of the students he recruited were of civilian origin, all a bunch of poor folks.
Among those who escaped with them, only Leonardo and a few wealthy merchants' and noble offspring had money.
