Interrupting your studies

Implications for Home and EU students

Once you have made the decision to interrupt your studies and have completed the online form, your record will be suspended. Your finance record will be recalculated in line with the university policy to determine the fee due for the period you attended for. The relevant dates and percentages of fee payable are available below.

Students in receipt of government student support packages

We will notify your student support provider of your interruption. Upon reassessment of your entitlement, they will determine the appropriate tuition fee loan you are entitled to. The level of fee they will pay to us will depend on the date of your interruption. The university will not charge you a fee higher than the tuition fee loan entitlement.

You will also be reassessed in relation to your entitlement for maintenance loan and grants. If you are entitled to receive a further payment of support, you will receive this on the next payment period as detailed in your support notification letter. However, if it is deemed that you have received too much support, you may be required to make a repayment as soon as possible. Any further support for the remainder of the year will be rescinded.

Upon your return to your studies you would normally be entitled to receive the same student support package that you were in receipt of prior to your interruption. This would include your tuition fee rate liability. You will however, be assessed as having utilised a year of your student support entitlement. You would normally be expected to return to your studies at the start of the next academic session. If you require an extension to your period of interruption i.e. for another academic year, you should seek advice from your personal tutor or your School to see if this is going to be permissible and your student support provider and student finance at the university as this may affect the type of student support that you are eligible for and the rate of tuition fee that you are required to pay.

Students who are self-payers or employer sponsored

Upon your return to your studies you would normally be entitled to continue to pay the relevant fee band you were paying prior to your interruption, which is usually uplifted annually. You would normally be expected to return to your studies at the start of the next academic session. If you require an extension to your period of interruption i.e. for another academic year, you should seek advice from your personal tutor to see if this is permissible as well as from your student support provider to see if this will affect the type of funding you may apply for. Extended periods of absence may also have an effect on the rate of fee that you are required to pay and you should seek advice from student finance at the university.

Students that interrupt from their studies are considered to still be students and so are not eligible to apply for government means-tested benefits, unless there is already an underlying eligibility for example, some single students with children. If you are considering interrupting for financial reasons it is imperative that you seek advice from a finance adviser.

Implications for International students

Implications for your visa (Students who hold a Student Visa)

If you are a student with a Student Visa, withdrawing or interrupting from your studies has implications for your visa. Please visit our Visa and Immigration webpage for further information.

Implications for your finances

Upon submission of the relevant form, we will recalculate the fee due for the period of attendance. We will determine whether the account is settled, whether there is a refund due or whether there is still an outstanding balance. If the account is settled there will be no further action for you to take. If there is a refund due we will request that you complete a refund request form to enable us to repay the funds. Refunds will be made in line with the university's Charging and Refund Policy. If however there is a balance due, you or your sponsor will be required to make the payment as soon as possible to clear the account.

Implications for US students in receipt for Federal Student Aid

US Nationals are not included in this policy for reasons relating to the US Department of Education Regulations relating to Federal Student Aid which are disbursed for the purposes of payment of tuition fees. You must therefore contact your Destination point administrator if you are thinking of interrupting study.

Implications for your accommodation

University Accommodation

If you live in the university's Halls of Residences, you must notify the Accommodation Service in writing that you are interrupting your studies.  You can do this by submitting the Leaving Early request form online through the Accommodation portal or email your local Accommodation Services team. Accommodation Services staff will confirm your status and provided they have confirmation that you are interrupting your studies, arrangements will then be made for the termination of your Accommodation Licence.  Four weeks' (28 days) notice will be accepted from the date of notification of interruption (or on the date that the interruption officially began if it falls after the four week notice period).  The resident will be charged for this four week notice period unless the licence is terminated earlier due to a replacement resident being found for their room.  Residents will be notified if they will be released early. If you do not do this your contract continues until the end of your licence period and you will be liable for payment.

Please see section 1.2 of the University Licence Agreement for confirmation of the terms and conditions of your accommodation licence agreement.

Private accommodation

If you live in private accommodation, it is unlikely there will be an obligation for you to leave following a change to your student status unless you are an international student studying on a student visa. However, you may choose to or be required to return home in which case you must consider the terms of your tenancy agreement and what this means for you. If you decide to stay in your private accommodation, it is important to note that as you are no longer a full-time student, you may be required to pay Council Tax. If you are on a student visa, you will not be able to remain in the UK during the period of your interruption and as such you will need to consider the terms of your tenancy agreement and discuss with your landlord what this means for you.

Private student accommodation providers will likely ask you to leave your accommodation when you are no longer a student. We recommend that you review your license agreement and get in touch with the provider to discuss what this means for your tenancy.

GSU's Advice Service can advise you on accommodation implications. More information on housing is available here.

Implications for students employed by the university

In accordance with the policy for the employment of students within the university, individuals must be fully registered for the given academic session in order to be eligible for campus work through the JobShop.  Therefore students who have interrupted or withdrawn from study may not undertake campus employment until they have become fully registered again i.e. with an active student record for the given academic session.

Other implications

You should not engage with your programme, attend classes, submit assessments, attend placement(s) or conduct research during any period of interruption.

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