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Student Services

Interrupting your studies

It is very important that you consider your situation carefully before making a decision to interrupt your studies.

What is interruption of study?

An interruption of study is the formal procedure which allows you to request a break from your studies for the remainder of the current academic year. You will normally be required to return to study at the beginning of the following academic year. Only in exceptional circumstances will we consider requests for an interruption of studies in two consecutive years.

It may be appropriate for you to interrupt your studies for a period of time due to personal circumstances. Examples of where an interruption of study may be appropriate include, but are not limited to:

  • Pregnancy or new parenthood, where this cannot be otherwise managed through the
  • Medical or health reasons
  • Bereavement
  • Work
  • Family commitments
  • Financial commitments

A request to interrupt your studies must take place no later than 7 months after the start of your academic session.

What support is available?

We understand that making the decision to interrupt your studies can be difficult. We are here to support you to understand your circumstances and help you make the right decision for you:

Personal Tutor: In the first instance, we recommend arranging a meeting with your Personal Tutor to discuss your circumstances. You can also contact your Faculty Retention and Success Officer.

Wellbeing Support: We offer a wide range of wellbeing services, you can find more information here.

Student Finance:  We offer various sources of funding that help to make our programmes accessible, from scholarships to hardship funds. You can find more information here.  We also offer money advice and support which you can find out more about here.

Employability and Careers:  We offer a wide range of services including 121 appointments. To find out more and/or book an appointment visit our Careers hub here.

GSU Advice Service:  The Students' Union Advice Service is independent of the University and offers free and impartial advice. They can advise you on the implication of interrupting your studies and support you with the process. If you decide to interrupt they can advise you on accommodation implications. During your interruption they can continue to support you in navigating university processes. To get in touch with them, you can .

International Student Advice Service: For information and advice on the implications an interruption/withdrawal will have on your Student visa and continued stay in the UK, please see our guidance on interruption and withdrawal and study  & impact on your visa. After reading the guidance, if you need some immigration advice, you'll see contact details for the team within the guidance.

What are the implications of interrupting your study?

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.

If you are in receipt of student support from Student Finance England or other regional equivalent, interrupting from your studies has a number of consequences on your entitlement to student support.

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 . If however there is a balance due, you or your employer/sponsor will be required to make the payment as soon as possible to clear the account. Please note monies not paid by an employer/sponsor remain the liability of the student.

Government means-tested benefits

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.

can advise you on accommodation implications. More information on housing is .

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.

E-mail

You will still have access to you university e-mail account, with limited access to your Portal.

Moodle

During your period of interruption, your access to Moodle will be suspended as you will not be expected to engage with your studies at this time. Upon your return to study your access to Moodle will be reinstated and access reopened.

Library and other support services

You will still be able to access the support services of the University and access the library.

Student Oyster Card

If you have a student discount Oyster card then Transport for London (TFL) will be informed that you are no longer a student, and the card will be made invalid by TFL.

Keeping in touch

You may find it helpful to stay in contact during your interruption with an appropriate person in your school such as your Retention and Success Officer (RSO) and/or a member of the Student Engagement Team. This is not compulsory but we recommend you keep in touch with us as this can help you settle in more quickly when you return.

In order to support your return to studies, we will contact you prior to your return date to discuss the practical details and to put in place any support services you may need.

Returning to your studies

Prior to returning to your studies we will notify you of the start of term. You will need to confirm your intention to return and you will need to re-register and pay any fees due within the prescribed deadline.

If you fail to return to your studies as expected, and do not speak to us to discuss this, then you may be withdrawn from your programme. If you wish to discuss extending your period of interruption then you should notify the Retention and Success Officer (RSO) in your Faculty as soon as possible. If you fail to request and have approved an extension to your return date and fail to re-register then you will be withdrawn from the University.

If you are an international student and require a student visa, please note that the process will take much longer. You will need to make a new student visa application when you are ready to re-commence your studies. You should ask us for a Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) before you apply for a new student visa.

You will join a new cohort when you restart your studies and the regulations applying to that cohort will also apply to you. If the programme content or structure has changed, you will be required to follow the new arrangements.

If you wish to interrupt your studies

Interruption of study process

After taking all this into consideration if you feel you still need to continue with interrupting your programme of study, you should discuss it with your personal tutor and you must download and complete the interruption of study form below giving your details and the reason(s) why you wish to interrupt.

It is very important that you do more than simply stop attending.

Select an option below:

I am studying at one of the main campuses

(Greenwich, Medway, Avery Hill) only

Complete the online interruption of studies request form.

Please note: if you are currently logged in to the portal, this link will log you out.

I am studying at a Partner College/Network College/Collaborative partner college

After taking all this into consideration if you feel you still need to continue with interrupting your programme of study, you should discuss it with your personal tutor and you must download and complete the interruption of study form below giving your details and the reason(s) why you wish to interrupt.

Interruption of studies forms available here (please select the appropriate form)

To be completed by all Home and EU Partner College/Network College/Collaborative partner college students wishing to interrupt their studies.