Process

Things to Consider

17. Taking a break in study can affect your future entitlement to funding and/or bursaries and scholarships. It is important to understand the implications of a break in study on your financial situation. You must speak to your funding body/sponsor about your personal circumstances before requesting a break in study.

• Home and EU undergraduate students, and postgraduate students accessing a postgraduate loan, are advised to contact Student Finance England to discuss their future entitlement to tuition fee and maintenance loans when returning from a break in study.
• All other postgraduate students and all international students must contact their sponsor directly to discuss their circumstances.
• Apprenticeship students should discuss funding requirements with the Work Based Learning Team prior to returning to their apprenticeship and their studies.

18. In most cases you will still be eligible for bursaries funded by the University after returning from a break in study, providing your course and other circumstances have not changed. You will not normally be asked to pay back any University funded bursaries from the academic year that you took a break in study. If you receive a bursary from an external body such as the Department for Education or NHS England, you may be asked to pay back some or all of your funding. To discuss bursary repayment and future eligibility, please contact Hallam Help.

Requesting a Break in Study

19. You must contact a Student Support Adviser to request a break in study. You must complete a request form and return it to your Student Support Adviser (via Hallam Help). Your request will be considered by a Student Support Adviser.

20. If your request is approved, your student record will be updated to reflect this. We will confirm your return date and discuss any specific implications related to your course.

21. If we are unable to support your request for a break in study, we will explain the reasons why and discuss other support options with you .
22. A break in study can only start once a completed request form has been received. A break in study cannot be backdated or requested retrospectively.
23. You will receive an email to confirm that your break in study has been processed. This email will be sent to your University email address.

During the break in study
24. You are not permitted to attend any teaching during your break in study.

25. You retain all access to University IT services and retain access to the Library.

26. You can access wellbeing support available to all students for online, self-help and group sessions. If you have previously registered with the Wellbeing Service or are requesting individual support, this will be assessed on a case-by-case basis depending on your circumstances during your break and your ability to actively engage with the wellbeing support.

27. Teaching staff are not obliged to provide you with any academic support during your break in study and so there will be limited communication from University staff. This is to enable you to concentrate on the circumstances which have led to your break in study.

Returning from a break in study
28. A Student Support Adviser will contact you two months before your intended date of return. At this point you must confirm that you are fully able to return to your studies and re-engage with teaching and learning. You may be required to provide evidence of your fitness to return to study (such as a letter from your GP/Consultant and/or an Occupational Health report) before being invited to re- enrol.
29. You will be contacted about any arrangements that must be put in place for your return to study, for example, choosing your modules for the next academic year.

30. If you are not able to return to study or if you do not engage with our communications, you will be withdrawn from the course and issued with an intermediate award if eligible. You will be able to re-apply via the Admissions process when you are able to engage in your studies.
31. It is important that you can engage fully with your academic studies when you re-enrol on your course. If the circumstances that led to your break in study are ongoing, it is unlikely that your circumstances will meet the University definition of Exceptional Circumstances. This means that the support we are able to provide to you will be limited. In these situations, we aim to support you under the Supporting Capacity to Study process.

32. You may be invited to attend a return to study meeting with a Student Support Adviser and/or your Academic Adviser/Course Leader. This is to ensure that you are prepared to fully engage with your studies and that all available support is in place.
33. If you are due to undertake placement activity upon your return to study, this will be discussed with you prior to your return.
34. If you are in debt to the University, you will not be permitted to re-enrol and resume your studies until that debt has been cleared.