Student Services

What is meant by Interrupting studies?

If you have to leave university right now, but you know that you want to continue with your course at a later date, you can interrupt (take a break from) your studies. The University General Regulations state that the usual period of interruption is one academic year at a time, and you can take up to a maximum of two years. Further periods of interruption may be allowed at the discretion of the University.

Interrupting your studies will affect your student funding and may affect your accommodation contract.

What is meant by Withdrawing from studies?

Some people decide that being at university is not currently the right choice for them and that they should leave the course permanently. If this applies to you, it is a good idea to contact the University’s Careers Service before you leave. They can help you to decide what to do next and what you can do with the skills, abilities and qualifications that you already have.

You can book an appointment with the Careers Service using the following link: Careers Appointment

Withdrawing from your studies will affect your student funding and may affect your accommodation contract.

Academic fees

• For further information on interrupting/suspending Undergraduate study, please look at Section A.4.E of the University General Regulations
• For further information on interrupting/suspending Postgraduate Taught Study, please look at Section A.4.E of the University General Regulations.
• For further information on interrupting/suspending Postgraduate Research study, please look at Section A.4.E of the University General Regulations.

Student Funding

Student Finance England (SFE) have rules around how many years you can receive student loans. As a rule, they will fund you for the duration of your course plus one year, minus any previous study. When you enrol on a course SFE will consider this to be one year’s previous study even if you withdraw on the same day and receive no funding.

If you have compelling personal reasons for needing to repeat a year, SFE can take these into consideration on a case-by-case basis.

If you are interrupting your studies due to illness you may still get full student finance for up to 60 days of your illness.

If you have been overpaid as a result of interrupting your studies, SFE will contact you about repaying any student loans and/or grants you have received that you were not entitled to once you were no longer actively studying. SFE will use your last date of engagement on the course to make these calculations and NOT the date that you formally interrupt. Repayment of any funding overpayment may be requested immediately.

If you are not in a position to make these payments, please contact the Advice Service by emailing: studentsupport@lincoln.ac.uk.

If you withdraw permanently from your course during the academic year, SFE will reassess the amount of student finance you are entitled to for the year. SFE will use your last date of engagement on the course to make these calculations and NOT the date that you formally withdrew from your course. Once you withdraw, you should not get any more student finance, and you may have been overpaid for the term in which you withdraw. SFE may contact you about the loans/grants that you received which were overpaid. Repayment may be requested immediately. If you are not in a position to make these payments, you can access free, confidential advice and support from a number of agencies (see below under “Debt”).

Unlike interrupting from your course, if you withdraw from your studies due to illness you will not get an extra 60 days of student finance.

Accommodation/Tenancy Agreement

If you decide that you do not want to or cannot stay in your rented accommodation when you withdraw from or interrupt your studies, you will need to look at your tenancy agreement to see if it is for a ‘fixed term’. Most students in Lincoln have fixed-term tenancies. This means that you are legally bound by your contract with the landlord to pay the rent until the end of the tenancy, whether you are living there or not. We strongly advise you to check your tenancy agreement and speak with your accommodation provider.

If you do not pay the rent, the landlord could take legal action against you (and/or your guarantor if you have one, and/or your housemates if you have a joint tenancy) in the County Court.

For more information about the responsibilities you may have, please check our housing section.

You can find out how to end your tenancy agreement here.

Benefits

Whether you are interrupting/suspending or withdrawing from University, this may change your entitlement to welfare benefits.

If you withdraw from your full-time course and are no longer studying full-time, you may be liable for council tax because you no longer meet the requirements for Council Tax exemption. If you are not working or on a low income and you find yourself liable for council tax you may be able to claim Council Tax reduction.

If you suspend/interrupt your full-time studies, you will usually still be classed as a student for Council Tax exemption purposes.

Find out more via our Welfare Benefits section.

The Advice Service at the University of Lincoln can talk to you in confidence about any of these issues. If you have not yet enrolled and you are uncertain about what to do, we can help.

Debt

Sometimes, through no fault of your own, you may find that by leaving the University you have incurred some debts. These can be for many reasons including rent arrears, Student Finance overpayment and utility debts.

If you have interrupted your studies, you can get free, confidential advice and support from the University of Lincoln Advice Service. The Advice Service is licensed by the Financial Conduct Authority to provide specialist debt advice.

If you have withdrawn from university and are therefore no longer a student, you can get free, confidential advice about how to manage the situation from a number of agencies; below are a few links to help you find a local free advice agency near where you live.

• Citizen Advice
• Step Change
• Advice UK

Debts fall into two categories, priority and non-priority debts. The priority of the debt is determined by what happens if you don’t pay them.

If you find yourself in any financial difficulty, the Advice Service can help. We give specialist, confidential advice to students at the University of Lincoln.  To book a confidential telephone appointment with a professional adviser, please email studentsupport@lincoln.ac.uk or telephone Student Support on 01522 837080.

Further information on interrupting and withdrawing and the financial implications of doing so is available through the following links;