If you are not sure if University is right for you at the moment, whether you are a new or continuing student, you may decide to interrupt your studies for the time being or withdraw from your course altogether. If you are considering interrupting or withdrawing, enrolling or re-enrolling may not be the best thing to do.
Enrolling on a course can have implications in other areas such as student funding (both current and in the future), Council Tax, tenancy agreements and welfare benefits.
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 Regulations say the usual period of interruption is one academic year at a time and you can take 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.
Some people decide that being at university is not the right choice for them at this time 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.
If you have any doubts or questions, you can get professional, confidential advice from the Advice Service at the University of Lincoln.
Due to ongoing Covid 19 restrictions, there are no face to face drop in sessions with the Advice Service at present. To book a confidential telephone appointment with a professional adviser, please email studentsupport@lincoln.ac.uk, telephone Student Support on 01522 837080, or visit the Information Hub on the ground floor of the Atrium in the Minerva Building.
Student Finance England 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 Student Finance England 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, Student Finance England 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 anymore 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.
If you decide that you do not want to or cannot stay in your rented accommodation when you withdraw 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 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.
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.
Sometimes, through no fault of your own, you may find that by leaving 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.
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, telephone Student Support on 01522 837080, or visit the Information Hub on the ground floor of the Atrium in the Minerva Building.
Further information on interrupting and withdrawing and the financial implications of doing so is available through the following links;
Links to General, Undergraduate and Postgraduate Regulations
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University life can be a fantastic experience, but it also comes with its own challenges, see what support is available here.
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Respecting others is a big part of University and staff and students are expected to create a welcoming and inclusive environment.
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We can help you clarify all the rules and regulations associated with this and what options are available to you.
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Advice on ways to look after yourself, health advice, specific disability advice, and self-help resources.
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