Repeating, Transferring, Suspending or Leaving your course Repeating Study... 2 Transferring to another course or University... 2 Suspending (Abeyance)... 3 Withdrawing... 5 Help in making the decision... 7 Academic implications of repeating or suspending- Maximum Registration Period... 7 Undergraduate... 7 Postgraduate... 8 Will I pay new fees ( 9,000) or old fees?*... 8 Contact Us... 9 Throughout this leaflet the following abbreviations will be used: ARC: Advice & Representation Centre SFE: Student Finance England (also known as Student Loans Company) SRAF: Student Record Amendment Form- electronic request to update or amend your registration details, completed by your College, following your discussion with Personal Tutor. Used in cases of abeyance (suspension of studies), transfer, withdrawal. If you are considering changing or leaving your course you will need to think about all of the relevant information before making a final decision; time limits, academic practices and financial considerations may restrict the options available to you. Please note that for international students there are different rules governing what you may and may not do, and your stay in the UK may be affected. Seek advice from Student Centre before you take any action. This leaflet contains information on the MAIN implications of changing or leaving your course and the procedures involved. We would encourage you to seek advice before you make your decision; there is a list of helpful contact at the end of this Guide. Page 1 of 10
Repeating Study The rules regarding repeating study can be particularly complex and it is recommended that you always seek advice from the ARC on the financial details of repeat studies. What will repeating a year mean financially? If you are a Home/EU Student: Usually at the start of your course, you would be funded for each year of your study. There is also an additional year in which you can be funded for repeats and suspensions etc. For example, as a 3 year undergraduate student you would be funded for 3 years plus an additional one year (totalling 4 years of funding package ). This additional year of funding is a safety net as it is recognised that some students may need to repeat a year of study for various reasons. Therefore if you need to repeat a year, you will use a year out of your funding package. If you need to repeat more then once, your funding package may be depleted to the point that it may not cover all your course years. Please note if you have already repeated a year and then need to repeat subsequent years you may need to fund the subsequent years yourself as you will have used your safety net year of funding. It is always advisable to speak to the ARC adviser as there are options which may help to extend your funding package. For example if you ve had particularly difficult year due to health or personal reasons, we can help you to negotiate with SFE to ask them to fund you for more years than you are entitled to. SFE have discretion to do so and often agree if the evidence of your circumstances is compelling. Please see our Guide to Compelling Personal Reasons If you are an International Student: You will need to discuss with your sponsor as to whether they can continue to fund your extra year of study needed for repeats. You may also need to extend your visa for this additional year of study. Contact the Student Centre for advice on this issue. Transferring to another course or University What will this mean financially? If you are a Home/EU Student: It is important to remember the rules about repeat years and funding package (above) if you are thinking about leaving your course before it ends or transferring to a new course as this could affect how much financial support you can get if you take another course in the future. It is very important if you want to transfer courses or withdraw from your course that you talk to your College and ARC adviser as soon as possible. If you do decide to change course, you must inform your College and the SFE. If the fees are higher than those you have to pay on your current course, you may NOT be able to apply for an additional loan for tuition fees. If you move institutions part of the way through the year it will be up to the two institutions to split the fees pro-rata between them. Page 2 of 10
Please see below a chapter about Withdrawing. The rules about transferring are particularly complex and if you are thinking about leaving make an appointment with an ARC adviser before you decide to withdraw or transfer from your course. We can advise you of all the options and the likely impact. Making arrangements to transfer: If you intend to change University you should inform your College/department and Student Finance England and they will reassess your entitlement. If you are changing your course internally and have permission of relevant College s admission tutors, please contact Student Centre. Student Centre staff will be happy to assist you with the procedures. If you are an international student: You will need to inform the Home Office of your change of course or University. Contact Student Centre for advice on how to do this. You may also need to get a letter from your sponsor that they agree to continue to sponsor you on your new course or at the new University. If you wish to transfer you must: Obtain the approval of the new University or Brunel University s College/department to which you wish to transfer- speak to their admission tutor and don t burn any bridges before you are certain that your new course will have a place for you. Speak to your personal tutor as they will need to request a Student Record Amendment Form (e-sraf) from Student Centre. The e-sraf is an electronic procedure which needs to be completed as part of the withdrawal/transfer procedure and you will be informed by email about the relevant decision. Write to SFE informing them of the change of course, giving the date of change and details of your new course. Always send your letter by Recorded Delivery or visit ARC for assistance. You can also update your details online by logging in to your student finance account. Suspending (Abeyance) Making arrangements to suspend your studies: In order to suspend your studies you should first speak to your Personal Tutor to discuss issues you may have and any alternative options available to you. Once you have made your decision and agreed a date to return to study, you should then ask your tutor to notify Student Centre who will complete a change of circumstances electronic form. You should also let SFE know yourself that you are suspending. Write to SFE and send a letter by Recorded Delivery- you can visit the ARC if you need help with this. Always seek advice when you are thinking about suspending your studies; the adviser will be able to tailor the advice to your individual circumstances. If you live in Halls of Residence contact ARC or the Accommodation Office for advice regarding your period of notice and whether you have to leave your room. Page 3 of 10
If you are an International Student: Taking time out of your course for any reason will have immigration implications and you may need to return to your home country during the time that you have suspended your studies. Always contact Student Centre for advice before making your decision. What will this mean financially? Student Funding Full-time students who need to take a break from their studies, but who want to return i.e. intercalate or suspend their studies often fall through the net of both the student support and means tested benefits systems and may find it difficult to get financial support. It is important therefore to seek proper advice from the ARC before making a decision. If it has been agreed by the University that you can suspend temporarily, SFE will normally suspend your financial support for up to one year and reinstate it when you return. The university has a duty to inform the SFE about your suspension. SFE may request that you repay any parts of the loan you have received for periods when you were not actually in attendance at university. These rules are complex and students who suspend due to medical reasons are treated differently. Those students who suspend on non-medical grounds are not entitled to any further funding from the day of their suspension (although SFE may discretionary agree to pay loan instalments i.e. they don t have to pay you but they may, depending on your reasons for suspension- seek advice from the ARC). Students who suspend due to health problems are entitled by law to further funding for 60 days after the date of suspension (i.e. SFE has to pay you your funding). If you need to take time out of your course on medical grounds you must submit medical evidence to your College. The university will then inform SFE that you have suspended on health grounds. The SFE will normally continue the financial support for 60 days and after this time funding is discretionary. However, such students can still apply to the University Hardship fund. Please contact the ARC for assistance in these complex matters. It is sometimes beneficial to formalise the suspension just after you have received your loan instalment so the part of the next loan instalment which you may have to repay is as small as possible. Examples: Joan decided to suspend her studies. She formally obtained University s agreement on 15 th of March. She has received her 2 nd loan instalment in January and expects her 3 rd instalment on 27 th of April. She will have to return part of the 2 nd instalment on pro-rata basis for all days that she did not attend her course, i.e. from 15 th of March till 27 th of April. Her 3 rd instalment will not be paid. If she had formalised her abeyance on, let s say, 20th of April, she would only have to repay 7 days worth of loan. Sometimes SFE does not act quickly enough on your information about your suspension and may continue paying you your loan instalments. There is always a scope for negotiation with SFE if they want you to repay the funding they say you were not entitled to, for example if your financial circumstances are difficult. If you do not repay the unused funding and SFE refuse to pay your any further loan instalments during your suspension, the debt created may result in reduction of funding in next academic year. International Students should urgently seek advice from Student Centre as the periods of suspension of studies are limited for international students and their permission to stay in UK may be affected if studies are suspended for more than a month. Page 4 of 10
Welfare Benefits If you suspend your studies you will not generally be entitled to any Welfare Benefits (unless you already have entitlement because you are a lone parent or receive disability benefits), as the Benefits Agency will consider you to be a full-time student. As a result, many students who suspend on non- medical grounds have no choice but to work to support themselves during any period of suspension. If you suspend due to pregnancy, you will be entitled to child-related benefits like Child Benefit and Child Tax Credits. You may be also entitled to maternity benefits (please see http://www.maternityaction.org.uk/parentswhoarentworking.html) Further information about benefits for students can be found here: http://www.turn2us.org.uk/information resources/benefits/education/benefits_and_students.aspx http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/housing_benefit_and_local_housing_allowance/housing_ben efit_for_students If you need to suspend your studies because you have to care for someone (for example, an elderly relative or disabled partner) you do not have any entitlement to benefits but we can help you to negotiate with SFE so you can keep receiving your loan/grant, despite not being in attendance. If you are a part time student you may be entitled to Carer Allowance or other discretionary support, such as University Hardship Fund. Full time students who suspend are NOT liable for Council Tax as they retain their student status during the suspension. Please speak to the ARC adviser if you are experiencing difficulties with your Council Tax office. Please see our section on Benefits for further advice Withdrawing If you wish to withdraw you should follow these steps: Inform your personal tutor, Senior Tutor or Course Leader Notify the SFE in writing. If in Halls of Residence contact an ARC Adviser or the Accommodation Office for advice regarding your period of notice and leaving your accommodation early. If you rent off-campus you may have difficulty in getting out of your tenancy if it is for a fixed period of time. You should contact an ARC Adviser for further advice. If you are going to be unemployed on leaving University you can make a claim for Jobseeker Allowance (JSA) at your local JobcentrePlus. What will this mean financially? Financial implications of withdrawal: If you are not in receipt of Tuition Fee Loan, you will be liable for fees personally. Therefore you will have to pay a portion of fees yourself, depending on when you withdraw. Page 5 of 10
If you receive Tuition Fee Loan, your fee liability, i.e. what you owe for tuition so far, should not exceed what you can borrow from the government in form of the tuition fee loan. Please see an ARC adviser if you are experiencing difficulties with this. If you are going to withdraw from your course and start again on a new one next year or in the future, you should always seek advice from the ARC on what student funding you would be likely to receive. Depending on your situation you may have to fund some of your new course yourself. Alternatively seek advice from your new University s Student Union advice centre. You may be asked to repay some parts of the funding that you have been paid by SFE. You are entitled to funding as long as you are registered as a student. Once you withdraw, SFE will require you to repay certain amount of the most recent loan instalment; the amount will be divided by how many days in the Term and you will be asked to pay back for the days you have not attended, i.e. from your withdrawal date until the date of your next instalment. The rules are similar as with Suspending (see above). You can negotiate with SFE about repayment options or rates. You can ask SFE a question about the repayment options here If you have paid your fees yourself, you might be entitled to some refund if you withdraw. There is no automatic entitlement to a refund of tuition fees after enrolment for students who withdraw from their programme of study. However, at the discretion of the Academic Registrar, refunds may be applied as follows: Home/EU Students: Withdrawal in Weeks 1 and 2: No tuition fee charge so no need for a refund Withdrawal in Weeks 3 to 14: 25% tuition fee liability Withdrawal in Weeks 15 to 28: 50% tuition fee liability Withdrawal in Weeks 29 onwards: 100% tuition fee liability International Students: Withdrawal in weeks 3 to 4: refund of 90% of the full fee payable Withdrawal in weeks 5 to 14: refund of 67% of the full fee payable Withdrawal in weeks 15 to 18: refund of 33% of the full fee payable Withdrawal after week 18: no refund International students are required to go back to their home country after withdrawing from a course. Seek advice from Student Centre. Page 6 of 10
Termination of your Course Always seek advice from the ARC if your registration on the course has been terminated by your College. The ARC can assist you through the procedures of appealing the decision and help you consider other options (if appropriate). Help in making the decision If you are unsure about your course you may find it helpful to talk it through with some of the following people: Personal tutor or Senior Tutor. University Counselling Service can help you think through future plans. Please see http://intranet.brunel.ac.uk/counselling/ Placement & Careers Centre can help you look at your decision in the context of future career plans. Please see http://www.brunel.ac.uk/services/pcc The Academic Skills Service (ASK); http://www.brunel.ac.uk/services/library/ask ARC Advisers we will be happy to talk through the practical and financial implications of changing, leaving or suspending a course Student Centre advisers: http://intranet.brunel.ac.uk/studentcentre/ Nightline a student-run listening service for students. Call 0207 631 0101 between 6pm and 8am every night of term. Please see http://www.nightline.org.uk/ Academic implications of repeating or suspending- Maximum Registration Period There are also implications on your academic studies if you chose to suspend your studies and take abeyance. All Undergraduate students and PGT students will only be granted abeyance for a maximum of one year (in the first instance). Undergraduate PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ALL PROGRAMMES HAVE A MAXIMUM REGISTRATION PERIOD You need to ensure you have enough time to complete the course- speak to your personal tutor to establish your maximum period of registration. Before finalising your decision to suspend your studies, you should consider whether you have enough time to complete the course you are registered for. All programmes have a maximum registration period: Senate Regulations 2 2009 ONWARDS (UG) 2.40: The initial maximum period of registration for an undergraduate programme shall be the normal period of study for the programme for which the student is registered plus three calendar years. The maximum period of registration shall be inclusive of periods of study as set out in the programme specification, periods of exceptional extension to study (for example in the event of delayed study and assessment due to mitigating circumstances) and any periods of agreed abeyance. Requests for extensions to the maximum period of registration shall be considered by the Chair of Learning and Teaching Committee on behalf of Senate. Page 7 of 10
Senate Regulations 2 PRE 2009 (UG) There is nothing specifically referring to this in the above regulations. To find out the Maximum Registration period for you please check the programme specification for the year you started. Please also note the important regulation below: 2.16: Students may be permitted, at the discretion of the authorised member of staff, to suspend their studies for not more than a total of two academic years (full-time students) or three academic years (part-time students). The agreed duration of an individual period of abeyance shall be no longer than one year in the first instance. Postgraduate PGT students on a five year programme are entitled to a maximum 2 years of abeyance. SENATE REGULATION 3 (2013 onwards): TAUGHT POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMMES (effective from August 2014 onwards for students first registering in or after September 2013) 40. Unless otherwise agreed by Senate, for each mode of study in which a programme is offered, the maximum period of registration shall be the normal period of study plus two years up to a maximum period of registration for any programme of five years. The maximum period of registration shall include all approved periods of extension due to mitigating circumstances and any periods of agreed abeyance. Requests for extensions to the maximum period of registration shall be considered by the Senate. PGR students are entitled to 1 year of abeyance for Full Time students and 2 years of abeyance for part time students. Those periods of abeyance would not count towards their maximum periods of registration. SENATE REGULATION 5 (August 2014 onwards): Research Degrees 12. In exceptional circumstances (e.g. illness, family crisis or unforeseeable problems beyond the candidate's control) and as authorised by the University, candidates may be permitted to suspend their studies for normally not more than a total of 12 months (full-time) or 24 months (part-time). In addition, the University will comply with any statutory obligations, for example in relation to maternity/paternity leave. Such periods of abeyance do not count towards the maximum period of candidature. In the case of Research Council or sponsor-funded candidates, due regard should be given to Research Council or sponsor rules governing suspension of studies. Will I pay new fees ( 9,000) or old fees?* Scenario 1: Withdrawal then return to study new style fees due to a formal break in study. Scenario 2: Transfer from course A to course B without any break old style fees due to continuous study. Scenario 3: Suspension from Course A with a view to continuing in Course A old style fees due to continuous study. Page 8 of 10
Scenario 4: Suspension from Course A with a view to continuing in Course B old style fees due to continuous study. Scenario 5: Completion of Foundation Degree course in summer 2012, starting Degree in 2012/13 - old style fees in 2012 due to continuous study but only if the Foundation Degree was an integral part of the course, i.e. Year 0. Scenario 6: Completion of Foundation Degree course in summer 2012, starting Top-Up Degree in Autumn 2013 new style fees in 2013 due to taking a year out. Scenario 7: Transfer from University A to University B without any break in study old style fees due to continuous study. *old style fees apply only to students who started before July 2012 Contact Us Telephone: 01895 269 169 Email: advice@brunel.ac.uk Address: Advice & Representation Centre Union of Brunel Students Hamilton Centre (next to Locos) Kingston Lane Uxbridge UB8 3PH Page 9 of 10
Page 10 of 10 ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION CENTRE