Academic Policy & Governance

The University is committed to ensuring a positive student experience and supporting our students to resolve academic and personal challenges. Sometimes, a break from study is the best and most supportive option for a student or may be required for practical reasons. This is known as an “Interruption of Studies”.

This procedure can be applied to undergraduate and taught postgraduate students. Requests from post graduate research students are managed under the PGR Code of Practice. This guidance has been developed to support staff to ensure a consistent and supportive approach to requests for an Interruption of Studies.

An Interruption of Studies can be applied when:

• A student has a health, welfare or personal issue where a break from their studies would allow time for recovery, or to address practical issues impacting their ability study. These requests may arise through an Extenuating Circumstances Claim, through engagement with Wellbeing or Advising services, via requests for Reasonable Adjustments or Supportive Arrangements, or through the Support to Study Procedure.
• A student needs a break from their studies to undertake an important external commitment, such as a dual athlete attending a sports event or a military reservist attending a mandatory exercise.

In all cases, an interruption must be discussed with the student to ensure that they fully understand their options and any associated implications. Colleagues are encouraged to direct the student to appropriate sources of advice to support an informed decision (e.g. SRC Advice Centre, Student Services Enquiry Team and Wellbeing Services). 

Requests for an Interruption of Studies will be processed using the Target Connect system. A request can be opened by a student or by a staff member on behalf of a student.

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Arrange a meeting with the student 

The Chief Adviser, or appropriate nominated member of staff should arrange a meeting within five days of the student’s request. If the request has been made during the semester, advise the student to continue (only where possible and considering the specific circumstances) to attend classes and complete any assessment(s) while awaiting a decision.

In cases of hospitalisation or incapacitation, where an interruption is required but a meeting is not possible, advice must be sought from supporttostudy@glasgow.ac.uk.  

If the student has made the request using the Target Connect pathway all meeting notes and documents should be attached to their request. Where the student’s request has come via another route, their Adviser or Student Support Officer must create a new case in Target Connect and upload relevant notes, evidence and dates.

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Discussion with the student 

Give the student time to explain their circumstances, listen with empathy, be supportive and avoid judgement. Discuss the proposed period away from study and identify a provisional return date. This will largely depend on how much time the student is likely to need to address their specific circumstances, or recover from ill-health, and what their academic status and completion options are.

For interruptions on health grounds, advise the student that they will be asked to provide evidence of fitness prior to their return. This could include a letter from a medical professional involved in their care to confirm their readiness to study and outline any ongoing support needs.

In most cases, an Interruption of studies will be for one full academic session. Students may return from an Interruption either at the beginning of Semester 1 or Semester 2, depending on their circumstances and the academic implications. Alternative arrangements may be required for students taking an Interruption between Junior and Senior Honours e.g. recommencing a Dissertation or equivalent during the summer.

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Supporting evidence 

Students who require an interruption of studies on health grounds are not required to produce evidence prior to commencing leave (please note, this may differ in some professional programmes e.g. Medicine/Nursing. Local advising teams are asked to ensure students are appropriately informed). Prior to return to study, the student will be required to provide medical evidence of their fitness to return. 

Students who are elite athletes can be asked for their Official Letter of Selection and Schedule from the sport’s governing body. Students requesting an interruption for military service can be asked to provide an Official Letter of Commitment from the relevant military branch or command. For further guidance on evidence requirements, email supporttostudy@glasgow.ac.uk.

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International Students

For student visa holders, the University is required to withdraw sponsorship if the period of interruption is more than 60 days. The student is therefore required to leave the UK and apply for a new Visa when ready to return to studies.

Students must obtain a new Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from the Immigration Compliance team to apply for a new student visa before return to study. The new visa must be issued within six months of the CAS application date. 

For further guidance relating to student visas, contact the Immigration Compliance Team by submitting an enquiry on the UofG Helpdesk.

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Student Finance  

Students funded by SAAS, who suspend their studies for medical or caring reasons during the academic year, will usually be funded for the rest of that year. However, even if their circumstances change, they may have to wait until the next academic year to re-join their course.

SAAS only offer continued funding for one approved absence from study. SAAS students who interrupt their studies for a full academic year will not receive any funding during this time.

Students undertaking an Interruption of Studies during an academic year will retain their eligibility for a Council Tax exemption.

More details can be found at: 

• SAAS guidance on funding   

• Student Finance (England)

• Student Finance (Northern Ireland) 

• Student Finance (Wales) 

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Student Tuition Fees

See table above. For SAAS funded students an Interruption of Studies taken after 1 December, means the full tuition fee is charged as standard, students should be made aware of the potential impact this may have on future funding.

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Retrospective Interruption of Studies

Where an ongoing difficulty has impacted engagement with study over a prolonged period, consideration may be given to backdating the interruption to that point at which the difficulties began. This is at the discretion of the subject area and may require a fee waiver to be applied. The request can be processed as outlined in this document, advising Registry of the relevant start and end dates using the Interruption of Studies Form. For further guidance email supporttostudy@glasgow.ac.uk.

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Halls of Residence

Students living in the University’s Halls of Residence are able to remain living there until the end of their contract. Should they wish to leave, they must advise Accommodation Services within 14 days of receiving approval of their interruption if they wish to give up their room. If Accommodation Services is not notified, the student will be liable to pay the accommodation fee. For students living in accommodation owned by a private provider, their rights will depend on the terms of their contract or lease. It is recommended that the student contacts the SRC Advice Centre for support and guidance.

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Students Registered with the Disability Service

There may be financial implications for students in receipt of Disabled Student’s Allowance. If the student is registered with the Disability Service, they or their adviser must contact support@disability.glasgow.ac.uk to ensure awareness of the interruption.

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Disability Services - 1:1 support will usually be suspended until the student returns, but they should confirm this directly via support@disability.glasgow.ac.uk.

Counselling - students who are engaging with the service at the time of their IoS will be able to complete any booked/planned sessions. Students undertaking IoS cannot register with the University Counselling Service during their leave and should seek support through their GP.

Wisdom 24-hour Counselling & Advice Line - Students retain access to the 24/7 helpline and Wisdom App during their IoS.

Financial Aid - Students undertaking IoS within the academic year can continue to apply to the appropriate fund. Students on IoS from a prior year would be unlikely to receive support however, this would be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Contact Financial Aid for further information.

Student Learning Development (SLD) - Students can access the full range of support from SLD including Moodle resources, workshops and appointments for Effective Learning Advisers

Library - As long as the student is still term active, the student will still be able to access the library and use library services.

IT Access - As long as the student is still term active, they will retain IT access, including University email, MyCampus, etc.

Send the template confirmation response (Appendix 1, Page 6) from the Target Connect system, populating the start and end dates, and adding the named contact (usually the SSO or Adviser of Studies).  This should be copied to all relevant staff, which may include the Course Coordinator/Admin Team, Disability Service, Advising Support Team or equivalent and Student Support Officer.

In addition to recording the details in Target Connect, the Chief Adviser must submit the Interruption of Studies Request form via the UofG Helpdesk to inform Registry, who will process the interruption and update the student’s My Campus record with the Service Indicator. 

The student must be Active and registered in the term for which the Leave of Absence is granted, and before the Service Indicator is added. If the record is not Active, the relevant School must progress it.

If the Interruption of Studies spans more than one academic session, the School will need to manually progress the record, and the student needs to re-register and enrol (or be enrolled by the School). However, the implications of an extended period of leave would need to be considered. For instance, it may not be possible for international UG students with a 5-year visa limit and approval may be required to extend the maximum duration of studies. Chief Advisers can approve extensions of one year and the Clerk of Senate can be consulted on longer extensions, normally with reference to reasonable adjustments. 

A named contact should be provided to the student during their Interruption of Studies, typically the Student Support Officer, who will check in with the student during their leave and prior to their return.

Arrange a Return to Study Meeting 12 weeks ahead of the student’s return date. It is important to ensure in this discussion that the student’s circumstances have improved, such that they can resume their studies and maintain attendance.

If there are continued concerns about the student’s health or wellbeing ahead of their return, or where there are questions about a student’s evidence of fitness to return, email supporttostudy@glasgow.ac.uk  If a Support to Study review is deemed necessary, this will need to be undertaken prior to re-registration. 

Student visa holders must obtain a new Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from the Student Immigration and Compliance team to apply for a new student visa before return to study.

Students on professional degree programmes may be required to complete new PVG check/health assessments or vaccinations prior to re-enrolling. 

Check students have funding arrangements in place for return and confirm any fees due from date of return. 

If a student is returning to studies with a long-term health condition, refer to the Disability Service to discuss or review their Study Support Plan. 

Discuss any wider support requirements e.g. referral to Student Learning Development provision, regular advising meetings or SSO check ins.  

For students who are considering Withdrawal following an Interruption of Studies, guidance can be found here: University of Glasgow - MyGlasgow - Registry - Withdrawing from university. There may be alternative options to withdrawal and where this is being considered, colleagues are encouraged to seek guidance from supporttostudy@glasgow.ac.uk.

If a student is distressed, encourage them to access in the moment support by calling 0800 028 3766 or using the counselling webchat on the Wisdom App.

Details of who to contact in an emergency or crisis can be found on the Crisis Page.

The Support Finder tool can be found on the Wellbeing Home page along with details of the support provided by Wellbeing Services.  

Dear {INSERT NAME}

Following our meeting on [INSERT DATE], I am writing to confirm that an Interruption of Studies has been approved. The Interruption will cover the period [INSERT DATE], to [INSERT DATE]. This means that your expected return to study date is {INSERT DATE}.

Your point of contact during your interruption of studies is {INSERT NAME}, please contact [INSERT EMAIL – preferably a shared mailbox] with any questions or enquiries.

A Return to Study meeting will be held 12 weeks before your return date to ensure that you are ready to resume your studies and have any required support in place. A date for this meeting will be emailed to you at the appropriate time.  

During your interruption, you will still have access to your UofG email, but it may be helpful to set up an automatic redirect so that any university email correspondence appears in personal inbox. 

[insert if student on interruption due to health or wellbeing concerns] 

If you are continuing to experience health or wellbeing related difficulties at the point of your planned return, a referral will be made to Wellbeing Services, in line with the Support to Study procedure. This will be discussed with you at your Return to Study meeting.

I would be grateful if you would respond to this email within seven days, to confirm your agreement and acknowledgement of the implications of your Interruption of Studies. As discussed, this includes (delete as appropriate):

• Making arrangements to leave the UK within 60 days of the Interruption start date in line with UKVI requirements
• Ensuring an understanding of the implications for fees and funding
• Liaising with the Disability Service to pause DSA funded support
• Liaising with Accommodation Services within 14 days if you wish to leave university accommodation
• Seeking guidance from the SRC Advice centre in relation to you tenancy agreement.

I would like to remind you that you retain access to the 24/7 Counselling and Advice Line (0800 028 3766) and Wisdom App during your leave. I would like to wish you all the best during your interruption of studies and look forward to welcoming you back in {INSERT MONTH}.