Taking a break from or leaving your studies

Studying for a degree can be challenging and it may feel like a change is the right thing for you. If you're thinking of taking a break, or leaving Kent, we're here to support you and give you the advice you need to help you make an informed choice.

You can:

• Talk to an adviser at Student Support and Wellbeing 
• Talk to an adviser at Kent Union Advice Centre
• Talk to our mental health support partners

Your Divisional support team can also guide you through which forms you need to fill in and who you need to notify.

If you feel that you need a change, you have different options:

• Changing your course
• Taking a break (intermission)
• Leaving Kent

An intermission is an authorised break from your studies for a set period of time, normally for no more than one year at a time. Intermitting is intended to relieve you of a disadvantage and does not change your exam results, nor the overall length of time you will spend at the University. It also leaves the door open for you to re-join your course where you left off.

Whilst intermitting, you can access some support but are not deemed an active student, so there may be implications for your accommodation, finance and visa statuses as well as for services you can access such as the Careers and Employability Service, Library, and Student Support and Wellbeing.

Common reasons for intermitting include:

• Health reasons (mental or physical)
• Maternity/Paternity/Adoption/Shared Parental Leave
• Employment opportunities
• Extra-curricular activities eg elite sport/art/music related opportunities
• Financial circumstances
• Military service
• Intercalated year

An intermission is a serious step to take and should only be considered with reasonable care and consideration for the risks. Before requesting an intermission, we encourage you to speak to our support services: Student Support and Wellbeing or Kent Union Advice Centre.

Before you return from intermission

Before returning from intermission, please contact your Division's Student Support team so that they can advise you about support available.

You may need to provide a letter or fit note from your medical professional/doctor. If this is not possible, you may need to provide a statement explaining that you are fit to resume your studies. If you have a long-term medical condition, you are advised to contact Student Support and Wellbeing to ensure that ongoing support can be put in place.

If you are thinking about going on intermission, please speak to your Division's Student Support team in the first instance and they will advise you of which form you should complete. Some Divisions may ask you to complete the Leave to Intermit application form, which is found below along with the full intermission procedure guidance. Please note that this form is not applicable to Postgraduate Research students.

Your intermission will be recorded from your last date of attendance. The last date of attendance is defined as the last date that you attended your course. Being in attendance on a course is defined by the Student Loans Company as "active and ongoing engagement with the activities and learning opportunities made available by the provider within the course duration, including, but not limited to, scheduled learning and teaching activities". Emails to you, meetings with your senior tutor and completing work in your own time would not be deemed as being in attendance.

Finances

Please be aware that if you are living in on campus accommodation it is your responsibility to inform the University Accommodation Office of your intermission or you may continue to be charged accommodation fees. You must return your key/fob to reception when you leave (or to the reception’s out of hours drop box), however handing in your key is not sufficient notification of an intermission. If you do not inform the University (via your Division) that you wish to intermit, you may be charged tuition fees.

Once your intermission has been approved, the Student Administration team informs the Student Loans Company. However, we do recommend that you contact the Student Loans Company yourself to determine how this intermission will affect your funding and the tuition fees you will have to pay when you return to the University.

The Financial Aid Office can offer further assistance with any funding queries you may have.

Change of visa status

If you hold a visa to study in the UK, please read our immigration intermission guidance. 

Whilst we hope that you enjoy your experience at Kent, we understand that sometimes it may not be the right choice for you. If you have explored all of your options and decided it’s right for you to withdraw, please read through the below information so that you know how to inform the relevant staff.  

How to withdraw from your studies

If you wish to withdraw from the University, you should speak to your Division in the first instance. Once you have discussed your withdrawal with your Division, you will need to complete the withdrawal form (see button below) and return it to your Division.

Leaving without telling anyone or, if you are in campus accommodation, just handing in a key is not sufficient notification of a withdrawal. If you are living in campus accommodation you will need to inform the Accommodation Office that you are leaving. Failure to inform the University that you wish to leave may result in you being charged tuition and accommodation fees.

Your withdrawal will be recorded from your last date of attendance. The last date of attendance is defined as the last date that you attended your course. Being in attendance on a course is defined by the Student Loans Company as "active and ongoing engagement with the activities and learning opportunities made available by the provider within the course duration, including, but not limited to, scheduled learning and teaching activities". Emails to you, meetings with your senior tutor and completing work in your own time would not be deemed as being in attendance.      

Once your withdrawal has been approved, the Student Administration team applicable to your campus will send written confirmation to you at your home address.

Transferring to another University  

If you are withdrawing in order to transfer to another University, you should tell us when you request to withdraw. If you are funded by the Student Loans Company we will need details of your new course.

Tuition fees

Once your withdrawal has been approved, the Student Administration team informs the Student Loans Company. However, we do recommend that you contact them yourself to determine how this withdrawal will affect your funding and the tuition fees you have to pay.

Fees will not be re-funded pro rata automatically; please see the Student Finance Guide for more details or if you have a query about your fees.

If you have received confirmation that you have been withdrawn from the University, please ensure that you have completed the below tasks.

Accommodation

If you live in University accommodation, please email the University Accommodation Office to advise them of your intended date of departure from your university room and read our moving out of University accommodation guidance. Your date of departure should be within four weeks of your date of withdrawal, as non-registered students are not permitted to live in university accommodation. As per the terms and conditions of your Agreement, if you are officially withdrawing, intermitting, or de-registering from your course of study, your room Agreement and accommodation fees will be ended early subject to a four week notice period, providing you have vacated your room and returned the room key/fob.

If you are living in off campus student accommodation, please see our moving out of student accommodation guidance.

Tuition fees

Once withdrawals have been approved, the Student Administration team applicable to your campus will inform the Student Loans Company. You should note that the Student Loans Company may take several weeks to process this. You may wish to contact the Student Loans Company yourself to determine how this withdrawal will affect your funding and the tuition fees that you have to pay. Fees will not be re-funded pro rata automatically; please see the Student Finance Guide for more details or if you have a query about your fees.

IT account

You will lose access to Library e-resources on the day that your student registration ends. 60 days later you will lose access to most Kent IT services and may wish to forward important documents to your personal email address. Please view our guidance for your IT account closing.

Your contact information

Please ensure that your personal contact information (such as home address and personal email address) on KentVision is up to date, should we need to contact you about information such as an alternative exit award or change of visa status.

Alternative exit award

If you are eligible for an alternative exit award based on any credits achieved during your time here, we will be in touch with you once we have received the approval for any award.

Change of visa status

The University will report your withdrawal to the Home Office and the Student Immigration Compliance Team will notify you by email.

You should make arrangements to the leave the UK as soon as possible after you have been withdrawn from the University of Kent, regardless of the expiry date on your visa. Please read our visa guidance.

Changing your course, module(s) or seminar group.