Leave of absence

Leave of Absence taken before the end of the minimum period of registration means that your minimum and maximum registration dates may change to reflect the period of time that you have taken a Leave of Absence. 

If you take Leave of Absence during your thesis awaited period your maximum registration period (the deadline for submission of your thesis) will be amended to take account of the period of Leave of Absence. Regulation 6.2.4 sets out minimum and maximum periods of study for each qualification.

You will not be charged tuition/continuation fees for the period of your Leave of Absence.

Please ensure that you have contacted your funding body to check that they know your situation and you are aware of your implications for funding. If you are funded by a UK Research Council, you may wish to contact the University Graduate School to discuss the impact of Leave of Absence on your funding.

Telephone: 0121 414 2030
Email: studentships@contacts.bham.ac.uk 

When taking Leave of Absence it is important to understand that your registration status will be recorded as Leave of Absence on the University's student records system, and whilst you will still technically have a connection with the University, you will not have an active student registration for this period of absence.

This means that you are not permitted to make use of some the University's facilities, as listed below:

• Limited library access (as of those of the general public – limited visits and no borrowing rights);

• No access to University provision, such as teaching, tutorials, academic supervision, University accommodation and Counselling Services during the period of Leave of Absence;

• There is no automatic entitlement to the VLE and e-learning.

• University email addresses remain active so long as they are regularly accessed by the student.

The only exception to the above is in the case of a Registered Student undertaking their first or second term as a Guild Sabbatical officer where their status will remain as “Normally Registered” (NR). The central University record will reflect that the student holds a Guild Sabbatical officer position.

 

Leave of Absence may affect your eligibility for council tax exemption. You are advised to contact your local council direct to check your eligibility for council tax exemption.

Please contact Guild Advice in the Guild of Students for further advice regarding council tax exemption. 

Early Release from accommodation due to leave of absence

If you are living in University Owned accommodation, you need to submit an application to Living, the University of Birmingham’s Accommodation Service. You can submit this application via the online accommodation portal.

The University will release you from your accommodation contract, and you will only be charged for one month's rent in lieu of a notice period. Your one month notice period will be calculated from the date you check out at your accommodation village reception. You may continue to live in the accommodation until the end of your one month notice period however if you wish to leave earlier, then we may be able to re-let your room. If the University successfully re-lets your room, you will only be charged up until the date that the new student moves in.

If you are living in Partner Accommodation, you should speak directly with your accommodation provider who will advise you of the options available to you.

Will I need to re-apply for accommodation for when I return to University?

Yes, and you will need to apply for the relevant term of study for the relevant academic year. You can do this via the online accommodation portal.

Will I be guaranteed accommodation when I return to University?

If you are restarting your first year of study in September, your application will still fall under the selection criteria for our Guarantee Schemes. Please note that UK/EU students will need to submit their application by 31 May, and International students by 31 July.

Taking leave of absence would impact your DSA as this is funding intended for support you in your academic studies. Once you are due to return from leave of absence you will need to reapply for DSA. For more information about DSAs please see the government's DSA webpages.