Take a break from your studies

If you need to take a break from your studies you can apply for a leave of absence.

York Online Students

The information contained in these pages does not apply to York Online students taking 100% online part-time Masters programmes. York Online students should refer to Unit 2 (‘Taking a Leave of Absence') of their Orientation module in Canvas which contains all relevant information and the application form.

A leave of absence is an authorised break from your studies, usually for a maximum of one calendar year. You might want to take a leave of absence if you:

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Student Support and Advice team
Fill in our referral form, available at: york.ac.uk/student-hub

  • have a documented medical or personal reason that’s making it hard for you to engage with and concentrate on your studies. 
  • you’re changing from one course to another and restarting your studies the following academic year
  • if you’re resitting your exams ‘out of residence’ during the forthcoming academic year
  • have financial or motivational reasons such as undergoing a period of maternity leave or work experience.

If you're an undergraduate you'll be able to take a leave of absence for one year at a time for up to four years. If you're a postgraduate student you can take one year at a time up to two years. Significant extenuating circumstances that require more time off require further permission from the Special Cases Committee.

Making your decision

While taking a leave of absence you’ll be expected to spend your time away from the University and move out of accommodation if you’re living on campus. You won’t be able to access University resources such as attending lectures or seminars, although you will still have access to IT Services facilities and the library.

It’s important to discuss your options with your department before you make a decision. If a leave of absence is the option you take, you should try and apply before the proposed start date of your absence wherever possible, and no later than one month after your proposed start date.

Sometimes you may need or may want to repeat a period of study you’d already undertaken prior to your leave of absence. You won’t normally be allowed to repeat periods of study longer than two whole terms apart from in exceptional circumstances.

The University is changing to a semesterised structure from the 2023/24 academic year. If you took a leave of absence prior to this, you may be required to return to the University early to repeat study due to changes to your programme.

Please discuss this with your academic department.

If you take a leave of absence you’ll have to pay tuition fees for the period before your absence but won’t have to pay tuition fees for the period you’re away from the University. When you return from your leave of absence your account will be credited on a pro rata basis for any fees paid in excess before your absence.

You don’t need to pay any tuition fees during a leave of absence, and will be charged fees from the date you return to your studies. If you’re repeating a period of study on your return for a leave of absence you’ll normally still be charged for that repeated period.

If at the end of your leave of absence you choose not to return and withdraw from the University, the date of withdrawal will be the start date of your leave of absence and your fee liability will be calculated accordingly.

If your reason for taking a leave of absence is financial, you may want to contact the Student Support and Advice team first to discuss your circumstances.

Student finance 

If you receive financial support from Student Finance England (SFE), Student Finance Wales (SFW),

Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI) or Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) Student Services will inform them of the leave of absence and the total amount of tuition fees for the period attended prior to absence. Student finance payments will usually stop during your leave of absence.

Funding

If you receive funding from an external source such as foreign loans, sponsors, studentships, scholarships or charities you should inform the University when requesting a leave of absence of this funding and you should ensure that your leave of absence would be compatible with the regulations of any granting agency where you’d normally receive funding during the proposed leave period. You’ll also need to inform the agency you receive funding from of your leave of absence.

If you’re a University of York or external scholarship holder you should check the terms of your award before requesting a leave of absence as there may be implications for your scholarship.

US loans

If you receive a US federal loan and take a leave of absence you’ll no longer be eligible for federal aid. You must apply in advance for a leave of absence unless unforeseen circumstances prevent you from doing so. The total period of leave of absence can't exceed a total of 180 days in any 12 month period including weekends and scheduled breaks.

When you take a leave of absence you won’t have to repay your loan until the grace period is used up. If you’ve used up the grace period you’ll have to begin repaying your loan immediately when you graduate. It’s possible to request an extension to the grace period but this must be done before the grace period is used up. Find out more about US loans.

From time to time courses may be modified, altered or occasionally discontinued. If your department feels your course will be significantly altered they should discuss the situation with you, including whether the changes may mean you’ll need to return from your leave of absence earlier than expected. As we are moving to a semesterised structure at the moment, this is particularly common for 2023/4.

If you are required to repeat study because the University has moved to a semesterised structure, please discuss tuition fee liability with your academic department.

If you’re an international student and take a leave of absence you may no longer be eligible for a student visa. Make sure you talk to an Immigration Adviser before applying for a leave of absence.

We’re required to report a leave of absence for an international student to UK Visas and Immigration within 10 days of the start date of the leave of absence. You’ll need to return to your home country during your leave of absence.

If you normally study full-time and are taking a leave of absence you won’t have to pay council tax. If you’re a part-time student you’ll already have to pay council tax and you’ll still have to during your leave of absence. See more information on council tax liability if you’re a student.

Applying for a leave of absence

If you need to take a break from your studies for less than a month this can be dealt with by your department. You should contact your supervisor and your department can make arrangements. The weeks you are granted permission to be absent will still count towards your programme and there will be no amendment to your programme end date.

Before applying, talk to your supervisor to make sure a leave of absence is the right option. The Student Hub team can also offer advice.

If your supervisor agrees a leave of absence is the best option for you, you'll need to complete Part A of the leave of absence form and email it to them from your York email address. Your supervisor and department will then complete the remaining sections of the form and forward it on for approval.

You should include the following information:

  • your student ID (this can be found on the back of your university card)
  • any relevant evidence
  • whether you’re receiving any sort of outside funding (such as research councils, foreign student loans, etc).

After your department approves your request and any necessary supporting information has been gathered, they’ll forward your application for consideration to the Student Records team.

  • Leave of Absence request form (MS Word , 37kb) (not suitable for York Online students)
  • York Online students on the 100% online part time Masters programmes should apply for LoA using the application form available in Unit 2 ('Taking a Leave of Absence') of the Orientation module in Canvas. 

If your application is successful, you’ll receive a leave of absence email confirmation to your York email account, confirming:

  • dates of the leave of absence
  • any conditions of resumption
  • your new end date for your course.

You should make sure your current contact address information is correct on e:Vision to make sure you receive any posted correspondence.

If you require a hard copy of the letter for visa purposes, make sure you state this on your application form.

Evidence

Depending on the reason for your Leave of Absence request, you’ll need to attach supporting documents to your application or your absence request won’t be considered. If you’re applying for a continuation of a current leave of absence you’ll need to submit new up-to-date evidence with your new application.

Evidence

Evidence must be provided to support a period of leave of absence. Evidence should be appropriate for the type of leave. For example:

  • For medical leave, you must provide medical certificate or a letter from a doctor or  certified / accredited medical professional 
  • For compassionate leave, a death certificate or other dated evidence of bereavement, a letter from a counsellor or Open Door practitioner, for example;
  • For maternity leave, confirmation of maternity 
  • For leave on personal reasons, suitable evidence to match the personal circumstances - for example a letter from an employer, solicitor or other appropriate third party.
  • For financial leave, a financial statement

For leave taken due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, no further evidence is required.

Returning to study after a leave of absence

Prior to your resumption date, you will be contacted with the appropriate re-enrolment information and any conditions of return that you need to satisfy prior to your return e.g meeting academic requirements. 

 You will also need to make sure you’ve paid any outstanding debts to the University before re-enrolling.

If you are returning from a leave of absence due to medical circumstance and medical evidence was submitted in support of your Leave of Absence application, you will need to provide medical confirmation that you're fit to study to the University’s Medical Adviser, Unity Health. 

Full contact details will be in your confirmation letter and they can assist you with any queries regarding your fitness to return evidence and its contents.

If you have any questions regarding your return please contact student-records@york.ac.uk



Contact us

Student Support and Advice team
Fill in our referral form, available at: york.ac.uk/student-hub