As an undergraduate or postgraduate student, you may want to suspend your studies or leave the university for some time. Many universities in the UK allow students to terminate their studies due to the following reasons:

• Academic reasons
• Health issues
• Financial difficulties
• Immigration matters
• Family reasons
• Maternity or paternity

If you’re considering deferring your studies, you need to consult your personal tutor, Director of Studies (DOS), and the Student Services. But how do you request a suspension? You need to meet your Director of Studies to initiate the process. The DOS will then complete the form and send it to the Academic Registry to update your academic records. Next, you’ll get an email confirming the decision and stating the date of resuming your studies.

Staying registered as a student when you’re away from the university is free. As an international student, contact the Student Immigration Service to discuss how suspending your studies affects your visa status. You could be asked to return to your home country during this period. Once the suspension period elapses, you may choose to extend the suspension or resume your studies. Whichever route you choose, make sure that you contact the DOS to discuss the issue.