Please download our guide on taking a break from study:
Taking a pause from university, intermission support
- Intermission is an interruption of study for a period of time, which can be up to two years. You may need to apply for intermission during your studies, this could be as a result of your personal circumstances or other factors that mean it would be best for you to take a break.
- After the intermission period, when studies are resumed, it will be at the start of the applicable academic year, semester or term. This means that you would join your studies where you left off, which might mean being added in with a new group of students.
- The intermission form can be found on your ChiView account. You should also refer to the Academic Regulations for more information about intermitting from studies.
- In advance of applying for intermission we strongly advise you to speak to your Academic Adviser (or equivalent) or Programme Co-ordinator.
- We also advise that you email studentengagement@chi.ac.uk who can support you through the process of intermission.
- Advice and counselling services are also available and you may find support that can make a real difference to your current situation. Contact them via email: wellbeing@chi.ac.uk
- If you have nearly completed a semester/term, you may need to complete mitigating circumstances documentation, required for each period of assessment, so that the Board of Examiners can then make an appropriate decision and you may also need to apply for intermission e.g. for the next semester. However, if you have only just started the academic year you may just need to apply for intermission. Periods of intermission may be agreed with or without conditions of return depending upon your individual circumstances.
- All applications for intermission received by Academic Registry will be forwarded to your Academic Adviser (or equivalent), with the Student Retention Officer (Student Support & Wellbeing) copied in, for processing in discussion with you as appropriate. If you are a degree apprentice your employer will also have to approve the intermission request.
- You will receive a formal email response from Academic Registry to confirm your application for intermission has been processed. Until this has happened examination boards will assume that you are a continuing student.
In certain circumstances you may be unable or not ready to return from intermission after the initial period requested and Academic Registry may be advised that an extension to your intermission has been agreed with a revised return date. Academic Registry will write to you to confirm approval of the revised date, however, extensions which lead to more than two consecutive years away from study are not usually permitted. In such cases students may be advised to withdraw and re-apply when they feel able/ready to return to either part-time or full-time study.
- We strongly advise you to contact the Student Money Team studentmoney@chi.ac.uk for advice on how intermission will impact your student loan and your fees.
- You should refer to the Student Tuition & Accommodation Fees Policy for more information regarding impact on tuition fees.
- If you apply for intermission during the academic year, you will be charged as per the University's Student Tuition & Accommodation Fees Policy. If your circumstances (e.g. ill health) are such that you will not be able to re-join in the following academic year/semester/term your application for intermission will need to reflect this.
- Please note that, where applicable, you are responsible for liaising with Student Finance England (SFE)(or equivalent)/Student Loans Company (SLC) regarding any funding/financial implications - Student Records staff may be able to help by supplying explanatory letters to SFE (or equivalent)/ SLC, but you are responsible for this part of the process. Academic Registry (Student Records) will automatically inform the SFE (or equivalent)/SLC of any change in status. You should check carefully about personal financial implications since you are not likely to be eligible for Income Support or Housing Benefit and your Student Loan may be affected.
- Only the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience) has discretion to waive fees if a student applies for retrospective intermission and exceptional circumstances (supported by documentary evidence) apply. If exceptional circumstances apply these need to accompany the application for intermission.
- If you are not timely in submitting your application for intermission you will be invoiced for attendance in accordance with the Student Tuition & Accommodation Fees Policy, based on the last date of attendance recorded on your application for intermission*.
- *NB. The last date of attendance should match (more or less) the date of the application for intermission i.e. there should be minimal delay between last date of attendance and completion and submission of an application for intermission. If the date the application for intermission is greatly at odds with the “last date of attendance” recorded, Academic Registry will refer this back to the programme for corroboration. If the programme is unable to corroborate the last date of attendance you will be advised by Academic Registry that the date the application for intermission was submitted will be deemed to be the last date of attendance.