Student finance if you suspend or leave your course

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1. Overview

If you leave or suspend your studies you must:

  • stop your student finance
  • repay any student finance you are not entitled to

Your student finance includes:

  • Maintenance Loans
  • Tuition Fee Loans
  • grants and bursaries

How much you need to repay and when you need to repay it depends on:

  • what type of student finance you have
  • when in the academic year you leave your course
  • whether you鈥檙e planning to return to your course or not

If you suspend because of illness or another serious personal reason, you might still be able to get student finance while you鈥檙e away.

2. Stopping your student finance

You must stop your student finance payments as soon as you decide to suspend your studies or leave your course early.

This will reduce any repayments you may need to make.

Student finance covers:

  • Maintenance Loans
  • Tuition Fee Loans
  • grants and bursaries

How to stop your student finance payments

You must:

The way to make contact is different if you鈥檙e a student from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Contact:

If you suspend your studies you can usually postpone your student finance payments until you return.

3. Repaying your student finance

How much and when you have to repay depends on:

  • the type of student finance you have
  • when in the academic year you leave your course
  • whether you鈥檙e planning to return to your course or not

Your university or college will tell your student finance provider the date you finished your studies.

Maintenance Loans

Your student finance provider will reassess your Maintenance Loan based on the number of days you attended your course.

If any of your loan covers the period after you鈥檝e left your course, this counts as an overpayment and you鈥檒l need to repay it straight away.

The Student Loans Company will write and tell you how much you must repay. If you cannot repay the full amount, you can ask them to set up a repayment plan.

The rest of your Maintenance Loan is repaid in the usual way once you start earning over the threshold amount.

Example

You get a Maintenance Loan of 拢1,200 to cover a 12 week term (拢100 a week) and you leave your course after 8 weeks.

You can keep 拢800 of the loan (8 weeks X 拢100 = 拢800), but you need to repay the remaining 拢400 straight away as this counts as an overpayment (4 weeks X 拢100 = 拢400).

You repay the rest of the loan (拢800) in the usual way.

If you鈥檙e planning to return to your studies

The amount you were overpaid will usually be taken off your student finance payments when you return, so you do not have to repay straight away.

Grants and bursaries

If any of your grant or bursary covers the period after you鈥檝e left your course, this counts as an overpayment and you鈥檒l need to repay it straight away.

There are exceptions for:

  • childcare grants taken in or after the 2019 to 2020 academic year
  • grants taken in or before the 2016 to 2017 academic year

You do not have to pay back overpayments on these grants until you鈥檝e finished your course.

Tuition Fee Loans

You鈥檒l need to repay at least some of your Tuition Fee loan for the year that you suspend or leave your course.

You鈥檒l need to pay back:

  • 25% of the loan for the year if you suspend or leave in term 1
  • 50% of the loan for the year if you suspend or leave in term 2
  • all the loan for the year if you suspend or leave in term 3

This is repaid in the usual way once you start earning over the threshold amount.

4. Getting student finance while you suspend your studies

You might be able to get student finance while you鈥檙e away from your course if you suspend due to illness, bereavement or another serious personal reason.

You鈥檒l need to reapply for funding if you return to your studies in a new academic year. Your funding will restart automatically if you return in the same academic year.

If you suspend because you鈥檙e seriously ill

You might be able to get a Maintenance Loan or any other grants you鈥檙e entitled to for 60 days from the date you suspended your course.

Your university or college must tell the Student Loans Company (SLC) about your situation, including the date you suspended your course.

Apply for extra money

If you鈥檙e having financial difficulties after 60 days you might be able to get more Maintenance Loan or any other grants you鈥檙e entitled to.

Call Student Finance England (SFE) to check if you鈥檙e eligible to apply for extra financial help. If you鈥檙e eligible, you鈥檒l be asked to complete a financial hardship confirmation form. SFE will then let you know whether you qualify for further help.

You鈥檒l need your customer reference number when you call.

Student Finance England
Telephone: 0300 100 0607
(if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0300 100 0607
Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
Saturday, 9am to 4pm
Find out about call charges

You鈥檒l need your customer reference number when you call.

If you鈥檙e a student from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, contact:

You might also be able to get extra money from your university or college hardship fund.

If you suspend for another serious personal reason

You might still be able to get a Maintenance Loan or any other grants you鈥檙e entitled to while you鈥檝e suspended your studies.

Call Student Finance England (SFE) to check if you鈥檙e eligible to apply for extra financial help. If you鈥檙e eligible, you鈥檒l be asked to complete a financial hardship confirmation form. SFE will then let you know whether you qualify for further help.

Student Finance England
Telephone: 0300 100 0607
(if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0300 100 0607
Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
Saturday, 9am to 4pm
Find out about call charges

You鈥檒l need your customer reference number when you call.

If you鈥檙e a student from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, contact: