Student Advice and Support Service

If you would like to defer your start, you will need to email the postgraduate taught admissions office and ask for your request to be considered. The University will aim to provide a decision regarding your deferral request as soon as possible.

If you defer more than once you may be required to complete a new application.

Deferring a place can mean having to pay higher tuition fees and may affect any funding, such as scholarships, you already have in place.

Student Finance

If you are funded by Student Finance (England, Wales, NI or SASS) you should notify them of any deferral to prevent overpayment and preserve future entitlement.  You will need to apply again for student finance for the new start date of your course, funding is not automatically deferred to the following year. Applications for funding normally open in April/May prior to the start of your course.

 Accommodation

a)      University Halls

If you have already reserved a Hall room you should complete the accommodation cancellation request form, please also refer to the Terms and Conditions.

b)      Private Halls and Private rented accommodation

If you have signed a contract for off-campus private halls or a private house/flat you will probably be liable to pay rent to the end of the contract whether you live there or not. If you do not wish to live in the accommodation, you can:

• Check to see if there is an early release (break) clause in your contract, and/or

• Try to find a replacement tenant. The landlord will need to agree to a transfer to release you from your contract. It is strongly recommended that you sign a deed of surrender or assignment. We can advise you further on this.

If you are living in the accommodation as a non-student you may become liable for council tax for the whole property (subject to a 25% discount if you are the only non-student living in the property).

If you decide to change course after you have started you will need to check

• you meet the entry criteria for the new course you wish to join (check the online prospectus).
• there is a place available for you on the new course via the admissions contact/programme leader.
• the student handbook for the transfer procedure.

If you have missed too much of the new course (eg more than 4 weeks at the start of the year) you probably need to restart at the beginning of the next academic year and take a Leave of Absence (LOA) during the time you are waiting between courses.

Transferring can mean having to pay additional and/or higher tuition fees and may affect any funding, such as scholarships.

Student Finance

Master’s Loan from Student Finance England

You are obliged to notify SFE of any changes this should stop payments while you are not studying. When you transfer your funding to a new course, with a fresh start, you can receive the remaining balance of your Master’s Loan providing your previous course has not ended and you have not withdrawn from the course.

If you wish to change course and retain eligibility for the Master’s Loan it is important to transfer courses, rather than withdraw and reapply.

If you transfer to a course at a different HE provider future payments will not be made until the new provider has confirmed the course change to Student Finance.

If you are able to transfer within the same academic year (eg early in the academic year) then your Master’s Loan may not be affected.

The Master’s Loan is normally only available for full standalone master’s courses, (eg 180 credits). If you transfer from one eligible master’s course to another, and carry forward modular credit on the second course as a result of the transfer but will study 180 credits in total across both courses, you will remain eligible for funding on the second course.

Tuition Fees

Loughborough University does not charge tuition fees if you cease study during the first four weeks of the academic year.

If you cease your studies after the end of the fourth week of the academic year, you will be charged tuition fees depending on which term has started:

Part time students are charged on a modular basis.

Accommodation

If you are in between courses you will need to consider any accommodation contract.

a)      University Halls

• Complete the accommodation cancellation request form for the Student Accommodation Centre
• Remove all your belongings.
• Hand back your keys when you vacate your room.

You will be charged hall fees up to the LOA date or moving out date, plus an admin fee equivalent to 4 weeks rent/fees. This fee might be waived if you leave or suspend for medical reasons.

If you have already paid your hall fees you can ask for a refund of any overpayment if your account is in credit.

Students sometimes wish to stay in halls whilst on LOA – this is not normally permitted but check with the Student Accommodation Centre for their up-to-date information.

If you are due a refund of your room bond deposit or a hall fees overpayment it is normally refunded within 30 days.

b)      Private Halls and Private rented accommodation

If you have signed a contract for a private hall or private house/flat you will probably be liable to pay rent to the end of the contract whether you live there or not. But if you do not wish to live in the accommodation, you can:

• Check to see if there is an early release (break) clause in your contract.

• Try to find a replacement tenant – The landlord or managing will need to agree to the transfer to release you from your contract. It is strongly recommended that you sign a deed of surrender or assignment. We can advise you further on this.

If you want to stay in privately managed halls or accommodation whilst waiting to start a new course:

• If you have arranged to take Leave of Absence you retain your student status for Council Tax and would not normally be liable to pay it. Council tax letters can be requested from the online student self-service system.
• If you have withdrawn from studies you lose your student status for Council Tax. If you live at the property you will likely become liable for council tax for the whole property (subject to a 25% discount if you are the only non-student living in the property).

Occasionally students need to re-take an assessment or repeat part of their studies. Reassessment could be taken either during the Special Assessment Period (SAP) in the summer or during the next academic year with or without tuition.

The financial implications will depend on whether you are retaking with or without tuition.

Please also see the student handbook for the different types of reassessments.

Tuition Fees

If you have made a successful mitigating circumstances claim, you are not normally charged tuition fees for any modules which are Permitted Repeat Attempts.

Without a successful Mitigating Circumstances claim, you will pay for all modules that are reassessed as Resits.  Check the cost of reassessment with or without attendance here.

Student Finance

Master’s Loan funding is not available if you are repeating a year or part year of a course.

The Hardship Fund

If you are in unforeseen financial hardship you can apply for help from the University’s Hardship Fund. Forms are available here.

Accommodation

If you are on a Leave of Absence (LOA) while waiting to undertake your re-assessments you need to understand what happens about your accommodation contract.

a)      University Halls

• Complete the accommodation cancellation request form for the Student Accommodation Centre.

Students sometimes wish to stay in halls whilst on LOA – this is not normally permitted but check with the Student Accommodation Centre for their up-to-date information.

If you have already paid your hall fees you can ask for a refund of any overpayment if your account is in credit.

If you are due a refund of your room bond deposit or a hall fees overpayment, it is normally refunded within 30 days.

b)      Private Halls and Private rented accommodation

If you have signed a contract for a private hall or private house/flat you will probably be liable to pay rent to the end of the contract whether you live there or not. But if you do not wish to live in the accommodation, you can:

• Check to see if there is an early release (break) clause in your contract.

• Try to find a replacement tenant – The landlord or managing agent needs to agree to the transfer to release you from your contract. It is strongly recommended that you sign a deed of surrender or assignment. We can advise you further on this.

If you want to stay in privately managed halls or accommodation whilst waiting to re-join your course and are on a Leave of Absence you retain your student status for Council Tax and will not normally be liable to pay it. Council tax letters can be requested from the online student self-service system.

This is an agreed break from your studies and must be discussed with and approved by your School/Department, see the details in the Student Handbook.

To apply you need to complete an RG1011A Leave of Absence Form.

Student Finance

Tuition fees

Loughborough University does not charge tuition fees if you take LOA from your course during the first four weeks of the academic year.

If you cease your studies after the end of the fourth week of the academic year, you will be charged tuition fees depending on which term has started:

Part time students are charged on a modular basis.

Master’s Loan eligibility after taking LOA

You would not normally be entitled to any further instalments of any current year loan after taking date of your LOA.  However if you take LOA shortly before payment is due, payment may occur due to administrative delay.

Master’s Loan eligibility if you return and re-join your studies

If you return to re-join your course, your funding entitlement will normally be the remaining balance of the previous loan entitlement.

If you resume study after a suspension period of two years or more (whether a continuous period or a cumulative total of shorter suspension periods), further payments will only be released if you provide evidence of a compelling personal reason for having been absent from the course for the total suspension period.

The Hardship Fund / Welfare Benefits

If you are in financial hardship whilst on LOA you can apply for help from the University Hardship Fund.

You can’t normally claim welfare benefits/Universal Credit during any LOA unless you have an underlying entitlement due to disability or as a lone parent.

Other matters

Check with the Loughborough University (LU) Finance Office (via Student Enquiries in the Rutland Building) to see if you have any credit (or debit) on your university account. If you owe money to the University, this will need to be paid. If you are in credit it is advisable to request a refund without delay.

Accommodation

a)      University Halls

• Complete the accommodation cancellation request form for the Student Accommodation Centre
• Remove all your belongings.
• Hand back your keys when you vacate your room.

You will be charged up to the LOA date, plus an admin fee equivalent to 4 weeks rent/hall fees. This fee might be waived if you leave for medical reasons.

If you have already paid your hall fees you can ask for a refund of any overpayment if your account is in credit.

Students sometimes wish to stay in halls whilst on LOA – this is not normally permitted but check with the Student Accommodation Centre for their up to date information.

If you have already paid your hall fees you can ask for a refund of any overpayment if your account is in credit.

If you are due a refund of your room bond deposit, it is normally refunded within 30 days.

b)      Private Halls and Private rented accommodation

If you have signed a contract for a private hall or private house/flat you will probably be liable to pay rent to the end of the contract whether you live there or not. But if you do not wish to live in the accommodation, you can:

• Check to see if there is an early release (break) clause in your contract.

• Try to find a replacement tenant – The landlord or managing agent needs to agree to the transfer to release you from your contract. It is strongly recommended that you sign a deed of surrender or assignment. We can advise you further on this.

If you want to stay in privately managed halls or accommodation whilst waiting to join a new course and have arranged to take Leave of Absence you retain your student status for Council Tax and would not normally be liable to pay it.

You are still entitled to a student status council tax certificate during a period of absence, as long as you plan to return to your course. Council tax letters can be requested from the online student self-service system.

If you are considering withdrawing permanently from your programme and leaving Loughborough University, you should discuss your situation with your School/Department. You might consider taking a leave of absence (LOA) in the interim while you decide the way forward, if you are not 100% certain that you want to leave your course for good, this is often the better option. You can then withdraw at any point before you re-register but please note the financial implications below.

To withdraw you need to complete an RG1011 Withdrawal Form. Please also see additonal Student Enquiries information on withdrawal.

Student Finance

Tuition fees

Loughborough University does not charge tuition fees if you withdraw from your course during the first four weeks of the academic year.

If you withdraw after the end of the fourth week of the academic year, you will be charged tuition fees on a termly basis:

Part time students are charged on a modular basis.

Loan payments if you withdraw

You won’t normally get any further instalments of your current year loan after the date of your withdrawal. But if you withdraw shortly before the due date of your next payment, there is the possibility that you may receive the money because of a delay with Student Finance England updating your record. Be warned that this may result in an overpayment that will probably have to be paid back directly rather than when your normal repayments would normally start.

Future funding

Masters Loans will normally be paid only for one course. Any periods of repeat study are not funded.

Any previous years of study at higher education on a different course or at a different institution will normally limit Master’s Loan entitlement.

If you wish to change course and retain eligibility for a PG Master’s loan, it is important to transfer courses, rather than withdraw and reapply.

If you transfer to a course at a different HE Provider future payments will not be made to you until the new HE Provider has confirmed the course change to SLC.

If you are able to transfer within the same academic year (normally only possible if you arrange the transfer very early in the academic year) then your Master’s loan will not be affected.

If a student transfers from one eligible master’s course to another and is allowed to bypass certain elements on the second course as a result of the transfer but will sit 180 credits in total across both courses, they will remain eligible for funding on the second course. The PG Master’s is only available for full standalone master’s courses. It is not available for partial master’s courses where previous study or experience on a completed course is taken into account. Any previous years of study at higher education on a different Masters level course or at a different institution will normally limit Master’s Loan entitlement but please read Previous study and Master’s Loan

Speak to an adviser in SASS to check on the impact of any changes.

Welfare Benefits

When you permanently withdraw from a course you will no longer be a student and therefore will be able to apply for welfare benefits/Universal Credit, subject to eligibility.

Other matters

Check with the university’s Finance Office (via Student Enquiries in the Rutland Building) to see if you have any credit (or debit) on your university account. Any money owed to the university will become a debt and will need to be repaid. If you are in credit you can request a refund without delay.

When you permanently withdraw from a course you will no longer be a student so you may also become liable for council tax.

Accommodation

a)      University Halls

• Complete the accommodation cancellation request form for the Student Accommodation Centre
• Remove all your belongings.
• Hand back your keys when you vacate your room.

You will be charged up to the official withdrawal, plus an admin fee equivalent to 4 weeks rent/fees.

You are not normally permitted to continue to live in Halls if you withdraw from your studies.

If you have already paid your hall fees you can ask for a refund of any overpayment if your account is in credit.

The balance of your room bond deposit should be refunded within 30 days.

b)      Private Halls and Private rented accommodation

If you have signed a contract for a private hall or private house/flat you will probably be liable to pay rent to the end of the contract whether you live there or not. If you do not wish to live in the accommodation, you can:

• Check to see if there is an early release (break) clause in your contract, and/or

• Try to find a replacement tenant – The landlord or managing agent will need to agree to the transfer to release you from your contract. It is strongly recommended that you sign a deed of surrender or assignment. We can advise you further on this.

If you want to stay in privately managed halls or accommodation after you withdraw and want to stay in the property as a non-student:

• You may need to check your contract but a landlord or managing agent cannot normally insist that you leave on the grounds that you are no longer a student.
• You may become liable for council tax for the whole property (subject to a 25% discount if you are the only non-student living in the property).

The University allows students, in some circumstances, usually on the grounds of high level sporting commitments or disability and health issues, to “stretch” their Masters programme by transferring to part-time mode of study. Part-time study means you can spread modules over two years or more to ease the workload.

A master’s programme must normally be completed in no more that than twice the time it would take to complete if studied full-time.

Student Finance

For many Loughborough University Master’s programmes the standard full-time duration is one year so it needs to be completed within 2 years to remain eligible for the Master’s loan from Student Finance.  Even if you are studying for more than one year the total loan amount remains capped at £11,570 (loan rate for 21/22 entrants funded by Student Finance England).

If you transfer to study part-time over a longer period than 2 years then you will not normally retain eligibility for a Masters Loan.

Tuition fees

If you stretch a year of your degree the tuition fees will generally be charged in proportion to the number of modules studies in each year. If you undertake any repeat modules from the first year during the second year of the your programme and have not successfully claimed mitigating circumstances, then you can expect to pay again for the repeat modules in the second year as set out in the reassessment fees web page.

If you need help to understand how transferring to part-time might affect your finances or if your situation is more complicated we suggest you speak to an adviser.

Hardship Fund

If you are in unforeseen financial hardship you can apply for help from the University’s Hardship Fund. Forms are available here

Accommodation

Transferring to part time study will not normally require any changes to your accommodation arrangements.

As a part-time student and if you are not living in University halls you are likely to have to pay Council Tax.  

Other Matters

Part time UK students are sometimes eligible for welfare benefits or Universal credit depending in their circumstances. This can provide help towards living costs, including rent. Please see https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Part-time-students-and-benefits/Can-part-time-students-claim-Universal-Credit#guide-content or contact Student advice to discuss your eligibility.

Students who already have a qualification which is equivalent to or higher in level than a master’s qualification are not eligible for a Master’s Loan

Students who have previously been awarded Master’s Loan funding will in most circumstances not be eligible for another Master’s loan for a new course, even where they only received part payment.  However, if you have been awarded Master’s funding for a previous course but did not achieve the qualification due to Compelling Personal Reasons (‘CPR’), you may be eligible for a Master’s loan for a second course:

• You would need to provide evidence to support a claim that withdrawal from the previous course was for compelling personal reasons, eg medical evidence or evidence of a personal or family crisis. Academic performance alone will not constitute a compelling personal reason.
• To be eligible for the new loan you must be undertaking a full new Master’s course without any credits for previous studies or modules.
• If you are awarded funding for the new course on the grounds of Compelling Personal Reasons, you would be entitled to the full year rate of Master’s Loan.
• Repeat Master’s loan funding due to CPR may be awarded on one occasion only.