Break from study

You may wish to take some time off for a variety of reasons. Accepted grounds for intercalation include, but are not limited to:

• Medical
• Personal
• Financial

You cannot take a break due to failing to meet the academic or skills requirements of the programme. Additionally, it cannot be used if you are excluded pending investigation under the Student Disciplinary Procedure.

You should initially speak to your Programme leader/Personal Tutor to explain the circumstances. Advice will then be offered on the implications of taking a break academically and financially.

If you wish to continue with your application, you must complete the Application to Intercalate form, providing appropriate evidence to support the grounds for application, e.g. medical, counselling, financial, etc. This should be done prior to commencement of the year or second semester.

The Application to Intercalate form can be found within the Transfers, Withdrawals and Suspensions section on BGU’s website.

Once submitted, your application will receive initial consideration on an advisory basis by your Programme leader, with final approval given by the Dean of Faculty. The Faculty Administration Office will notify you in writing within 5 working days of the decision.

Up to one academic year. A second application may be made to extend this period by up to one academic year.

International students may intercalate only in accordance with United Kingdom Visa and Immigration (UKVI) Directorate regulations.

Suspending your studies may mean you receive more maintenance loan (and dependents grants, if applicable) than you are entitled to. This is called an ‘overpayment’ and is likely to occur if you take a break midway through a loan instalment payment period.

If you are in receipt of finance from Student Finance England (SFE), your funding entitlement will be recalculated once SFE is notified of your last date of attendance. The Faculty Administration Office will notify SFE but it is also recommended you notify SFE of your decision to suspend study.

SFE will recalculate your funding once they receive notification from the University and if appropriate, they will then contact you asking for immediate and full repayment of any overpayment. It may not be necessary for you to repay in full straight away. If the overpayment puts you into financial hardship, then you should contact Student Finance England as soon as possible and explain this.

For any further questions regarding student finances, please email studentadvice@bishopg.ac.uk.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to stay in University accommodation until you re-enrol. For other accommodation providers, you will need to check your rental agreement to see whether you will remain liable for rent, or whether you can use any ‘break clause’ in the contract. If you need to contact the accommodation team, you can do so by emailing them at accommodation@bishopg.ac.uk.

You will continue to have access to the community areas of Blackboard so will still receive general BGU notifications to make sure you don’t miss out on events. You will also retain your BGU email account. However, access to module information on Blackboard and borrowing rights from the Library will be revoked during this period.

Yes. BGU will send you information on events happening in and around campus and you will continue to receive notifications from Blackboard regarding events taking place (this will not include module information). You will also be given a list of contacts should you need to contact us at any point.

You can also continue to access the ‘What’s On’ page which shows the up and coming events at BGU. This can be access here.

The Faculty Administration Office will write to you during the semester prior to, and at least one month before the date on which you are due to recommence your studies to remind you of your anticipated return date.

You will be informed of any policy and timetable changes, as well as make sure you have everything you need to return.

If you need to discuss anything relating to your student record, intercalation procedure, or academic programme, the BGU administrative team will be able to help you out or point you in the right direction. You can contact them directly at fao@bishopg.ac.uk.

It's perfectly normal to feel a bit anxious about returning to studies after time away, but the Student Advice team are available for you to speak to about any concerns or worries you may have. They can also discuss any issues you may have relating to your health and wellbeing. You can book appointments with them here or contact them at studentadvice@bishopg.ac.uk.

If you have questions about your course, you may wish to speak to the Programme Lead (PL) of your subject area or your Personal Tutor (PT). If you're not sure who is your PL, contact the Faculty Administration Office (fao@bishopg.ac.uk) to find out. To learn about PT allocations, contact celt@bishopg.ac.uk.

When you notify BGU of your return, you will be contacted by the Placement Office. Once you have re-enrolled and commenced your studies, your placement will be confirmed.

It may feel daunting returning to university with a different group of students around you, but don't worry there are lots of opportunities to get involved with the university community and make new friends. The Students' Union represent the interests of all students at BGU and also deliver a whole range of activities which you can get involved with. There are plenty of student clubs and societies if you have a particular hobby or interest that you want to develop - or you can set up your own! You can get to know more about the SU team and what they do for you here or contact them with any questions at su@bishopg.ac.uk.

The Chaplaincy offers support and activities for all students, regardless of denomination or faith. They always have lots of fun things on offer, including Tea & Toast, quizzes, craft clubs, and much more! Visit their web page here for more information or drop them an email at chaplaincy@bishopg.ac.uk if you'd like to speak to the team directly.

If you'd like to get involved in projects to help develop the university, you can also speak to CELT about all the exciting opportunities available for you. If you are a parent, you may also with to join the 'BGU Student Parents' Facebook group to chat with others in the same position. For more information about this, email studentchange@bishopg.ac.uk.

If you want to refresh your academic skills, the Learning Development team can help you. They offer online resources through Blackboard as well as a skills workshops called 'Live & Learn'. You can also book one-to-one appointments for help with understanding your assignment, drafting your work, and responding to your feedback. Find out more information about all the services and resources Learning Development have to offer here or contact the team directly at learningdevelopment@bishopg.ac.uk.

You can speak to Student Advice for support with your finances, including information on different funding options which you may be able to apply for. Check out their dedicated page on student finances here or email them directly with any questions at studentadvice@bishopg.ac.uk.

If you have a Specific Learning Difficulty such as dyslexia or dyscalculia, or if you have another condition which may affect your studies, you can speak to Student Advice about options for additional support. If you believe that you may have a Specific Learning Difficulty but have not yet had a formal assessment, the Student Advice team can also help you to arrange this. The Learning Development team are also available to help all students with their academic skills and assignments, although they are not SpLD specialists.

Time management is an important skill for balancing commitments; you will need to stay organised and plan your time carefully. Learning Development have resources on effective planning and scheduling, which they can also support you with via their one-to-one service. You can also speak to the Digital Learning team about different apps and tools which can help you manage your time.

One of the most important things is to maintain good communication with your tutors, so if you're worried about how other commitments may impact on your studies, make sure to talk to your tutors as early as possible. You may also wish to speak to the Student Advice team to see how they can support you to transition back into studying.

The Accommodation Team are available to provide guidance on issues related to accommodation while you are studying. They have a wealth of information on their web page here, or you can contact them at accommodation@bishopg.ac.uk.

The BG Futures team has a wealth of experience in career advice and they offer a number of ways for you to engage with this. You can make appointments to meet with a Career Advisor and get support with producing CVs, writing personal statements, and even practicing for interviews. They can also give advice on business and enterprise, if you're interested in developing your own business. For more details about everything BG Futures has to offer, click here or contact bgfutures@bishopg.ac.uk.