Time out from your course

If, for reasons of illness or other personal circumstances, you are not able to continue with your studies and feel that a period of 'time out' from your course will help, you can make a request for Approved Temporary Withdrawal.

You should first discuss the practicalities with your Academic Adviser or Student Support Co-ordinator. You are also advised to contact the Brookes Union Advice Service to seek advice about the financial and other implications of taking time out.

If you are an international student on a Tier 4/Student visa, please contact the International Student Advice Team to seek advice about the visa implications of taking time out from your course.

Approval for up to a year out will normally be given provided there are sound reasons and you will not be continuing your studies whilst away. Please note that any time out from your studies counts towards the maximum time allowed to complete your course and from September 2024 Disregard Retakes will incur fees as normal unless fee exemptions apply.

If you are fully enrolled and in your first semester of study, you can use the M200/F200 form to defer your studies to the next available entry point. If this request is submitted after week 4 of the first semester you will be liable for tuition fees. When using this form to request deferral please select the leaving reason 'Deferred entry to a later date'

Things to consider

Please note that whilst on time out:

You are not enrolled with the University.
Although you may use the Library, you will be unable to borrow books.
Your access to the computing facilities on campus will be suspended (however you will still be able to access your emails and Student Information offsite).
You will likely be liable for Council Tax; Oxford City Council does not consider students on temporary withdrawal to be exempt from Council Tax.
Any time taken on Approved Temporary withdrawal will count towards the maximum length of time allowed for your course. For more information on maximum course length please refer to the regulations on time limits.
If you have any resits from the previous semester, you will not be expected to take these while on Temporary Withdrawal. Disregard (DR) grades will be applied to these modules at the relevant Examination Committee.

How to request time out

If, after receiving support from your tutors, you decide that you wish to apply for Approved Temporary Withdrawal, please see the information below.

Requesting Approved Temporary Withdrawal before or during Week 7

If you wish to request Approved Temporary Withdrawal either for future semesters or for the current semester (and have not engaged after Week 7 of the current semester), then you should complete the appropriate form.

For Undergraduate Modular Programme (UMP) students, go to the Student Requests Forms page and select the M201 'Approved Temporary Withdrawal Request' option.
For students on courses outside of the UMP, go to the Student Requests Forms page and select the F201 'Approved Temporary Withdrawal Request' option. Please provide details of the amount of time out required, for example Semester 1, Semester 2 or the full academic year. Student Records and Curriculum Management will provide confirmation in writing to inform you whether your request has been approved.

Please note:

If your programme of study contains modules which run for the whole academic year, then we will need to seek approval from your Subject before considering your request for time out.
If you are requesting to extend a current period of temporary withdrawal which means you are requesting a period of more than 1 year of time out, then we will need to seek approval from your Subject before considering your request.

Requesting Approved Temporary Withdrawal after Week 7

Students who have engaged beyond Week 7 are not entitled to apply for Approved Temporary Withdrawal for the current semester but may submit a request for future semesters by completing the M201/F201 form (see above).

If you have not engaged beyond Week 7 of the current semester, please submit a late temporary withdrawal request:

For Undergraduate Modular Programme (UMP) students, go to the Student Requests Forms page and select the M201L ' Late Approved Temporary Withdrawal Request' option.
For students on courses outside of the UMP, go to the Student Requests Forms page and select the F201L 'Late Approved Temporary Withdrawal Request' option.

Please provide details of the amount of time out required, for example Semester 1, Semester 2 or the full academic year. Student Records and Curriculum Management will provide confirmation in writing to inform you whether your request has been approved once they have confirmation of your last date of engagement from your Module Leaders.

The deadline for submitting a late temporary withdrawal request is Wednesday of Week 13 of the current semester.

If you are unable to complete your current semester of study due to exceptional circumstances, please see the information on how to apply for exceptional circumstances.