If you have a slightly longer-term difficulty and a 3 to 14-day extension is not going to be enough for you, you need to submit an additional consideration application. Additional Considerations replaced Mitigating Circumstances and Generic Mitigation in 2021. It can be used for unavoidable and unforeseen issues which limit your ability to study and affect your performance in any type of assessment.

You will need to apply for Additional Considerations each time you experience difficulties. This is because your successful claim will only cover the assessments on your application form and must be submitted as close to the events as possible.

Your claim must not be later than 14 days after the events you claim affected your study. This means that if you apply for assessments in semester 1, but your problems continue into semester 2, you will need to submit another claim to cover the next assessment period. Referral (or ‘resit assessment’) during the summer referral period is not covered by any previous claim. You must make a new claim for each assessment.

For more information see our FAQs on Additional Consideration.

An extension is useful if you have a short-term problem that will cause you to miss a deadline. If you have an unexpected situation that you think will be resolved relatively quickly, but it is stopping you from completing or handing in your work by the published deadline, you can apply for an extension. For more information see here.

For long term issues such as on-going health problem, caring responsibilities, maternity or a personal situation, you may need to take a Break in Study (known as intermission). You may also be considering time away from your studies for other reasons, but regardless of your motive it is a good idea to discuss the matter with the Students’ Union Advice team or your Student Support and Guidance Tutor (SSGT), where you can access one-to-one advice and support.

To take a break and spend time away from your studies, you must submit a written application, usually an email, to your Course Leader, explaining your reasons for intermitting.

The length of your period of Intermission will vary according to your individual needs, course and stage of study. However, Intermission will usually begin at an appropriate stage in the academic calendar - for example at the end of a module, term, or semester.

What happens next?

During Intermission, your studies will be suspended, and you will be de-registered from the course for a fixed period. You cannot undertake assessments during the period of intermission. When your time away from university is coming to a close, someone from your school should contact you with details of how to re-start your course and details of how to re-activate your Student Central account. You will then need to activate your account and re-enrol with the university via Student Central.

It is important to be aware of the Maximum Period of Registration on your course. This is the maximum length of time a student may take to complete a course. A period of Intermission does not ‘stop the clock’, so a long break can potentially cause you to exceed this period. More information about this can be found in the University’s General Examination & Assessment Regulations (GEAR), Section D.

You also need to be aware of the possible impact on your student funding. If you need to take a break, you or the University will need to contact Student Finance England. You may be in receipt of overpayments. You should talk to the University’s Student Advice Service to discuss the effects on your student finance.

If you are an International Student on a Tier 4 visa, a break in study may not be possible, or you may need to apply for a new visa - seek advice from the International Student Support Team. If you are an International Student on a Tier 4 visa, a break in study may not be possible, or you may need to apply for a new visa.

Further information on Intermission can be found the University’s website.

When your time away from University is coming to a close, your school will contact you with details of how to re-start your course, confirmation of your end-of-year results and details of how to access My Studies. You will need to activate your account and enrol with the University via student central.

If yours is a long-term health problem or disability and you can continue with your studies, it is advisable to get a Learning Support Plan. This will help you get the appropriate on-going support you need to succeed at university. You can contact the University’s Disability & Dyslexia team for help with this. See also the University’s web pages for more information.

If your course requires you to attend placement, you will need to consider whether you wish to share information about the learning support you require with the placement provider. The University does not normally share this information with third parties; therefore you should discuss your needs with the University’s Disability & Dyslexia team and your course leader before undertaking your placement. If you require additional learning support for a condition that you’ve not declared, or because your needs have changed, you should speak to the University’s Disability & Dyslexia team again to have your needs re-assessed.