Leave of absence
In some circumstances, a period of leave of absence may be required, perhaps on personal, financial or medical grounds. Faculty approval is required and a form is available to download at the right of this page.
Non-EEA students must also seek guidance from an immigration advisor in Student Services before the application can be processed. Applications for LOAs may be rejected on visa grounds.
A student seeking leave of absence on medical grounds must submit a medical certificate with the application. On return to the University, a medical note confirming that the student is able to resume his/her studies should also be submitted to Research & Innovation Services. Research Council-funded students requesting leaves of absence on the grounds of maternity/paternity leave are advised to review our information for scholarship holders or consult their individual Research Council for advice on the length of leave permitted.
Leaves of absence can be retrospective, prospective or a combination of both. Students wishing to apply for a retrospective leave of absence should do so promptly; it is not University policy to approve retrospective leaves of absence that date back further than a year. Similarly, when applying for a future leave of absence, students should note that six months is the normal maximum period that will be approved, although a year is permissible under certain circumstances (e.g. where supported by medical evidence). It is not University policy to approve continued lengthy periods of leave of absence.
In exceptional circumstances, there may be occasions where a student is unable to undertake effective research or pursue their research with adequate commitment, but where a period of leave of absence is still deemed appropriate. For example, a student may not be well enough to attend regularly or undertake full-time studies, but may not want to completely distance themselves from their research for a prolonged period. Under such circumstances, a `pro-rata´ leave of absence may be considered in exceptional cases. In practice, a student would be granted leave of absence to cover only the amount of time lost due to these exceptional circumstances, and not a leave of absence for the entire period in which these circumstances are a factor.
LOA and International Students
Students in the UK subject to immigration regulations must be fully registered and attending in order to meet the conditions of the student visa. Leave of absence cannot be approved unless the student has a medical certificate to cover the whole period requested or unless the student left, or intends to leave, the UK during this time.
Overseas students should note that the University is required to report all Tier 4 student visa holders who are on extended periods of leave of absence to the Home Office who will expect them to return to their home country for the duration of the leave of absence. In line with immigration policy, requests for retrospective leaves of absence of more than 2 months cannot be approved. Applications for retrospective leaves of absence of less than 2 months will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
For further information or guidance relating to LOA and immigration issues, please contact Student Support and Guidance: international.students@sheffield.ac.uk.