Changing your study or work plans

Withdrawing

Please contact your placement office and any other relevant staff members immediately if you are contemplating leaving your placement early. They can help put any necessary support in place, and outline your options (including any consequences that might result from leaving your placement early).

The decision to withdraw from your placement abroad should be given careful thought and discussed with your placement office before any arrangements are made to withdraw or return flights are booked.

Many factors can lead students to consider withdrawing, including:

  • Students struggling to adapt to their new surroundings: feeling homesick, isolated, lonely, finding the workload too demanding, struggling with culture shock etc. This is a common problem, especially in the first few days and weeks.
  • Missing your family/friends/boyfriend/girlfriend. Again, this is common, especially in the first few days and weeks.
  • Unexpected health, emotional or financial problems may arise that affect you or your family.

In the majority of cases, students will manage to stay on their placement and enjoy their experience abroad once the right support is put in place for them. Let your placement office know if you are having problems and they will do their best, working alongside your host university/organisation, to support you.

However, we recognise that in some cases the best decision a student can make is to withdraw from the placement. Your wellbeing is of paramount importance to us, and in cases where your physical or mental health is at risk we would always advise you to return home.

Please note that any student withdrawing/seeking excusal on medical or personal grounds will normally need to provide documentary evidence to support their case, so please make sure you get a doctor’s note or counsellor’s note wherever possible.

 

The financial consequences of withdrawing or interrupting your studies

If your tuition fees are paid to the University by way of a tuition fee loan, the date of any interruption or withdrawal may alter your tuition fees. For example, for 2020/2021 students who withdraw or interrupt are liable to pay the following proportion of tuition fees:

Date of withdrawal/interruption Tuition fee liability
03/10/2022 – 15/01/2023 25% of the total annual fee
16/01/2023 – 16/04/2023 50% of the total annual fee
17/04/2023 – 09/06/2023 100% of the total annual fee

Your entitlement to maintenance loan support will be re-calculated by SLC based on the date of your withdrawal/interruption, so the earlier you can advise the University of your intention to withdraw/interrupt the less chance there is of being chased by the SLC for overpayment.

Further information on the process and implications of withdrawing/interrupting or returning early from your studies can be found on the Student Support website.

Turing Scheme Grant - Students who currently receive a Turing Scheme grant who withdraw may be required to repay all or part of the grant they have received. The minimum period eligible for Turing funding is 28 days. will be invoiced by The University of Manchester for any funds owing; this may be later on in the year.

Scholarships, bursaries and additional funding - Students in receipt of any additional scholarships or funding will normally be expected to repay that funding. Please consult the relevant funding body for more details.

 

Changing or extending your placement

Any changes to your approved plans need to be agreed in advance with your Academic Exchange Adviser or Placement Co-ordinator. *Please note that for students in receipt of Turing Scheme funding, changes to placements may impact funding levels and funding for an extension cannot be guaranteed.*

  • Study - Study students wishing to extend their period abroad should note that such requests are not ordinarily possible to accommodate. This is often the case as many study placements are based on a reciprocal exchange agreement where student numbers and balances of incoming and outgoing students have to be carefully maintained.

  • Work - Students who are on a work placement abroad who wish to change or extend their placement should consult their placement office.

  • Volunteer and Summer - It is not usually possible for students on a short-term summer or volunteering placement abroad to extend their placement.