Financial considerations if you pause or leave your course

This guidance is for undergraduate students who are funded by the Student Loans Company (SLC). 

Postgraduate students funded by the SLC should get advice from a Student Money Adviser. 

How to stop Student Loans Company (SLC) payments

If you are pausing or leaving your studies, you should stop your Student Loans Company (SLC) payments: 

1. Tell us that you are withdrawing from (leaving) or suspending (pausing) your studies.  
2. Tell your student loan provider (gov.uk). 
3. We will confirm your suspension or withdrawal. 
4. We will tell your student finance provider what your final date of attendance will be. This could take up to eight weeks.  
5. The student finance provider will update your record. This usually takes around six weeks. 

Your funding may be affected during this period.

Impact of exceptional circumstances on student finance

If you are pausing or leaving your course because of compelling personal reasons (such as ill health), you should keep any supporting evidence the show your reasons for leaving the course. You might need this later if you return to study and need additional funding. 

Paying back your overpayments

If you pause or leave your course and have been overpaid, you might need to pay back your student funding (gov.uk).  

If you have been paid a maintenance or tuition loan instalment after your last day, this is called an overpayment. SLC will contact you about repaying. 

If you do not repay, your overpayment will be deducted from the funding you are due to receive in future years. If this happens, contact us for advice. 

Paying back tuition fees

Depending on your last day of attendance, you might need to pay back some of the tuition loan (gov.uk) from the year.  (gov.uk) from the year.  

If you are studying a PGCE, check your school’s policy.

Paying back maintenance loans

If you pause your study due to ill health or pregnancy, you can keep 60 days of overpayment of maintenance loan. These 60 days are counted from your last day of attendance.

You might receive a maintenance loan instalment while SLC updates your record. If this happens, you need to repay it in full, unless it is covered or partially covered by the 60 days rule.

Paying back bursary or scholarship payments 

When you suspend or withdraw, you do not need to pay back any University of Bristol Bursary payment you have received. You will not receive any future instalments that have not yet been paid.

If you have been awarded any other bursary, scholarship or fee waiver, get support from a money adviser. They can help you understand what may happen.

Returning to study after pausing or leaving your course

You should apply for student finance as early as possible before you return to study. Apply for full-time funding as normal.  

The tuition fee loan is usually calculated on a pro-rata basis. You should get the full maintenance loan.  

You are ‘returning to study’ if you did any previous study at degree level, anywhere in the world. Even if you self-funded your previous study, or only registered briefly onto a course, it will count as a full year of previous study. 

If you are having financial difficulties

If you are worried about money, you could get emergency financial support.  

Contact us

Get support from a Student Money Adviser.

Get support from a Student Wellbeing Adviser.