The Student Hub
Contact The Student Hub for help and support with a Pause in Study
You may find that, for various reasons, you need to take a break from your studies. A Pause in Study is an agreement between you and the University, allowing you to pause your studies for up to 12 months at a time.
Pausing your studies can be a big decision, and we understand it’s one you may need to take to help you succeed.
A Pause in Study will pause your progress on your programme, so it will only be approved if you have a strong reason. Circumstances that may lead to a Pause in Study:
You may be asked to provide supporting evidence as part of your request.
Be familiar with what you need to consider and do before making your Pause in Study request.
To help you understand the process we have created a guide to explain what you need to do and consider before and during a Pause in Study, including what University services are still available to you - plus what you need to do when returning to study. You can view and download the guide below.
There is also a Knowledge Base containing a host of helpful information.
We strongly recommend that you talk to your Personal Academic Tutor, Senior Tutor, or another member of your school, such as your Programme Lead (UG/PGT) before submitting a request.
You will need to submit a form and include a summary as to why you wish to pause your studies.
You may need to speak with several teams within the University during the process:
Find more information and contact the Financial Support Team.
Find more and speak to the Halls team about your accommodation arrangements.
The Student Hub remains here for you 24/7. If you have any questions or concerns about wellbeing, disability, fees, finance, accommodation, and more, contact us anytime via email, online chat, or call 02380 599 599.
The SUSU Advice Centre can discuss the effects your pause in study may have on funding, accommodation arrangements, and more. SUSU offer free, impartial advice. Contact them via the SUSU website.
Check the University policy regarding Pause in Study here: Transfer, Pause in Study, Withdrawal, and Termination of Study 2024-25 | University of Southampton
A Pause in Study can last up to 12 months at a time. However, usually, you cannot exceed two periods of pausing.
Your Pause in Study starts when you have received a confirmation email, this confirmation will include your Pause in Study start date and your scheduled return date.
When you return, you will join the next year’s cohort of students, and all your teaching and assessment will be with that year group. We cannot guarantee that you will be able to take the same modules that you were taking the previous year. The content, assessment and delivery of modules may also have changed.
Your case will need to be taken to a board/committee where a decision is made based on your individual circumstances. Please note, it is not guaranteed that you will be able to retake these. You will need to express your wish to retake any assessments/exams on the Pause in Study form.
If you wish to pause your studies in advance of, or during, a placement (i.e. in industry or studying abroad) and take the placement in the next academic year, we will try to allocate a placement to you with the next cohort of students. However, a placement cannot be guaranteed.
Yes, when you return to study and complete your course with the relevant classification you’ll be notified when you’re eligible to graduate.
There will be times where we need to send you some communication. This will be during your Pause in Study, to check if you would like to return, when you are thinking of returning and if you need support.
We will also contact you for a return to study conversation before you come back – all these communications will be sent to your university email address so it’s important to keep checking here from time to time.