Withdrawal and Leave of Absence

Requests for change of circumstances, including Leave of Absence, Withdrawal and Mode of Attendance are dealt with by Registry in the first instance.

Leave of Absence

A Leave of Absence is a temporary break in your studies, during which you are not required to be in St Andrews or to attend classes. This may be for just one semester, or for a longer period.

Termination of Studies

Termination of studies is a final decision to end your studies at St Andrews. If you later wished to return, you would have to re-apply through the normal routes. You may wish to consider alternatives to withdrawing, such as taking a leave of absence or changing from full-time to part-time study.  

Mode of attendance

Changing your mode of attendance means moving from full-time study to part time study, or vice versa.

Financial and Visa Implications

All changes of circumstance will have financial implications in terms of tuition and accommodation fees due and tuition fees will not be refunded after the first four weeks of the semester. Your funding body will not necessarily pay your tuition fees if you are not registered as a student on certain dates during the academic year, so you may become personally liable for these if your circumstances change after the first four weeks of the semester. 

A change of circumstances will affect your visa status. If you are a Student visa holder, you will have to leave the country during a Leave of Absence or if you withdraw from your studies.

You must seek advice from Money and International Officers in Student Services before requesting a change of circumstance.

Requesting a change of circumstances

You should email the Registry Officer (Student Support) (reg-support@st-andrews.ac.uk) explaining why you are requesting a change of circumstances. You will then be contacted by the Registry Officer to request further information or to arrange a meeting to discuss your request.