This article provides information on what happens to your student loan when suspending your studies.

You may have decided to temporarily suspend your studies for health or personal reasons. However, if you are considering suspending due to your financial situation, please contact the Student Finance Centre. You may be eligible for help from the University Support Fund. Non-repayable awards from the University Support Fund can help cover emergency costs such as urgent bills and food supplies.. They may be able to offer practical support to ensure that you can complete your studies.

If you do decide to suspend your studies speak to the Student Finance Centre, as well as your department, the Department of Student and Academic Administration and your award authority e.g. Student Finance England, as soon as possible. The article 'Change of Status (Transferring, Suspending, Withdrawing) - what I need to know' will inform you of the process. Keeping each fully informed throughout the process of suspending your course is vital.

The final decision about the financial support you will receive is made by your award authority. If you are receiving funding from Student Finance England you will not receive any further funding for the current academic year after you have suspended. Depending on when you suspend, you may also have to pay back some of the funding that you have already been given for the current academic year.

Please note, different rules apply if you are not receiving funding from Student Finance England. Visit the following websites for further information:

Student Finance England offers support for the length of your course, plus one additional year if required, minus any years of previous study. For example, if you have to repeat a year because you have interrupted your studies, then you can receive funding for that extra year of study. If you have to repeat another year however, it is likely you will have to self-fund that period of study.

During any self-funded year, you will not be eligible for a tuition fee loan or any maintenance/special support grant. You may still be eligible for a maintenance loan and University of Portsmouth Bursary along with any extra dependants' allowances you are normally entitled to.

Student Finance England has discretion to extend your funding if you have compelling personal reasons for repeating a period of study, for example ill health. This discretion can be applied each time you are unable to complete a year due to your compelling personal reasons.

For further information or support if you are experiencing financial difficulties please contact the Student Finance Centre.