Guidance on non-registered statuses

There are a number of policies and processes within the University that might result in a student not being registered with the University although a relationship with the University still exists and they are expected at some time to continue or complete their programme. This content is relevant to staff and students across all of the UK, China and Malaysia campuses

Please note that students in the UK on a Student Route visa are also affected by the University's Policy on Immigration Sponsorship. Where academic policies and immigration policies seem to be contradictory, immigration policies will take precedence. For more information, please consult the following:

Immigration sponsorship 

Where relevant, the student is expected to formally re-register when the circumstances below no longer apply. In order to re-register, a student must have:

• A satisfactory academic status
• Settled any debts owed to the University
• An appropriate immigration status

For more information about fees and financial support, please consult the finance and finantial support pages linked below:

In the following circumstances, a student will not be registered and will be subject to the specified conditions. Depending on the length of suspension, such students may not have access to library or IT services. However, they are still subject to relevant regulations of the University, such as Traffic Regulations, the Regulations for Library and Computer Use and the University’s Code of Discipline for Students. 

2.2.1 General

Students whose registration status is suspended for any of the following reasons are not entitled to attend any teaching or take any assessments and will not pay tuition fees whilst unregistered. 

• If the student has opted for a voluntary interruption of study
• If the student has suspended their study as part of a transfer of course process
• If the student is suspended under the University’s Attendance and Engagement Regulations
• If the University has required the student to suspend as part of a Fitness to Practise procedure
• If the student is suspended on grounds of health and safety 
• If the student is suspended under the Code of Discipline for Students
• If the student is suspended under the Academic Misconduct procedure.
• Students who are ‘false starters’ – that is, they started a programme but within two weeks of starting requested a deferral of entry to the next session
• Students who are in breach of any legal requirements (such as immigration requirements) so that they are unable to appropriately engage with the University

2.2.2 UK-specific conditions (Points Based System: Student route)

in the UK, students are not eligible for Council Tax relief nor for student support funding. Students who are in the UK under the Points Based System: Student route visa will be required to leave the UK whilst their registration status is suspended. 

2.2.3 Students taking external assessments

Students who are not registered for the following reason will be subject to the same conditions as those above, except that they are permitted to take assessments for which they have been entered (for which a fee may be payable depending on individual circumstances). This applies when:

• the student is taking assessments or reassessments as an external candidate under the University’s study regulations

2.2.4 Debtors to the University

Students whose registration status is suspended for the following reason will be subject to the same conditions as those above except that in addition, they will not have access to any IT, library or door access facilities. This applies when:

• the University has required the student to suspend under the University’s Fees Regulations because of a debt that is owed to the University.

2.2.5 Students who are engaged in study

The following types of student are also not registered with the University although they remain engaged in their study with the University:

• Students who have an extension to a submission date that takes them past their normal end of study date
• Students on some partnerships where they are not required to be registered at UofN for certain periods (please refer to related MoA)
• Research students who are in their thesis pending period who have chosen not to register with the University
• Research students who have submitted their thesis and are still undergoing the examination process.

Such students have access to all usual University facilities and all regulations apply.

2.2.6 Fees

For more information about fees, please consult the following:

Registry and Academic Affairs - fees and finance

A student ceases to be a registered student once they have completed their studies. However, until their award is conferred (if applicable), they will continue to have relevant engagement as a student of the University.

For the majority of students with standard start dates and periods of study, the usual times that students are deemed to have completed their studies will be as follows:

• Undergraduate students: the last day of the final semester of their period of study
• Postgraduate Taught students: the last day of September
• Postgraduate Research students: The day that the thesis uploaded to the University's e-theses service has been approved by the Internal Examiner or, in cases where there are two external examiners, the lead External Examiner.

In addition, please be aware of the following:

• For different start dates or programmes of non-standard lengths, the completion of studies date will be extrapolated from the above standard dates.
• Where a student’s programme is terminated, the date of completion of studies will be the date on which the recommendation is processed.
• Where a student withdraws, the last date of attendance will be the date on which they cease to become a student.

Voluntary interruption of study

Changes of taught course

Regulations governing attendance and engagement

Fitness to practise procedures

Withdrawal on the grounds of health and safety

Code of Discipline for Students

Policy on academic misconduct

Finance

Registry and Academic Affairs - Financial support