Intermission - College Guidance Notes for Students

During the course of your studies, you may find that you are unable to continue because of a health condition (physical or mental), disability-related issues, bereavement, financial reasons, or another serious reason. In these circumstances, you can consider applying for permission to take time out (normally an academic or calendar year) by intermitting in order to get back on track.

The purpose of intermission is to allow you the necessary time and distance away from your studies to seek any necessary support, recuperate (in the case of ill health), or overcome any difficulties resulting from grave circumstances, and to alleviate any academic disadvantage caused to you as a result.

Please email tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk to let the College know of your decision to intermit. Please copy your Tutor and/or the College Wellbeing Team. You may have a question or wish to discuss an application with them.

You may also wish to consult the Students' Union's Advice Service.

The information below is intended to give you important information about what is involved in applying to intermit, and the procedure which must be followed on your return to study after any period away.

You are asked to read the information on this webpage in conjunction with:

What is Intermission?

Intermission is the term used to describe the process whereby a student can take a break from their studies and 'disregard' any terms in which they are unable to properly engage with their studies due to serious, unforeseen circumstances. Intermission is therefore an allowance made by the University to permit a student to remain in standing during a period of absence, return to their studies and be permitted to take an examination in a subsequent year of study which they would not otherwise have been eligible to take.

In the great majority of circumstances, intermission will involve you leaving your College residence to take time out of your studies. The grounds for intermission are usually serious, and the permission to intermit is granted on the basis that you are facing circumstances that make it impossible for you to continue with your studies without the time away from your studies. These are such problems as a chronic or acute illness, serious disability-related issues, bereavement or other grave cause.

As an Undergraduate Student, if you are considering a change of Tripos you should consult with your Tutor and Director of Studies at the earliest opportunity as there may be a requirement that you intermit before you can make this change.  If your Tutor, Director of Studies and/or Senior Tutor agree that Intermission is the best way forward for you, please email tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk  to let them know as it is College that will apply to the EAMC of the University for permission for you to intermit, If granted, permission is normally given for intermission during a complete academic or calendar year.

The decision to apply for intermission should be taken after consultation with your Tutor, Director of Studies, Senior Tutor and/or College Wellbeing Team. Please email tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk if unsure of the correct steps.

If you are applying for intermission on medical grounds, it may be important to think about and plan for treatment of some kind, to maximise your chances of a good recovery and a successful return to study. If this applies, the College Wellbeing Team are the best point of contact to discuss this with you.

Implications of Intermission

Intermission may have considerable implications, and you should take these into account and discuss them with your Tutor, UG Director of Studies/PG Supervisor and/or College Wellbeing Team when deciding whether or not you want to apply to intermit. Please email tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk if you have any questions. There may be a considerable amount of information imparted to you during discussions about intermission and its implications. Given the sometimes complex and detailed nature of these conversations and the difficult circumstances you may be facing at the time, you are encouraged to ask The Tutorial Office to put any key points you need to know in writing to you so you can refer back to it later. It is also worth noting that the full implications of intermission may not be known at the time you go out of residence. However, College will keep you informed of any new developments whilst you are intermitting.

Financial

Permission to intermit after attending for part or all of a term will not automatically lead to cancellation of your fee liability for that term. You will become liable for fees for any term or terms in which you have been in residence for more than 21 days. If you have remained in residence for a longer period, there may, in exceptional cases, be grounds to apply for a fee remission. Please email tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk if you have any questions.

If you are eligible for a student loan or a Disabled Students' Allowance, speak to the College Wellbeing Team and/or the Accessibility & Disability Resource Centre about how intermission will impact your continued eligibility for these sources of support.

If you are in receipt of ‘Student Finance’ you will need to let them know the date you leave or suspend your course. This date needs to be the same as you have agreed with College. Separately, College are required to let ‘Student Finance’ know of this date. Future payments will cease from this date and Student Finance will work out how much you are entitled to. This means you might have been paid too much student finance and have to pay some of it back. You need to be aware that you should not be receiving student finance for a period after you have ceased or suspended your study.

You might be able to get student finance for an extra 60 days if you suspend your course because you are seriously ill. You will need to discuss this with ‘Student Finance’ directly and they may need you to submit evidence of this.

Academic

Your UG Director of Studies/PG Supervisor will be able to advise you about the academic implications of intermitting including course/paper availability when you expect to return, any planned changes to your course (set texts/topics etc.) and whether work can be carried forward. Your UG Director of Studies may need to give you specific advice about regulations for a particular Tripos. Please email tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk if you have any questions or are unsure who to address your question to.

International Students

If you are an international student, you need to ensure you understand the implications of intermitting. Please contact the University’s International Student Office and see the International Student webpages.

If you are studying on a Tier 4 visa, the University would normally be required to cease Tier 4 sponsorship during intermission and report the change in circumstances to the Home Office. Your current Tier 4 visa would subsequently be curtailed and you would be required to leave the UK. You would need to obtain a new Tier 4 visa from overseas prior to returning to Cambridge to recommence your studies. If you have any Tier 4 question please contact the University’s International Student Office.

Access to College/University Facilities and Premises

During intermission, you will remain free to visit the city of Cambridge and to meet up with College/University friends if you mutually wish to do so. However, intermission is intended to relieve you of any academic disadvantage, rather than offering an opportunity for you to gain an academic advantage, and is granted on the basis that you are not able to study. As such, in all but very exceptional cases, permission to intermit will require you to leave your College residence. Furthermore, you will not be permitted to use/access the College or University's facilities/premises for social visits or events (this includes the College Ball, Graduation, Dinners etc.), during your break from study. Whilst intermitting, you will not normally be permitted to formally represent College or the University in any way, for example in sports competitions.

If there are exceptional circumstances which require for you to return to College or University premises, it is possible to request permission from College (academic-registrar@dow.cam.ac.uk) but this will not ordinarily be granted.

Exceptions to bear in mind:

  • That you can access the Students' Union's Advice Service and the Disability Resource Centre at any point during intermission.
  • If you are required to undertake an academic assessment in order to meet a condition for return, at College's discretion, you may be offered relevant access to University and College premises/facilities such as accommodation and libraries for a limited period of time to help you to prepare appropriately.
  • There may be very exceptional circumstances in which it is permissible for you to return to or to remain in College accommodation during a period for which you are granted intermission (for example, if you are receiving specialist medical treatment in Cambridge which would be sacrificed if you were to return to your permanent home address, or if you don't have a permanent address beyond your College accommodation). Council tax liability may arise in such instances.
Application process 

If you are an Undergraduate student please email tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk for advice as to how to apply.

If you are a Postgraduate student please see the University's 'Changes to your student status' webpage for the list of courses where the PG process is relevant and details on how to apply.  If your course is listed, you should be able to make applications via your CamSIS self-service account, Please keep the College informed if you are not studying and will be intermitting, or you are unsure how to apply by emailing tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk.

As part of an application to intermit it is expected for you to attach supporting documents as evidence of your circumstances. 

In the case of intermission on medical/health grounds or serious disability-related issues, medical evidence from a registered medical professional (such as a GP or an accredited counsellor) will be required.    

Specific questions to ask your medical provider to address in their evidence letter supporting your application to intermit include:

  • What is/are the medical reason(s) for the student to need to intermit his/her studies?
  • What was the date on which you first saw the student for this illness/medical condition/disability?
  • What treatment has the student been receiving for this condition?
  • Please give details of any further treatment or support the student may need before being able to resume their studies. If you know that there is a lengthy waiting list for such treatment, please indicate how long this is likely to be.
  • What is the prognosis for this condition and when is it likely that the student will be fit to resume study?

Evidence to support intermission due to other grave cause may take a variety of forms but must demonstrate the circumstances you are facing are serious, unanticipated and beyond your control and should be provided by an appropriate, independent professional or body (e.g. a death certificate).

If an undergraduate student, other information is also required as part of an application, including an application form, a covering statement from College as well as supervision reports and any formal marks received to date. For intermission on medical grounds, you will also have to sign a declaration form giving permission for medical evidence to be seen by a member of the EAMC. You can, if you wish, also provide a brief statement yourself in support of your application and may wish to consult the Students' Unions' Advice Service regarding this. The College Tutorial Office prepare and submit an application on your behalf. College will be required to state explicitly whether it supports your case. College will share with all the documentation being submitted to the EAMC on your behalf. Please email tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk if you have any questions.

For both Postgraduate and Undergraduate applictaions, please complete the College intermission declaration form and return to the Tutorial Office:  tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk 

Before you go on intermission 

It is not necessary to remain on your studies, or in residence until the outcome of your application – but please seek advice if planning on leaving in advance of having your intermission confirmed, email: tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk. Where possible, please look to meet with your College Tutor UG Director of Studies/PG Supervisor and the College Wellbeing Team before your intermission starts. It is not common for contact to be maintained, but you are advised to keep in contact with the College Wellbeing Team and the Tutorial Office should you have any questions or concerns.

You will receive notification of an agreed intermission as follows:

  • As a Postgraduate Student you will receive an email from the University advising of the decision of an application to intermit.
  • As an Undergraduate you will receive a  copy of the EAMC's letter advising of the outcome of an application to intermit.   This may come with certain College-imposed or EAMC-imposed conditions which must be satisfied before you will be permitted to return to study. Depending on the reason for intermitting, such conditions might include sitting a formal assessment, agreeing to a fitness to study plan, providing evidence that financial difficulties have been fully resolved or providing evidence of engagement with continuing medical treatment or psychological support. Any conditions should be clearly and unambiguously set out to you, along with any relevant deadlines, in writing, at the point that intermission is approved. If you have concerns about any of the conditions which have been imposed,  please email: tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk  If you feel you need impartial support you can contact the Students' Unions' Advice Service.
Whilst you are intermitting

Please email the Tutorial Office should you have any questions or concerns: tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk

You may wish to visit the:

You may also wish to contact the:

  • Cambridge Students' Union's Advice Service, which provides free confidential, impartial, and non-directive advice to Cambridge students
  • Accessibility & Disability Resource Centre, if you are intermitting as a result of a newly diagnosed medical condition or disability, to ensure that any support and associated funding can be put in place in time for your return. Depending on the nature of your medical condition or disability, the Disability Resource Centre may also be able to arrange study skills or mentor support to help you to develop strategies and assist you in a successful return to study
  • College's Accommodation Office to clarify when the room balloting will take place (bear in mind that the relevance of this will depend on the time of year you anticipate returning to study.)
  • University's International Student Office if you are a Tier 4 student for advice on making your new visa application prior to returning to Cambridge
  • University Counselling Service if you were receiving support prior to intermission, speak to them if you need help sourcing access to counselling support outside the University Counselling Service whilst you are intermitting
Before you return to study 

Both College and the EAMC/University will need to be fully satisfied that the circumstances which prompted the need for you to intermit have improved sufficiently to allow you to return and complete your course successfully. Please email the Tutorial Office should you have any questions or concerns: tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk

If you intermit for medical, disability or health reasons, you will not be permitted to return to your course of study, or, if applicable, into residence in College until medical evidence has been provided which confirms you are fit to resume your studies. Ideally this should be the same person who provided the medical evidence to support your original application. If it is someone different, you should ensure that the new practitioner is provided with a copy of the original medical evidence, to ensure they have all the information necessary to inform their judgment regarding your fitness to return to study. The evidence provided to support a return to study should be based on a medical assessment held not earlier than the following dates:

Michaelmas Term return: assessment not earlier than July; form to College normally by 10 August.

Lent Term return: assessment not earlier than October; form to College normally by 10 November.

Easter Term return: assessment not earlier than February; form to College normally by 10 March.

Medical evidence should state that you have recovered or that any medical condition or disability you have can be satisfactorily managed, with necessary support measures in place, to allow you to return and complete your course successfully. The EAMC/University will need to see this evidence, and permission to return will not be finally confirmed until they have done so.

You may also be required to take an academic assessment before permission to return is granted. If this is the case, this will have been confirmed to you as a condition of your return at the point intermission was granted, along with the nature of the assessment and the standard of performance that will be required.  If undertaking an assessment you may feel daunted. This condition is only imposed as a condition of return where they believe there are strong pedagogical grounds for doing so. Support may be available to you in respect of a limited period of access to College/University facilities such as libraries and accommodation, and/or time with a Director of Studies/PG Supervisor in the lead up to your assessment. Please email the Tutorial Office should you have any questions or concerns about this: tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk    

If you require a Tier 4 visa to study, you will need to liaise with the University's International Student Office for advice on making your new visa application prior to returning to Cambridge. Please email the University’s International Student Office for further information.

You will receive notification of a return from intermission as follows:

  • As an Undergraduate you will receive a copy of the EAMC's letter and a letter from College
  • As a Postgraduate Student you will receive an email from the University advising of the decision return from intermission on medical grounds only.

If necessary, it may be possible to extend your period of intermission to the EAMC/University. Please email the Tutorial Office should you have any questions or concerns about applying for a further period of intermission: tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk

Returning from intermission 

If you have intermitted on medical grounds, a further application to the EAMC/University will be required before you are permitted to return into resume study or return into residence. If unsure how to apply please email tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk   

Medical evidence from a doctor, psychiatrist or accredited counsellor must be provided and whenever possible it should be from the same person who made the original diagnosis to support your application to intermit. The evidence should address the points made in the original diagnosis. The original report should be made available to the practitioner should there be a change of personnel. College may reserve the right to seek a further independent medical assessment. If you are undergoing continuing psychiatric treatment, full details of future supervision or monitoring arrangements should also be provided when applying to resume study.

If further ongoing support is required, please provide a prognosis and give details of what support or supervision is necessary to enable you to study successfully (for example from academic advisers, College Student Health Practitioner, etc.). In the case of psychiatric treatment, full details of any subsequent supervision or monitoring should be given.

It is expected for you to meet with your College Tutor and your UG Director of Studes/PG Supervisor as soon as you return to study. This will ensure that any new requirements are identified to enable support mechanisms to be put in place, including disability-related support if applicable. It will also bring you up to date on any relevant changes that have occurred during your time away.

You may find it beneficial to regularly check in with your Tutor to discuss how you are settling back to your study and College life following return from intermission.

if you are returning as a first year UG student, you should be given an opportunity to provide your preferences regarding; participating in college-run Freshers' events; attending functions such as the matriculation dinner; whether you would like to be allocated a college or subject 'parent' (where applicable).

The University Counselling Service (UCS) also runs workshops for intermission returners which you may find helpful. Details are regularly updated on the UCS webpages.

On your return to study if you require any new or continuing adjustments to examinations as a result of a medical condition or disability it is recommended you speak to the Accessibility & Disability Resource Centre (ADRC) well in advance of your expected return to study to ensure that your support requirements can be determined in advance. Depending on the nature of your disability or medical condition and support needs, the ADRC may also be able to provide support from a specialist study skills tutor to assist you in transitioning back to study. Please also email the Tutorial Office to let them know: tutorial-enquiries@dow.cam.ac.uk