If you hold a Tier 4/Student Route visa, read more about how UAL will monitor your attendance and engagement with your course while you're away. Find out how to request authorised absence.
Engagement monitoring
As an Exchange student studying away from UAL, your attendance at your host institution will be confirmed each month using an Academic Engagement Form. You must ensure your host institution completes the form each month. You‘re responsible for returning the form to your College Mobility Officer by the relevant deadline (7th of the following month).
If you don’t return your Academic Engagement Form by the relevant deadline, you’ll be sent a warning email to both your personal and UAL email addresses. The email will ask you to respond within 7 calendar days.
If you return your Academic Engagement Form within 7 calendar days of the warning email no further action will be taken.
If you don’t return your form within 7 calendar days of the warning email you’ll be suspended from your course.
Course suspension
If you’re suspended from your course for non-engagement, you’ll be sent an email to both your UAL and personal email addresses confirming your suspension.
The suspension will mean your access to online College facilities (including your UAL email address, Moodle, and your timetable) will be removed until further notice. You won’t be permitted to attend any sessions or submit work whilst suspended.
If you don’t respond to the suspension email within 7 calendar days with the relevant documentation, your Course team will be asked to consider your overall engagement with your course so far. Your Course team will recommend either that you resume your study, take time out from study or are withdrawn from your course.
Course withdrawal
If you’re withdrawn from your course, your withdrawal will be reported to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), who will be instructed to cancel your Tier 4/Student Route visa. You’ll receive an email confirming this and outlining your next steps. Upon receipt of the withdrawal email, you’ll need to prepare to leave the UK within 60 days.
Request Authorised Absence
If there is an event that will disrupt your attendance you must tell us. Depending on your course, you’ll need to tell your personal tutor, course director or course administration team.
You should also communicate with your host institution and ensure that you’re meeting their Student regulations.
You can apply for an authorised absence for the following reasons:
- Illness. Extended periods of illness (more than 5 working days) must be accompanied by evidence e.g. medical certificate, doctors’ note.
- Attendance at appointments/commitments considered inflexible e.g. hospital appointments, religious requirements, court attendance.
- Mitigating circumstances e.g. bereavements, serious illness of a close family member, childcare and other caring responsibilities, technical issues related to online study.
- If you have an Individual Support agreement or Parent and Carer Support agreement that includes attendance adjustments and you are absent for this reason.
Where absence is more than 10 workings days, evidence will be required. However, if you are absent for more than 5 working days due to illness, evidence will be required. All evidence should be in English, signed, officially stamped and on headed paper. If the original documents are not in English, you must get an official translation.
You can take no more than 4 weeks (pro rata) Authorised Absence in an academic year. If you are absent for more than 4 weeks of term time, you will need to take time-out from your studies. If your request for time out is approved, you’ll need to leave the UK within a given timeframe and return to study with a new visa.
For more information on how taking time out will affect your immigration status, contact UAL’s Student Advice Service.
If you need adjustments because of disability, parenthood or caring responsibilities, contact the Disability Service or Health Advice Service.
Requests for authorised absence will be approved by your Course leader.
Authorised absence form
If you’re unable to engage with your studies at your host institution for up to 4 weeks, you must request and complete an authorised absence form from UAL. You must provide supporting evidence.
Please note that this process is differs from the way that you would request Authorised Absence when you are regularly studying on campus.
You should continue to engage with your course until you receive the outcome of your request. You should also communicate with your host institution and ensure that you’re meeting their Student regulations.