A break from the studies due to illness

 

If you become ill and are unable to meet your study obligations for an extended period of time, then you have two options of applying for a break from your studies. In both cases, you will need to submit an application for approval. The options are described below.

Regardless of which option you choose, your application will always be given an individual assessment. Therefore, the Student Counselling cannot provide any guarantee until you have received a response to your application.

If you do not need a "full-time" break from your studies, but rather need to reduce your study hours, contact your student counsellor to discuss your options.

Option 1: Leave of absence

 

A leave of absence requires a doctor's certificate stating that you need a break/leave of absence from your studies for a period of time. If your application for a leave of absence is approved, you will be registered as an 'inactive student', and you will therefore not receive emails or other notifications from the university. This can be beneficial if you need a 100% break from your studies. This also means that you cannot receive your Education Grant and Loan Scheme in Denmark (SU) during your leave of absence.

If you live in a student residence, you will have to find out whether you can stay there during your break from your studies.

The application process is relatively simple, and it will take about seven working days from the time your submit your application until you receive a decision.

In your application, briefly state why you need a leave of absence and for how long. You will also need to include a doctor's certificate with your application.

A leave of absence is usually applied for one semester at a time, as it can be difficult to restart in the middle of a semester. We recommend that you carefully read the section on 'Leave of absence and exams' on the page about leave of absence.

If your leave of absence means that you exceed your maximum degree completion time, please note this in your application. Your maximum degree completion time will automatically be extended by the number of months you are granted a leave of absence.

Click here to read about the specific guidelines for leave of absence.

We recommend that you contact Student Counselling in good time before your period of absence expires to plan your return and to register for courses.

We recommend that you contact Student Counselling if you are a first-year student and you want to take a leave of absence.

Option 2: Permission to withdraw from courses and to extend your maximum degree completion time

 

The second option for taking a break from your studies is to apply for permission to withdraw from courses and exams for one semester, for example, and correspondingly postpone your maximum degree completion time due to illness. The process is slightly different from leave of absence because you have to prepare a new study plan with your student counsellor for when you return to your studies. The study plan must be submitted to the board of studies along with a description of why you want to take a break from your studies.

If your application for dispensation is approved, you will continue to receive emails, notifications, etc. from the university. For some students, it can be nice to get these updates and thus be able to follow along with what is going on in the programme.

The description should include your own explanation of how your illness affects your studies. For example, you may be finding it difficult to concentrate following a concussion or similar. Your reason must be confirmed by a doctor's certificate enclosed with your application. We recommend that you read the guidelines for doctor's certificates thoroughly, as documentation is very important for the board of studies when making their decision regarding your application.

An application for dispensation may take up to eight weeks to process.

We recommend that you contact the Danish Students' Grants and Loans Scheme Office to see if it is possible to receive SU while you are not registered for courses and exams.

Click here to read more about exemptions.

Contact

Please send any questions from your AU-mail to Studieservice.Nat-Tech@au.dk