FAQs

For all leave, students with a Tier 4 or a student visa should ensure that they are familiar with the UK Visas and Immigration terms and conditions around attendance and absence on their degree programme.
International students are required to comply with the conditions of their visa and providers with the requirements on them as sponsors. The rules on visas are set by the UK Home Office. Currently this means that international students may be limited in how much leave they may take without returning to their home country, and may not be able to utilise all of the leave as described below.

Annual leave
Students are entitled to take annual leave during the course of their doctoral programme. UKRI recommends that ‘a minimum of 30 days to a maximum of eight weeks per year to include public holidays’ should be allowed (pro rata for part time students). The university’s policy on annual leave should inform the exact number of permitted days.
Collaborative Studentship award holders are expected to consider their obligations to the partner organisation when planning leave.

Medical leave

Under the UKRI sick leave policy, students in receipt of a full award are eligible for thirteen weeks of sick pay within any twelve-month period. They are eligible for sick pay from the first day of their award until the end of the funded period, if a medical certificate or letter is provided. If the period of medical leave is at least one month, then a corresponding funding extension will be provided.
Time off for common, short illnesses (for example colds, stomach bugs) would not normally result in an extension to the studentship.
It is not permissible to provide further funding once the funding end date of the student award has passed. Therefore, claims for medical leave must occur prior to the end of the funded period.

Family leave

• Maternity leave: DTP students are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave if the expected week of childbirth will occur during the period of their award. The earliest maternity leave can commence is 11 weeks before the expected week of childbirth. For those in receipt of a full award, the first 26 weeks will be paid at full stipend rate (pro-rated as necessary for part time students). The following 13 weeks will be paid at a level commensurate with statutory maternity pay. The final 13 weeks are not paid.
• Adoption leave: The main adopter of a child placed during a studentship is also entitled to 52 weeks of leave. For those in receipt of a full award, the first 26 weeks will be paid at full stipend rate (pro-rated as necessary for part time students). The following 13 weeks will be paid at a level commensurate with statutory maternity pay. The final 13 weeks are not paid.
• Partner’s/Paternity leave: Partners are entitled to up to two weeks paid Ordinary Paternity Leave on full stipend. Ordinary Paternity Leave cannot start before the birth and must end within 56 days of the birth.
• Parental leave: Under the unpaid parental leave scheme, eligible students are also entitled to an extended period of unpaid parental leave, up to a maximum of 50 weeks.

Students with a disability may be entitled to a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) in addition to the ESRC studentship funding. DSA helps to cover the cost of any additional support that someone studying for a doctorate might need as a result of a disability, mental health problem or specific learning difficulty. The allowance can cover: non-medical personal assistance, specialist equipment, extra travel costs and general expenses.
If a student may be eligible for such support, they should speak to their university’s disability advisor at the earliest possible opportunity. They will be able to assess the student’s needs and put the right support in place, and can start this process before the student has enrolled.