Guidance on tuition fees for PGR students who require additional time to conduct primary research as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As a research student, you have a period of minimum candidature during which tuition fees are paid. This is normally the period when you are expected to conduct and complete your primary research (e.g. full-time PhD students have a 3-year period of minimum candidature, part-time PhD students have a 6-year period of minimum candidature). If you require any additional time for primary research beyond this minimum candidature period, further tuition fees are normally required for this.
However, if you find that your primary research has been disrupted due to the Covid-19 situation, we will support a tuition-fee-free extension beyond the normal end of minimum candidature e.g. you will not have to pay extra tuition fees for this extension. This will enable you to complete the primary research that you were unable to during the disrupted period.
Requests for a tuition fee-free extension to minimum candidature should be submitted through ePortfolio. You should indicate the length of extension to minimum candidature that you are requesting and how you will complete your primary research in this time.
Each request will be considered on a case by case basis by the PG Deans based on the impact of Covid-19 on your ability to progress with and/or complete your primary research. This allows us to have a documented statement of impact and a recommendation of additional ‘candidature’ from the supervisor for consideration by the PG Dean.
If your request for a tuition fee-free extension to minimum candidature is approved, please note that your thesis submission deadline will remain unchanged as our overarching aim is to support you to complete within your original timescale where this is possible.
If you believe that you will require an extension to your thesis submission deadline, you should submit a request through ePortfolio when your deadline is approaching, normally within 3 months of your thesis submission deadline.
Last reviewed: 14.01.2022