Thinking of switching from full-time to part-time or vice versa?
Changing how you study (your mode of study) may be possible, but it depends on your course – not all courses offer both full-time and part-time options – your personal circumstances and the time of year.
Before making any changes, it’s important to think about how this might affect things like student finance, tuition fees and your visa (if you’re an international student).
How to change
Speak to your course leader first; they’ll guide you through the process and inform the right university teams, like the Student Administration team and your school office.
Student finance
If you’re switching to part-time study on your current course, you may still be eligible for full funding from Student Finance England, as long as your school approves the change. But there are limits.
- You’re only usually funded for the length of your course plus one extra year (unless you have compelling personal reasons).
- If you change to a different course, you’ll be classed as a new student and your tuition fees and funding will follow the current rates.
Note: if you switch to part-time, you might not be eligible for a University of Brighton bursary unless you’re paying full tuition fees.
International students
If you’re on a Student visa, you must study full-time. There are only two exceptions.
- You can study part-time to resit or retake modules.
- If you are a postgraduate research student writing your thesis, you may be allowed to study part-time.
Always speak to an International Student Adviser before making any changes so you can check what’s allowed under your visa.