In order for funding to be released for the next academic year, you must successfully complete the previous academic year and provide the DoE with a letter of progression or a transcript of results, from the University and submit the ‘Continuation of Scholarship Funding Form.’
Throughout the course of study, you may experience unexpected short term difficulties. This might have a detrimental effect on your studies, which may lead you to having to withdraw/defer/take a leave of absence:
- Serious illness (physical or mental)
- Family difficulties
- Death in family
- Other unforeseen circumstances
The University can offer different levels of support and will offer you different options so that you can work towards completing your qualification.
However, for different reasons, you may not be allowed to progress to the next level of study by your University.
Resits or Repeat Year
If you fail an assessment the university may offer you an opportunity to resubmit the assessment or resit the exam. Each university has different resit policies which you need to follow. Your university should contact informing you of what you are required to do. However, if they do not contact you, you must contact them as soon as possible.
If there are mitigating circumstances for example personal problems, illness, etc. that you feel may affect your exam performance, you should inform the university immediately. The decision will be made by your university as to whether or not you can resit the exam.
You will be required to pay for the resit opportunity.
If you fail the resit, the University may not allow you to continue with your course and you will be required to reimburse the HM Government of Gibraltar with all the monies invested in your studies, inclusive of tuition fees and maintenance fees for that academic year.
If the University offers you the opportunity to repeat the year, and you wish to do so, you will need to self-fund the year in its entirety. Once the year is successfully completed, HMGoG will continue to fund the remaining years of study.
Trailing of Modules
If you did not complete all of the modules in the academic year, the university may allow you to progress onto the next level and trail one or two modules into the next academic year. This means that you will have to attend all the lectures on these modules and complete the assignments in addition to the commitments required for the new 120 credits. This can be very challenging and you need to carefully think about this option.
Permission to trail modules must be sought from the Department of Education. You will need to provide a letter from the University which gives details of their offer.
You will be required to attend a meeting with the Department of Education, with your guarantor, in person or remotely, to discuss and explore the challenges that may arise:
- financial implications if you are unable to complete the course.
- the importance of seeking support from the Department of Education and from the tutors at the University should you encounter any difficulties.
At the end of this meeting, you and your guarantor will be required to sign an agreement with the Department of Education.
If you pass the trailed modules, the University will issue you with a progression letter which you must forward to the DoE.
If you do not pass the trailed modules you will be required to reimburse HM Government of Gibraltar the funds afforded for two academic years.