Stopping your studies
Procedure for stopping your studies, how to stop, when to stop for a diploma or credit contract and when not to stop for a diploma or credit contract
Please note that stopping your studies does not release you from the obligation to pay the tuition fees. Read the regulations below carefully and stop your studies correctly.
Stopping your studies = final termination of diploma or credit contract
Perhaps you need some time for other things or you want to be able to make new choices at your own pace.
Then you can choose to stop your studies and not start immediately in another program.
When you stop, you end your contract. You may no longer participate in classes and exams, including those of the 2nd term examination period.
Do not stop hastily and discuss it with others first. Inform yourself well about the consequences of quitting for study progress, growth package, scholarship, etc., among other things.
Do you still want to participate in certain classes or exams?
Then do not stop your contract. Contact the Faculty Student Administration (FSA) of your program and ask whether you may delete or stop courses from your curriculum.
Deleting or dropping courses from your curriculum is not stopping, but a change to your curriculum (in Dutch only). Different deadlines and rules apply.
Exception: Students who start in a bachelor program must always take all course units of the 1st model track year (BA1). You cannot have courses removed in this case unless you meet an exception for this (see OER - Article 30, § 4).
Do you want to enrol in another program?
If so, different conditions and consequences apply. See changing programs or majors (in Dutch only) for all information about reorienting.
Changing educational institutions
Before 1 March
Do you stop (final termination of diploma or credit contract) at UGent in the course of the academic year and want to enrol during that same academic year for a diploma contract or credit contract at one of the partner institutions of the Ghent University Association (HoGent, Arteveldehogeschool and Howest)? Please indicate this as your reason for quitting in Oasis.
You will then receive an 'attestation of stopping your studies with the eye on reorientation'. With this document, you no longer have to pay the fixed amount to the college. The 'attestation of stopping your studies with the eye on reorientation' will be sent to your private email address. This may take a few days.
You can, if necessary, already enrol at the new institution and send the reorientation certificate afterwards, so that the tuition fee will still be adjusted after enrolment.
This certificate is not valid for transfer from or to advanced master program, postgraduate program, lifelong learning program or doctorate or after the 2nd-term educational activities or 2nd-term examination period.
As of March 1
You want to enrol in another institution the next academic year: do not stop your studies.
At that moment, stopping has only disadvantages (growth package/child benefit, scholarship, tuition fees, study progress measures, ...).
Stopping doctorate
Different rules apply to the PhD when discontinuing: see Application and enrolment for or discontinuing a doctorate (Ph.D.)
Consequences
Tuition fee
Depending on when you discontinue a program, you may be refunded some of your tuition fee.
Study progress monitoring and learning account
Have you achieved less than 20% study progress at the time of stopping? Then you will no longer be able to enrol in the same program at UGent. Your enrolment request will be refused.
- See Study Progress Monitoring and article 24 Education and Examination Code.
- More info about learning account.
Threshold conditions
You first enrolled in a bachelor's degree in 2024-2025 and stop in 2024-2025
If you first enrolled in a bachelor's degree in 2024-2025 and stop this academic year, the threshold conditions will be affected.
Your enrolment in 2024-2025 is considered your 1st enrolment in that bachelor's degree. If you did not yet pass all courses in the initial coursework when you stop, you do not yet meet the threshold conditions.
If you re-enrol in the same bachelor in 2025-2026 or later, this will be considered your 2nd enrolment in that bachelor and you must have passed all courses of the initial coursework by the end of that enrolment.
Failing that, your enrolment in this program will be refused at any Flemish university. More info: Study Progress Monitoring
You first enrolled in a bachelor's degree in 2023-2024 and stop in 2024-2025
If you first enrolled in a bachelor in 2023-2024 and stop that bachelor in the 2024-2025 academic year, this affects the threshold conditions.
If when you stop in 2024-2025 you still did not pass all courses in the initial coursework, you will not meet the threshold conditions at the end of 2024-2025.
Your enrolment in this program will be refused at any Flemish university from 2025-2026. More info: Study Progress Monitoring
Growth package (child benefits) and scholarship
Stopping may affect your growth package (child benefits) and scholarship.
Contact Social Services to find out the impact on your specific situation.
Working as student employee
If you stop your studies, you may no longer work as a student employee. However, if you do not plan to return to study soon, you can register with the VDAB as a school leaver.
Your UGent account
When you stop your studies, you lose your UGent account, but you retain access to Oasis for the entire coming academic year. So, among other things, you can still view exam results and download mark sheets.
Your student room
Do you rent a room in a UGent student residence? Then your rental agreement will also be terminated when you stop your studies. More info about ending a rental agreement.
Do you rent a room elsewhere? Be sure to check the conditions in your rental contract.
Stopping your studies after March 14
Do not terminate your studies!
Stopping your studies after Marc 14 only has negative consequences (child benefits, scholarship, tuition fee, study progress monitoring, ... ).
Do notify your examination office if you will not take examinations (= not the same as stopping your studies).
Even if you will not re-enrol for the next academic year you do not have to stop your studies.
Your enrolment at UGent will stop automatically on the last day of this academic year.
There is 1 exception: if you want to register at the VDAB as 'school leaver': then you do have to stop.
Please note that if you unsubscribe/stop after March 14, you cannot do so through Oasis, but you will need to come in with your student card or identity card.
How do I stop my studies
You can stop your studies online in Oasis (or go to the Registrar's Office in person).
Online via Oasis
- Go to Oasis
- Choose 'Stop' in the left column
- Your current contracts are listed
- Select the contract that you wish to stop and follow the instructions
- You will receive an email confirming the termination of your contract
- Destroy your student card (if you have no other enrolments at UGent)
In person at the Registrar's Office
- Go to the Registrar's Office
- You will have to fill in and sign a form
- Hand in your student card and certificates of enrolment (if you have unused certificates) if you have no other enrolments at UGent
Contact
Do you have doubts about stopping, transferring to another course, ... ? A conversation can help you sort things out:
Administrative or practical questions: