Can Final-Year Students Defer Study? Detailed Exploration

What is deferring study results?

Deferring study results is the right to temporarily suspend study for a certain time for a legitimate reason, still keeping the results achieved. After the deferral time, students continue studying together with the junior cohort without retaking the subjects already accumulated.

According to Article 15 of Circular 08/2021/TT-BGDĐT: “Students are allowed to defer study results when they have a legitimate reason and are approved by the higher-education institution. The maximum deferral time does not exceed two academic years, consecutive or non-consecutive.” Deferral is different from dropping out; when deferring, students keep their results and are still members of the school (temporarily inactive), while when dropping out, students lose their status and need to re-enrol.

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Can final-year students defer study?

The answer is YES, but they must meet the conditions according to current regulations, specifically:

• Allowed to defer when: Having a legitimate reason, not having completed enough compulsory course units, not yet at the graduation-consideration or announcement stage.
• Not allowed to defer when: Having completed all course units and just waiting for graduation consideration, currently in the result-announcement stage, already listed for graduation.

Therefore, final-year students completely have the right to defer if they still owe course units or have not defended their thesis. However, if all requirements have been completed, deferral no longer has meaning.

The cases in which final-year students are allowed to defer

According to Article 15 of Circular 08/2021/TT-BGDĐT, students are allowed to defer in the following cases:

Deferral due to health reasons

• Case: Serious illness, accident, surgery, long-term treatment, psychological disorder, depression, pregnancy and childbirth.
• File: Certification from a public hospital or a licensed clinic, confirming the health status and the recuperation time.
• Time: 1 semester to 2 semesters depending on the level of seriousness.

Deferral due to special family or personal circumstances

• Case: The family encountering a sudden circumstance (parents seriously ill, passing away), sudden financial difficulty needing to work.
• File: Confirmation of the local authority, death certificate (if any), hospital certification, an application clearly explaining the circumstance.

Deferral due to obligation, work or other legitimate reasons

• Case: Military service, international student exchange programme, short-term study-abroad scholarship, a reputable job opportunity, national/international sports competition.
• File: Confirmation from the relevant agency (enlistment call paper, programme invitation letter, labour contract), an explanation application.

The case of not having completed enough graduation conditions

• Case: Still owing 1-3 subjects, not having enough compulsory credits, not having defended the thesis or the defence not passing, not having reached the foreign-language/informatics output standard.
• Reason: Not having enough health/financial conditions to complete in the current semester, needing more time to prepare carefully.

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The procedure and time for applying to defer study results

The deferral procedure

According to Clause 4 Article 15 of Circular 08/2021/TT-BGDĐT issuing the University Training Regulation, the general regulation on temporary study leave and deferring study results: “Students applying to defer must have an application sent to the head of the education institution accompanied by documents proving the reason.”

The 5-step process:

• Step 1 – Prepare the file: The deferral application (according to the template), documents proving the reason, a copy of ID/Citizen ID, other related documents if the school requires (such as tuition receipt, current confirmed transcript, etc.)
• Step 2 – Submit the file: At the Training Office, at least 2 weeks before the end of the semester
• Step 3 – Wait for consideration: 7-15 working days
• Step 4 – Receive the result: The deferral decision if approved
• Step 5 – Complete the procedure: Temporarily stop paying tuition, notify the supervising lecturer

Some institutions may have different detailed procedures (for example requiring transcript confirmation at the time of application), you should contact the school’s training office to know the file template and specific deadline. At HUFLIT, students submit the application online through the management system on the HUFLIT student information portal (portal).

The study-results deferral application form (B06) is in the list of academic-related application templates issued by HUFLIT. After registering, the file is usually processed within about 5-7 working days.

The deferral time

According to Clause 2 Article 15 of the Training Regulation (Circular 08/2021/TT-BGDDT): “The maximum deferral time does not exceed two academic years, either consecutive or non-consecutive.”

• Minimum deferral: 1 semester (6 months)
• Maximum deferral each time: 1 academic year
• Total time: Not exceeding 2 years in the whole course

Tuition note: You don’t have to pay full tuition during the deferral time, only pay the management fee (if any) or receive a corresponding deduction.

What should final-year students consider before deferring?

Before deciding to defer, students, especially final-year students, should carefully consider the impacts to ensure that decision suits your study and career future. The things to consider include:

• Evaluate the reason: Only defer when truly necessary, not because of laziness or wanting to rest.
• Future impact: Deferral makes graduation 1-2 years late, affecting job opportunities, study abroad, personal plans.
• Financial ability: Calculate the tuition cost when returning to study the still-owed subjects.
• Follow the correct process: Carefully read the regulation, submit the application on time, prepare full documents. Don’t arbitrarily drop out without doing the procedure.
• Deferral time plan: Use it effectively to treat health, accumulate experience, learn additional skills, don’t let it waste.
• Keep in contact: Notify the school in time if there is a change of plan.

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Common questions about whether final-year students can defer study

Does a final-year student’s deferral affect graduation?

Deferral affects the graduation time but does not lose the graduation right. The study results before deferral are kept unchanged, the GPA is not affected. The graduation degree is still valid, only the cohort year recorded on the degree is the actual graduation year.

What is the maximum deferral time for final-year students?

According to Circular 08/2021/TT-BGDĐT, the maximum deferral time is 2 academic years (consecutive or non-consecutive). HUFLIT determines the maximum time for students to complete the course must not exceed 02 times the time according to the standard study plan of the training programme. For example, if the standard programme is 3.5 years, the total maximum time to complete (including the deferral time) is at most about 7 years (2 × 3.5 years).

After deferral, what should final-year students note when returning to study?

After deferring and returning to study, final-year students need to note some procedures, academic matters and study risks, so that returning to study goes smoothly and to avoid losing rights:

• Do the return procedure: Submit the application at least 2 weeks before the end of the deferral period, pay tuition for the still-owed subjects.
• Register early: Proactively register for the still-owed subjects, especially prerequisite subjects for the thesis.
• Update the programme: Discuss with the Training Office about programme changes (if any).
• Contact the lecturer: If doing a thesis, contact again to continue the work.
• Take remedial classes: Participate in a remedial class if you forgot knowledge due to a long absence.

Can final-year students defer study? The answer is YES if they have a legitimate reason and have not completed the programme. However, they need to carefully consider the impact and do the correct procedure. HUFLIT supports students with a convenient online process, fast processing in 5-7 days and arranging a flexible study schedule when returning. Contact HUFLIT now for detailed advice on the deferral procedure and a suitable study plan!

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