It's important that you provide as much evidence and information as possible to support your claim. Each claim is considered on its own merits, and we use the documents you provide to decide if they clearly prove the impact of your circumstances on your ability to study and/or take assessments.
Important information about your evidence
Your evidence must be current and independent. We cannot consider evidence that is not recent to your circumstances to make a decision on your claim. Your evidence must clearly show how the circumstances affected you at the time that you were preparing for or undertaking the assessment.
Your evidence must be in English or must be accompanied by a certified translation. You are responsible for getting your evidence independently translated by an accredited translator prior to submission so it can be used to support your claim. The Association of Translation Companies has a full list of translators available for you to locate a suitable service.
Whilst it’s very rare, we are occasionally provided with false evidence. If we suspect this has happened, we may refer the evidence for consideration under the Student Disciplinary Procedure as an attempt to gain an unfair advantage.
Self-certification
If providing evidence is not possible or appropriate, you may want to self-certify your EC claim, where you provide details of the extenuating circumstances and their impact on your work without uploading documentary evidence.
You are entitled to use a self-certification up to three times in an Academic Year (beginning in September), and any additional claims will need to be independently evidenced. Each use of self-certification may cover multiple assessments due within a 7-calendar day period.
You cannot use self-certification to request an extension on a resit.
To self-certify, make sure you select ‘Yes’ in the Use Self-Certification field of your EC claim.
Self-certification limitations
| Main sit | During the academic year, self-certifications can be used to request an extension, deferral, or impaired performance. |
|---|---|
| Resit | During the resit period, self-certifications can be used to request a deferral or impaired performance, but cannot be used to request an extension. |
Greenwich Inclusion Plan (GIP)
You can use your Greenwich Inclusion Plan (GIP) as evidence to support an extension or deferral EC claim if it confirms and supports that you have a:
- Fluctuating mental health condition and/or
- Fluctuating long-term medical condition, and/or
- Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) that permits extra time in exams
Please note that the reason for your EC claim must be linked to the fluctuating mental health/long-term medical condition/SpLD. To use your GIP as evidence on an EC claim, select ‘Yes’ in the ‘Use Inclusion Plan’ field of your EC claim.
If you require additional time, it won’t be applied automatically, so you’ll need to submit an EC claim and use your GIP as evidence.
If you’ve been newly diagnosed with a long-term condition and were unable to tell us about it before, submit your EC claim with evidence of your diagnosis and contact the Student Wellbeing Service for further advice about managing and supporting your decision.
If you have any questions about Greenwich Inclusion Plans, please contact the Student Wellbeing Service.
Exceptional cases
The University acknowledges that, in exceptional cases, it can be very difficult to obtain evidence. If you believe your circumstances are exceptional, please explain this and the reasons you are unable to provide suitable evidence in your EC claim.
Examples of exceptional cases include, but are not limited to:
- Gender violence and abuse
- Coercive relationships
- Students impacted by political unrest/conflict
- Students impacted by natural disasters
- Students estranged from parents/partner (with financial/emotional impact)
- Death of relative/close friend overseas
Further information and updates on specific circumstances which currently do not require evidence can be found under the Exceptional cases that currently do not require evidence section of the Extenuating Circumstances webpage.
Submitting a claim without evidence
Make sure you don’t miss the deadline to submit your claim because you’re waiting for evidence. If your evidence is not available at the time you submit your claim, you can tick the ‘Submit evidence later’ option on the last page of your EC claim form.
Your evidence must be uploaded to your EC claim within 14 calendar days. You can upload your evidence through the Digital Student Centre by clicking on the arrow next to a claim with ‘More Information Needed’ in the Status column and selecting ‘Add Additional Information’. More guidance can be found on our EC Guide for Students document.
Examples of extenuating circumstances and required evidence
Acute personal or emotional circumstances
Your evidence must confirm the nature of your circumstances and the likely impact it is having on your ability to undertake formal assessment and/or study.
Evidence required:
- (An outcome letter/email from or registration with?) the University’s Student Wellbeing Service, or
- A letter of support from your GP, or
- (An email/letter from?) an external counsellor, or
- A statement from a support service
Bereavement (the death of a close family member/friend)
Your claim must clearly explain the nature of the relationship between you and the person who has passed away and how your ability to study has been affected. This is essential where the relationship is not within your immediate family (such a step-grandparent or cousin) or there’s no family connection (such as a friend). Claims relating to bereavement will normally be accepted for the term in which the death occurred, however, if you feel that you have been affected for longer, additional evidence of the ongoing impact may be required (e.g. a letter from GP or University counsellor).
Evidence required:
- A death certificate, or
- A letter from an independent professional (not a family member) containing their contact details and view on the closeness of your relationship with the deceased, or
- A statement from the University’s Wellbeing Service if you are registered with them, or
- A statement from either a Faculty Student Advisor, Student Support Advisor, Academic Tutor, or Personal Tutor, or
- An obituary or funeral order of service
Childcare (exams only)
This must be genuinely unforeseen and evidenced, such as booked childcare that was cancelled at short notice.
Evidence required:
- A letter from a registered childcare provider detailing the circumstances, including the reason for late cancellation or change
Court attendance in UK (not jury service)
If you are required to attend court as a witness, defendant, or plaintiff.
Evidence required:
- An official correspondence from the court confirming your attendance, or
- A solicitor's letter detailing the nature and dates of the legal proceedings and your requirement to attend
Victim of crime
Where a crime has led to a medical issue, evidence is required to confirm the impact the crime has had/is having on your studies.
Evidence required:
- Evidence of a requirement from the police to engage with them as part of their investigations, or
- A letter from an appropriate medical professional confirming the impact the investigation has/is having on your studies, or
- A letter from the University Counselling Service to confirm the impact the investigation has had/is having on your studies
Being investigated by the police
Where the accusation of a crime results in ill health or has a serious impact on you.
Evidence required:
- Evidence of a requirement from the police to engage with them as part of their investigations, or
- A letter from an appropriate medical professional confirming the impact the investigation has/is having on your studies, or
- A letter from the University Counselling Service to confirm the impact the investigation has had/is having on your studies
Deployment
Applies to military, reserves, voluntary, and emergency workers.
Evidence required:
- A letter on headed paper describing the deployment including dates
Domestic disruption
This applies to exams only, unless the circumstances are exceptionally severe.
Evidence required:
- A letter from an appropriate, independent professional or authority describing the relevant circumstances and how they may have impacted on your studies
Employment
If you are a part-time student and an unexpected or exceptional work commitment arises.
Evidence required:
- A letter on headed paper from your employer detailing the unexpected or exceptional circumstances
Financial problems
If you feel that the that the cost-of-living crisis is having an impact on you and your studies.
Evidence required:
- Medical note for stress
- Student Wellbeing letter relating to stress
- Application for Greenwich Hardship Fund
- Bills/final demands
- Letters rescinding funding (e.g. scholarship)
Hospitalisation
If you’ve been hospitalised at short notice and can’t submit a claim yourself, please contact your Faculty for help submitting the claim on your behalf.
Evidence required:
- A medical letter or certificate from the relevant hospital confirming the nature and severity of your circumstances
- The hospital discharge summary
Illness, injury, or medical treatment (including mental health)
Your evidence should describe your illness, injury or medical treatment and the likely impact it has on your ability to prepare for and/or undertake your assessment. It must state the time and duration of your circumstances and include a clear medical opinion.
Medical evidence must be obtained from the person, practice, or institution that diagnosed or assessed the illness/injury when it occurred. Evidence that you reported you were unwell after the event or illness occurred, or which doesn’t include a clear diagnosis, is unlikely to be accepted.
Do not submit images of prescriptions and medication or of body parts (including photos of sustained injuries, x-rays, ultrasound scans, etc.), as they cannot be accepted as evidence for a claim and could be distressing for the staff reviewing your evidence.
Evidence required:
- An original medical certificate
- A letter from an appropriate medical professional
- A letter from the University Counselling Service – the University Counselling Service can only provide letters for extenuating circumstances claims if you are registered with the service and have received support over a period relevant to your claim
We cannot accept the following:
- Letters of appointment
- Images (including x-rays)
- Prescriptions
- Medication
Family member illness, injury, or medical treatment (including mental health)
This is generally expected to apply to serious injury or illness in a child, sibling, parent, spouse, or partner. Consideration of a serious injury or illness in a wider family member (such as grandparent, aunt, uncle, etc.) or close friend would require evidence to support your role as the primary carer and/or the closeness of the relationship.
Evidence required:
- A medical certificate/letter from an independent medical professional confirming the nature and severity of the family member’s circumstances and the impact it has on your ability to undertake your assessment
Jury service (UK only)
If you are summoned to undertake jury service, you must make a request to the Court for it to be deferred. It is only if this request is refused that your extenuating circumstances will be considered acceptable.
Evidence:
- An official communication from the Jury Central Summoning Bureau (HM Courts and Tribunals Service) confirming that your request for deferral or rearrangement has been denied, and compelling you to attend jury service
Paternity/maternity/parental leave
Must be unforeseen (e.g. adoption leave after being informed a child will be placed, in the event of a premature birth, etc.).
If you or your partner become pregnant, you may need to submit EC claims for medical appointments. You can find helpful advice in our Pregnancy & Maternity Policy.
Evidence required:
- An appointment or medical letter
Representing the University at a national event
Your EC claim details must explain why the event should be considered significant.
Evidence:
- A letter of confirmation from the relevant organising body
University administrative/procedural error
An error relating to administration or a standard process by the University resulting in a significant negative impact on your ability to study for/undertake an assessment.
Evidence required:
- Emails/screenshots of the irregularity