As part of an ongoing investigation into intermissions, two PhD students spoke to Varsity.

Magdalen, Emmanuel – “I managed through seven years of severe ME without antidepressants... Now I can’t function without them”

Intermitting from my PhD was an overwhelmingly negative experience, both in terms of my college’s response and that of the Student Registry (SR). I have suffered from ME for seven years, experiencing muscle and physical weakness and pain, headaches, insomnia and severe exhaustion daily. These worsened over Michaelmas to the point that I decided to intermit in February, not receiving a response until after Lent. My application was denied. I re-submitted the same application and it was accepted. This delay was undeniably stressful.

When I wrote to the SR to ask about my scholarship they did not answer the query. I turned to College for advice. I was told in no uncertain terms that the SR would not ask for scholarship money back while I was intermitting,and that College would help with any financial difficulties that arose.

In June I received an invoice from the SR for £5,189.60 to be repaid within a month. I was unable to pay this as I have no other source of income other than my scholarship and come from a relatively poor background. College made vague offers of help, but then offers of grants became an offer of a loan, before being rescinded altogether. I spent four months struggling to find a solution to this financial mess.

In an attempt to mitigate the financial burden, I returned to my studies in July, three months earlier than the date suggested by my doctor. I lost three months of my intermission, which I badly needed. The SR accepted my application to return, but refused to answer emails regarding the payment of my scholarship instalment. This state of affairs came to an end after I received a letter from the SR in early September 2015, giving me 24 hours to pay the invoice. My supervisor kindly stepped in and paid the invoice in full from faculty funds.

This experience has been detrimental to my mental health. I had managed through seven years of severe ME without resorting to antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication, but now I cannot function without them. Complaints to both College and the SR have received overwhelmingly inadequate responses.

Graduate and international students let down by intermissions process

Melissa, Homerton – “The University has not helped me in a critical moment of my life but has made it significantly harder.”

I was diagnosed with depression in January, but I did not intermit for two reasons. Firstly, I never stopped working. It was only due to my lack of concentration that I went to find out what was going on with me, as I needed to submit my thesis by September. The second reason is that I am a non-European student. If I intermitted then the University is required by the Home Office to stop sponsoring my visa granted for studying in the UK.

I know that this is out of the hands of the University, but if it wants to guarantee access to students like me who are mature, non-European and dependent on scholarships, they need to understand that moving back and forth and constantly applying for visas is not an option. For example, I even had to keep paying rent during the 5 months I was in Brazil doing fieldwork and although I could intermit, I would lose my scholarship.

Although I made significant progress with my thesis during the year, I hadn’t finished by September. I requested an extension of the submission deadline. My supervisor, college tutor and department approved my extension, but the student registry denied it without providing a reason. Although I was requested an extension based on academic reasons, I think they judged it on a medical basis, applying the rules as if depression was like surgery or an accident where you don’t work for a few weeks. This is not right.

Because of the changes in my circumstances I contacted the International Student department seeking advice. They informed that I had been removed from the Register of Graduate Students and the University had to report this to the Home Office. As a result, the Home Office will curtail my visa to 60 days.

Anyone that knows what depression is will understand that the University has not helped me in a critical moment of my life but has made it significantly harder. I am back to work now, but I needed some time to put myself together after the shock. I worry that if this situation is not reversed then completing my PhD might not be possible resulting in severe personal consequences. I have to pay back my scholarship if I do not finish the PhD or do not go back to Brazil and work there for the next 4 years.

There are more international students in postgrad courses in Cambridge then British students. I hope my case can help others understand how some of the University's current rules and procedures can affect the lives of students like me. I really hope something changes so that other people don't have to go through this too