Student Support

UBEL encourages you to get in touch with our team if there are any changes throughout the duration of your studentship that may impact your funding. For further information please refer to the “Managing your Studentship” pages. 

The UBEL team will also provide a confidential space for students to discuss any challenges that may be impacting their wellbeing and ability to study. Please feel free to contact any one of us directly to discuss your needs or concerns.  

UBEL strongly encourages any students experiencing difficulties to check the student support resources available via the expert teams within partner institutions:  

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Student Representatives​

UBEL student representatives are nominated on an annual basis to provide peer support to current students. The UBEL student representatives meet with the UBEL Management Group on a termly basis.  

Student representatives for 2022/23: 

Lottie Howard-Merrill lottie.howard-merrill.09@ucl.ac.uk 

Helina Shebeshe 662194@soas.ac.uk 

Caitlin Spooner caitlin.spooner.21@ucl.ac.uk 

Linda Olanrewaju Adeyemo lolanr02@student.bbk.ac.uk

Abigail Lennox u1638800@uel.ac.uk

Martina Fisk martina.fisk.15@ucl.ac.uk  

Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA)  

Any disabled student who, because of disability, is obliged to incur additional expenditure in connection with their studies, may be eligible for an allowance. You should speak to your research organisation’s disability advisor to assess your needs and for further advice on how to claim direct support. Following this, you should inform UBEL, so that our team can ensure that any costs incurred are covered. 

Further information is available here.

Funded Extensions 

As per the ESRC Postgraduate Funding Guide, UBEL can offer extensions to funding end dates for the following reasons:

  • Difficult Language Training
  • International Institutional Visits (IIVs)
  • Parental Leave
  • Transfers between part-time and full-time registration
  • Suspensions (the duration of interrupted study will be added on to your funding end date)
  • Sick Leave (the duration of sick leave will be added on to your funding end date)

Funded extensions for caring responsibilities are not possible and ESRC recommend a transfer to part time enrolment or a suspension of study in this instance.

If anything is unclear or requires further discussion please e-mail ubel-dtp@ucl.ac.uk.

Extensions for students impacted by Covid-19 

UBEL is not in receipt of any additional funding sources but has some flexibility to use the existing UBEL grant to cover funded extensions. However, the DTP is expected to follow ESRC guidance with regards to offering additional time to those impacted by Covid-19.  

  • UBEL can offer funded extensions as a result of documented ill health (i.e. long covid).  
  • Where data collection or access to resources have been disrupted, we encourage students to mitigate where possible. If mitigation is not possible and a request for an extension is made, UBEL will require a detailed workplan, evidence of mitigation and email confirmation from supervisors. 
  • UBEL can offer unfunded extensions to thesis submission dates where students have met challenges as a result of Covid-19.  

Any requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis by UBEL management in line with ESRC and institutional regulations.  

If there are any queries regarding extensions, please contact ubel-dtp@ucl.ac.uk in the first instance.