If you suffer some severe personal trauma which affects your academic performance, you can ask the university to take those “extenuating circumstances” into account. This publication from the Univesrity of Bristol explains more about what that means:

Generally, extenuating circumstances are circumstances which are unforeseen, unpreventable, and have a serious impact on a students’ academic performance. It is not possible to compile a complete list of circumstances, as each case will be considered on its own merit, but two common examples that can be regarded as extenuating circumstances are:

• Serious personal illness: For example, an illness requiring hospitalisation, such as appendicitis.

• Bereavement: For example, the death of a close family member.

According to the Sunday Mirror, Tim Farron has written to all university vice -chancellors to ask them to ensure that victims of rape and sexual assault are able to ask for these extenuating circumstances to be taken into account.

Mr Farron said: “The trauma of sexual violence is immeasurable and I worry that universities are not being clear in the extenuating circumstances for students.

“There should not be any shade or loopholes in this. Universities should have a consistent approach.

“I have written to all vice-chancellors to ask them to be ensure that their university offers clear guidance and extenuating circumstances to any student who is a victim in such horrific cases, and to the National Union of Students who have done much to raise awareness in this area to ask for their support in pushing for these changes.”