Admission of Students Under the Age of 18 Policy and Procedure

1.1. The University treats all its students, regardless of age on entry, as independent, mature individuals. However, under 18s living in England are considered by law to be children, which means the University has additional responsibilities towards students it admits who are under the age of 18 prior to the start of their course until the date at which they turn 18, even if this period is brief.

1.2. Where this is the case, the University will require the applicant and their parent or guardian to sign the University’s Consent Form for Students Under the Age of 18 (Appendix 1) and return it to the University as confirmation that both parties have read and understood the nature of the obligations which the University owes to its students under the age of 18 and the extent of the services and facilities available to them.

1.3. Applicants who are under 18 should be aware that they are applying to study in an adult environment and there may be a small number of restrictions applicable to them at the University while they are under 18. These are detailed below and should be read in conjunction with our Safeguarding Policy.

1.4. No applicant under the age of 18 will be eligible to be registered as an enrolled student by the University until the Consent Form has been signed, returned, and processed.

1.5. For international applicants needing a visa to study in the UK:

1.5.1 The University must comply with regulations set by the UK Visas and Immigration service of the UK’s Home Office.

1.5.2 As such, parents or guardians must ensure suitable care arrangements are in place for a child under the age of 18 who will study in the UK and be sponsored by the University under its Student Visa licence (see “4. UK Guardian” below).

1.5.3 The consent form (Appendix 1) must be returned to the University prior to the issuing of a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).

1.5.4 During the Student Visa application, the Alternative Collection Location (ACL) code must be used to ensure that delivery of the Biometric Residence Permit is to Staffordshire University, who can store the Biometric Residence Permit securely until it can be collected.

2.1. The following policy and procedure seeks to ensure that the respective responsibilities of the University and parent or guardian in relation to the applicant are clear. By signing the University Parental Consent Form, it is deemed by the University that the student’s parent or guardian has given their consent to the enrolment of their child in accordance with the terms of this Policy and Procedure.

2.2. Please note that once the student reaches the age of 18 this policy will no longer apply. At this point the student will become liable and responsible regarding all matters relating to the relationship between the student and the University including responsibility for fees.

3.1. The University is not able to take on the usual rights, responsibilities and authority which parents or guardians have in relation to a child, and it will not act in loco parentis (assuming parental responsibility) in relation to students who are under the age of 18.

3.2. Students who are under the age of 18 will be required to provide details of a UKbased parent or guardian who is willing to be contacted in an emergency.

3.3. Students who do not have a suitable relative in the UK will be required to register with and pay for a professional guardianship service. Students will be required to demonstrate that their guardianship contract covers the entire period until they become 18.

3.4. The University requires that students under the age of 18 confirm their travel arrangements and accommodation arrangements with the Student Support and Experience Manager or nominee prior to registration. All applicants under the age of 18 must complete and return the Parental Consent Form prior to enrolment.

4.1. People under the age of 18 are classified as children under UK law. This means that their parents or legal guardians must make major decisions on their behalf and hold legal responsibility for their protection and safety while their child is in the UK. The University must therefore be able to contact a UK-based guardian who has been nominated by parents/legal guardians who can act on their behalf and be the liaison between the University and the parents if an emergency arises or there are serious concerns for the health or wellbeing of the person under 18.

4.2. If an adult family member or an adult friend is nominated and agrees to take on this role, the parent / legal guardian must ensure:

4.2.1. That the nominated adult will be available for contact throughout the period that the child is under 18.

4.2.2. That the nominated adult understands that they will be contacted in case of emergency situations where they will be expected to liaise directly with the parents/legal guardians and may be expected to attend the University or other location where the incident has occurred where this is necessary.

4.2.3. That they understand that they may need to arrange for alternative accommodation at short notice should the University be closed due to an emergency or in the unlikely event that the student is suspended from the University due to breaches in regulations etc.

4.2.4. That they would need to take responsibility for any travel activities that the child arranges while in the country.

4.3 In the situation where there is no family member or family friend available to take guardianship responsibilities in the UK, parents / legal guardians should use a reliable agency to provide appropriate guardianship. For example, via the AEGIS website which provides a list. The Head of Student Support & Wellbeing (or nominee) will contact the guardian and approve prior to release of the CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies). Parents/legal guardians should ensure that the selected agency has experience of supervising University students.

5.1. The University requires a student’s parents/guardians to act as guarantor of all obligations under any contracts that the student enters into with the University prior to his or her eighteenth birthday (For example: payment of tuition and accommodation fees due to the University).

6.1. Parents and guardians should recognise that residential accommodation offered by the University is generally intended for the use of adults.

6.2. Parents and guardians should recognise that the use of private accommodation is at their own risk and is not regulated by Staffordshire University.

7.1. Students who are under 18 years are not allowed to hold office, for example, they may not be secretary or treasurer to a sports club or other students’ association.

8.1. As part of the admission process, the relevant departmental tutor will be consulted to ensure that the senior manager in the School or Institute are satisfied that the content of any academic programme would be appropriate for students under the age of 18. This includes course content, field trips and placements, where these activities would occur at a time when the student would be under 18 years old.

8.2. For some programmes it may be a requirement of the relevant professional, statutory and regulatory body that students are aged 18 or above when they enrol.

8.3. Parents and guardians should be aware that University staff will not routinely undergo Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

9.1. Courses may involve compulsory or optional field trips, excursions or other periods of study away from the University campus.

9.2. The University is not able to take any additional responsibility for a student who is under the age of 18 in relation to such activities.

9.3. Unless indicated otherwise, by signing the consent form the parent or guardian gives consent for the student to take part in these activities on that basis.

9.4. Risk assessments are carried out before all field trips and provision is made for inclusion of under 18s where possible.

9.5. Participation in some activities may be limited

10.1. It is illegal for alcohol and other restricted goods or services to be sold to, or bought by, students who are under the age of 18. Students under the age of 18 would be restricted from some on campus facilities, activities and organised events due to age restrictions in place.

11.1. The University’s policy is that its relationship is with students and not with parents or guardians. This approach will apply to students who are under the age of 18. The University will therefore correspond with students, and not with parents or guardians, unless the University receives express written permission from the student or there is a medical, criminal, or similar emergency.

12.1. When dealing with medical or other emergencies the University will always seek to do what is in the best interests of the student. The law relating to the giving or withholding of consent to medical treatment is complex and where there is doubt or conflict about the giving or refusal of consent by persons under the age of 18 or the involvement of parents the University may seek medical and legal opinion as to the appropriate course of action depending on the circumstances. Emergency contact details must be provided by students or parents prior to the student’s arrival at the University. The Parental Consent form must be completed and returned to the relevant department prior to enrolment.

13.1. The University offers email and unregulated internet services for all its students. These services are provided on an unsupervised basis. Students are expected to act in an adult and responsible manner when using these facilities and are required to abide by the University Library Regulations and IT regulations.

14.1. The University data protection policy and procedures apply also to persons under 18. This means that it will not normally be possible for the University to release information about academic progress or other matters to parents without the consent of the student.

14.2. However, if the student fails to pay any sums agreed on contract (see “Contracts” above) then it may be necessary to disclose this to any guarantor and possibly to a debt collection agency.

a) When the Admissions Team receives an application from someone who is under the age of 18, the under 18 clearance check will be added automatically on to the application where applicable.

b) If an applicant has met or predicted to meet the published entry criteria, the application would be sent to the tutor for review to confirm:

i. That the content of the course is suitable for applicants that are under 18 and there are no concerns about safeguarding in this regard.

ii. That they agree there are no academic barriers which includes any PSRB regulations which would prevent an under 18-year-old applicant from joining the course.

iii. That they can satisfactorily complete off-campus course related activities, including placements, that are compulsory to the course and its learning outcomes.

c) If the reviewing tutor is happy to proceed and the applicant is under the age of 17:

i. The risk register (Appendix 2) would be completed by the relevant Admissions Manager.

ii. The completed risk register would be sent to the relevant senior manager for the School or Institute and the Head of Student Support & Wellbeing for approval.

iii. The application will be processed using the standard offering route in eVision which will include a parental consent form in the applicant’s Staffordshire University portal.

iv. In some cases, it may be appropriate to contact the parent or guardian following submission of that form.

d) Where approval is not given, the decision would be actioned in eVision and follow the reject review processes.

e) If the reviewing tutor is happy to proceed and the applicant is aged 17:

i. The application will be processed using the standard offering route in eVision which will include a parental consent form in the applicant’s Staffordshire University portal.

ii. In some cases, it may be appropriate to contact the parent or guardian following submission of that form.

f) Where approval is not given, the decision would be actioned in eVision and follow the reject review processes.

i. In some cases, applicants that are aged 17 may be able to defer their application to the next academic year.

Completed parental consent forms for international students will be sent to the Head of Student Support & Wellbeing (or nominee) to liaise directly with the UK Guardian to ensure that all responsibilities are understood.

Where an applicant has cause for concern about the way their application has been handled, they should refer to section 11.0 of the Staffordshire University Admissions Policy.