Refund and Compensation Policy

In our Student Protection Plan we explain the work we do to minimise any disruption to your studies and compensatory action we would take to ensure you are offered suitable and reasonable alternatives. This Policy provides details of the individual support and help available to you, including financial and other assistance (see especially section 4 below).

1.2 This Policy does not relate to the refund of accommodation fees. Details of accommodation refund arrangements can be found in the terms and conditions of the Accommodation License Agreement. The refund of other study-related fees involving a third party (such as booked field trips) are also not covered by this Policy and should be discussed with your School. Please note, in some circumstances, it may not be possible to recover all or part of these expenses from the third party involved.

2.1 In the following circumstances, a proportion of your tuition fees will normally be refunded, and repaid to the Student Loans’ Company (where appropriate):

• Withdrawal from your course – whether you are choosing to leave, or in exceptional circumstances, if you are asked to leave. You will need to have completed the withdrawal procedure if you wish to leave.

• Authorised break from study. You will need to have completed the break from study procedure.

• Transferring to another course within the University, where there is a differential in the tuition fee charged.  You will need to have completed the change of course procedure.

• Transferring to another Higher Education provider. You will need to have completed the course transfer procedure.

2.2 Tuition fees will not be refunded in the following circumstances:

• For International students, if the UKVI cancels your visa because of a breach of visa conditions, or if your visa application is refused by the UKVI because the UKVI concluded that your application was made using falsified documents.

• Students are withdrawn from the course if the University finds that he/she made a fraudulent application for admission and/or provided falsified documents.

2.3 We will confirm any refund due based on the eligibility shown in section 3. If you are paying your tuition fees via a loan from the Student Loans Company (SLC), your suspension/withdrawal date will be reported to the SLC. Your Tuition Fee Loan will be adjusted accordingly to reflect the correct fee liability and any interest accrued, when the fees have been refunded by the University to the SLC.

2.4 In exceptional and unforeseen circumstances, if we need to change the arrangements of your course, we will consult you and provide the necessary support, include covering all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (by prior approval of the University Executive).

2.5 Details of all the above procedures will be provided by our Money & Guidance Advisors (see 4.1 below).

3.1 In accordance with consumer protection regulations, as a minimum you are able to cancel your place within 14 calendar days of initial enrolment and any tuition fees/deposits will be refunded in full.

3.2 In all circumstances, we will confirm if you are eligible for a refund. We will calculate your refund based on your last date of active registration on your course and with reference to the following table:

 * Depending on the start-date of your course, term 1 of your year of study may begin at another point in the year. Examples  include October, January or March.
** All tuition fee refunds are calculated on the net tuition fee, which considers any fee waiver, reduction or discount that has been applied to your account.  

3.3  Part time Postgraduate Taught students are charged on a module by module basis. You will be liable to pay the full module fee for any modules you attend or engage with and will not be eligible for a refund. If you deselect or withdraw from a module before the date it’s due to start, and you have not attended, engaged or taken part in the module in any way, the University will cancel the module fee in full. If you have already paid for the module you will be eligible for a refund.

3.4 Postgraduate Research Students are charged an annual fee based on 12 months of study. If you are eligible for a refund your fees will be recalculated based on a pro-rata calculation, i.e. on the number of months remaining in the year of study. For example, a student leaving in the middle of month five, would receive a 50% refund (six full remaining months multiplied by 1/12th of the annual fee).

3.5 If you transfer to another course which has a different fee, you will be liable for the fee associated with each course for the time that you were enrolled onto each course. If you transfer to a course with a higher fee, your fee liability will increase. Any fee increase will be applied on a pro-rata basis. Conversely, if you transfer to a course with a lower fee, your fee liability will be reduced on a pro-rata basis. For example, if you change your mode of study from full-time to part-time study you will be charged a pro-rata amount for the period you were registered as a full-time student and a pro-rata amount of the remaining time you are registered as a part-time student. Should you have already paid your fees in advance before transferring, then a pro-rata refund will be applied.

4.1 If you wish to withdraw, take a break in your studies, change course or transfer to another Higher Education provider, please contact the Money & Guidance Advisors, or equivalent if you are studying at one of our partner colleges for assistance. Our Money & Guidance Advisors will be able to guide you through the process. It is important you seek advice, because the timing of a withdrawal during your course can affect your eligibility for future student loans. If you are studying at a partner college, please check your college website for further details on who to contact.

4.2 The Money & Guidance Advisors, supported by your Personal Tutor will be able to assess your needs and identify the support we can offer you and/or the refund you will receive if you choose to discontinue or suspend your enrolment.

4.3 In the case of refunds, when your enrolment status has been changed from active to inactive, the University’s Finance Team will be notified and raise a credit note on your account. Should your account be in credit you can request a refund by contacting our Finance Department directly at income@staffs.ac.uk. Refunds are normally processed within 14 days of Finance receiving your request for a refund. Please note, the University is required to return funds to the person or organisation that originally made the tuition fee payment. In line with our obligations under UK Money Laundering legislation if a third party has paid your fees, such as a parent or any other individual (apart from you) we cannot issue you with the refund and are unable to make any refunds in cash. We also reserve the right to refuse or reject any financial transaction where we are unable to identify or trace the origin of the payment made.

5.1 If you have any questions or concerns about how your fee liability has been calculated, please contact the Money & Guidance Advisors at student-support@staffs.ac.uk in the first instance.

5.2 If you have concerns about how your refund has been handled, or if you believe that it has not been calculated in accordance with the terms set out in this Policy, you may seek redress through the University’s complaints procedure. The Complaints Procedure enables you to raise concerns about the quality of any services we provide for you. We review all complaints that are upheld, to identify an appropriate remedy (on a case by case basis) to address appropriately the concerns raised. The remedy may involve a financial payment or other bespoke support.