Boston College Fees Policy 2014 2015 There are different categories of fees and Government subsidies depending on your age and the level of the qualification you are studying. This document will help to identify if you are required to pay fees for your course. Page 1 of 11
Classroom Based Learning up to Level 3 learners aged 16-23 years For full time courses, up to Level 3, subsidised by the Government the course fees will be 1,000 for the academic year 2014/2015, however, you may be entitled to remission of course fees if you fall into one of the following categories, although this may be subject to status. For parttime course fees please visit our website, as these vary depending on the level of course and the number of hours you will be studying. Remission Category Evidence Required Fees payable Person aged between 16 to 18 years on 31 st August 2014 Identification required Person aged 19 to 23 years on the first day of their course wishing to progress to your first full level 2 (equivalent to five or more GCSE s grade A*-C) but needs an additional step up from basic skills in order to progress Person aged 19 to 23 years on the first day of their course and studying their first full level 2 (equivalent to five or more GCSE s grade A*-C) Person aged 19 to 23 years on the first day of their course and studying their first full first full level 3 qualification (equivalent to two A Levels) Person aged 19 to 23 on the first day of their course, registered unemployed and in receipt of Jobseeker s Allowance. Person aged 19 to 23 on the first day of their course, receiving Employment & Support Allowance (ESA) in the Work related Activity Group (WRAG). Person aged 19 to 23 on the first day of their course, who ia unemployed but not in receipt of Jobseeker s Allowance or ESA (WRAG) and wants to find employment Person aged 19 to 23 on the first day of their course, who is unemployed in receipt of Universal Credit and is mandated to undertake skill training Complete a declaration on the enrolment form and identification required. Complete a declaration on the enrolment form and identification required. Complete a declaration on the enrolment form and identification required. JSA1 Form authorised by Jobcentre Plus or an official letter confirming you are in receipt of JSA Official letter confirming you are receiving ESA Self-declaration form and current letter confirming you are in receipt of benefits. Mandated Referral form from the Job Centre Plus. Tuition fees are not charged for Adult Basic Skills including Functional Skills English and Maths. For learners who already hold GCSE English or Maths grade A*-C will be charged a fee, but for learners who either don t hold a GCSE English Language or Maths or do hold them below grade C there will be no charge. Full Cost or Commercial courses are not eligible for fee remission. These fee remission categories may be subject to change and are dependent on other funding eligibility criteria. Please contact Registry for further information Page 2 of 11
Classroom Based Learning learners aged 24 years or over on the first day of the course For full time courses at Level 2 or below, and subsidised by the Government, the course fees will be 1,000 for the academic year 2014/2015, However, you may be entitled to remission from these course fees if you fall into one of the following categories, although this may be subject to status. For all part-time course fees please visit our website, as these vary depending on the level of course and the number of hours you will be studying. Remission Category Evidence Required Fees payable Person aged 24 years or over at the start of the course, studying up to Level 2, registered unemployed and in receipt of Jobseeker s Allowance. JSA1 Form authorised by Jobcentre Plus or an official letter confirming you are in receipt of JSA Person aged 24 years or over at the start of the course, studying up to Level 2, receiving Employment & Support Allowance (ESA) in the Work related Activity Group. Person aged 24 years or over at the start of the course, studying up to Level 2, is unemployed but not in receipt of Jobseeker s Allowance or ESA (WRAG) and wants to find employment Person aged 24 years or over at the start of the course, studying up to Level 2, is unemployed in receipt of Universal Credit and is mandated to undertake skill training Official letter confirming you are receiving ESA Self-declaration form and current letter confirming you are in receipt of benefits. Mandated Referral form from the Job Centre Plus You may be expected to pay exam re-sit fees. Fee remissions are not available for courses at Level 3 or above, therefore all learners will be required to pay full fees. However, you may be eligible to apply for the 24+ Advanced Learning Loan. For more information on the 24+ loans please see page 5 of this document. Tuition fees are not charged for Adult Basic Skills including Functional Skills English and Maths. For learners who already hold GCSE English or Maths grade A*-C they will be co-funded but for learners who either don t hold a GCSE English Language or Maths or do hold them below grade C there will be no charge. Full Cost or Commercial courses are not eligible for fee remission. At the time of enrolment learners will be expected to make arrangements to pay any outstanding fees. Learners who fail to provide the evidence required at the time of enrolment will not be able to complete the enrolment process or attend any courses until the evidence has been produced to Registry. These fee remission categories may be subject to change and are dependent on other funding eligibility criteria. Please contact Registry for further information Page 3 of 11
Workplace Learning (including Apprenticeships) You may be entitled to remission of course fees if you fall into one of the following categories, although this may be subject to status: Remission Category Evidence Required Fees Remitted Person aged between 16 to 18 years at the start of the Identification required exam re-sit course and studying an apprenticeship programme fees Person aged 19 to 23 years at the start of your course wishing to progress to your first full level 2 (equivalent to five or more GCSE s grade A*-C) but needs an additional step up from basic skills in order to progress (must be a vocational qualification) Complete a declaration on the enrolment form and identification required. No fees Fees will be payable for all other learners and courses outside of the categories above. Learners aged 24 and over at the start of their course, and studying a course at Level 3 or above full fees will be payable, however they may be eligible to apply for the 24+ Advanced Learning Loan. This does not include Advanced Apprenticeships which are co-funded by the Government. Please note that all learners who wish to undertake workplace learning must be in paid employment. Your employer will need to complete an invoice authorisation form which can be obtained from Reception, Registry or by downloading it from our website. Tuition fees are not charged for Adult Basic Skills including Functional Skills English and Maths. For learners who already hold GCSE English or Maths grade A*-C they will be co-funded but for learners who either don t hold a GCSE English Language or Maths or do hold them below grade C there will be no charge. Full Cost or Commercial courses are not eligible for fee remission. At the time of enrolment learners will be expected to make arrangements to pay any outstanding fees. Learners who fail to provide the evidence required at the time of enrolment will not be able to attend any courses until the evidence has been produced to Registry. These fee remission categories may be subject to change and are dependent on other funding eligibility criteria. Please contact Registry for further information For more information on the cost of apprenticeship fees please contact our Apprenticeship Team on 01205 365701. Page 4 of 11
Higher Education Learners studying a full time or part time Higher Education Course may be eligible to apply for a tuition fee loan from Student Finance England. For all Higher Education courses learners must have one of the following payment arrangements in place prior to starting their course: Confirmation from Student Finance England confirming the amount of tuition fee loan that has been awarded. The tuition fee loan will be paid directly from Student Finance England to Boston College. A copy of your confirmation letter from Student Finance England must be passed to your course tutor or the Funding & Registry Data Manager within 2 weeks of your course starting. Full payment in cash, cheque, credit/debit card Direct Debit agreement in place to collect the fees in 8 monthly instalments. All Direct Debit payments are subject to an administration fee please see our Direct Debit Policy Student Finance applications will be monitored by the Funding & Registry Data Manager and if unsuccessful, or the awarded amount does not cover the full fee amount, the learner will be contacted and requested to make a payment via one of the other methods above. For further information regarding finance options please refer to our Higher Education Finance Guide on our website at http://www.boston.ac.uk/pages/higher-education.aspx. For more information regarding Student Finance England, please visit the following website: https://www.gov.uk/student-finance 24+ Advanced Learning Loan For all learners aged 24+ at the start of their course, and studying at Level 3 or above you must have one of the following payment arrangements in place prior to starting the course: Confirmation from Student Finance England confirming the amount of tuition fee loan that has been awarded. The tuition fee loan will be paid directly from Student Finance England to Boston College. A copy of your confirmation letter from Student Finance England must be passed to your course tutor or the Funding & Registry Data Manager within 2 weeks of your course starting. Full payment in cash, cheque, credit/debit card. Direct Debit agreement in place to collect the fees in monthly instalments. All Direct Debit payments are subject to an administration fee please see our Direct Debit Policy Student Finance applications will be monitored by the Funding & Registry Data Manager and if unsuccessful, or the awarded amount does not cover the full fee amount, the learner will be contacted and requested to make a payment via one of the above methods. Please note - The advertised fee for learners falling under the 24+ Advanced Learning Loan is for the full duration of the course. Page 5 of 11
For more information regarding the 24+ Advanced Learning Loan, please visit our website http://www.boston.ac.uk/students/pages/financialassistance.aspx under Student Loans. Please note: For both Higher Education and 24+ loans, all learners will be invoiced for the full cost of the course at the start of their course. As tuition fee payments are received these will be credited against the invoice. College Employees College employees who wish to enrol may do so, but need to be aware of the following guidance: If the course is a requirement of your job then the cost may be covered by staff development. If the course is not relevant to your job, and is a Level 1 or Level 2 qualification you may receive a 50% reduction on the overall course fee, but only if there are places available after external learners have enrolled staff cannot be used to make a course viable. For courses Level 3 or above you may be liable for the full cost of the course and required to take out a 24+ Advanced Learning Loan. For more information please contact the Director of Workforce Development Additional Information Details of course costs can be found on the College website and from Learner Services, Rochford Campus tel. 01205 313218. The full cost of a course includes fees and charges for examinations, materials, registrations and other costs. For learner studying Government subsidised courses the tuition and, where applicable, materials costs are charged per academic year. If your course lasts more than one academic year you will be required to pay at the start of each year. However, for learners falling under the 24+ Advanced Learning Loan the fee advertised is for the full duration of the course. All costs should be explained to you when you enrol and learners should be clear about all these costs before starting the course. Additional Costs Studying at College does incur additional costs such as stationery, books, trips, personal equipment or clothing. Please ensure that you are aware of these when you enrol as you will be responsible for these costs. Please also note that examination re-sits are chargeable. In cases of financial hardship you may be able to apply to the College Learner Support Fund or 16-18 bursary for help with these costs. Contact the Learner Services Team on 01205 313218. Page 6 of 11
Paying Fees and Other Charges a. Full payment is required at the time of enrolment or at the start of the course unless alternative payment arrangements have been agreed with the College Registry Department. The receipted copy of the learning agreement must be retained and, where applicable, shown to the class lecturer. b. All learners, other than those paying in full at time of enrolment, will be invoiced for their full tuition fees. The invoices will be credited as and when payment has been received either via direct debit, HE Student Loan, 24+ loan or following receipt of proof of benefit c. You may pay by cash, cheque, direct debit, credit card or debit card, HE Student Finance England or 24+ Advanced Learning Loan, subject to terms and conditions. d. If relevant fees are not paid within 3 weeks of the start of the course then you will not be entitled to attend classes until such time as the fees are paid. e. Where an employer is paying your fees, an Employer s Agreement form should be completed and returned within 2 weeks of the start date of the course. Where no such authorisation (or purchase order) is received, you will be excluded from learning until authorisation is submitted or you personally pay all fees due. f. If you are paying by Direct Debit you will be required to pay 10% of your fees on enrolment with the remainder to be collected by Direct Debit. Late examination entries or registration fees will incur an additional charge, details of which are available from the College s Examinations Department. Re-sits must be paid for before an entry is made. g. Refunds are normally only made when a course is cancelled by the College. All decisions about refunds should be referred to the College Registry Department. h. Student Finance England or 24+ Advanced Learning Loan confirmation paperwork must be passed to your course tutor the Funding & Registry Data Manager within 2 weeks of starting your course to ensure tuition fee are paid. i. Please note, that if you withdraw from your course you are still liable for your fees and will be expected to pay any remaining fees that you have been invoiced for. This still applies if you have taken out a loan with Student Finance England. The tuition fee loan to us stops once you withdraw, however, you will be personally liable for any remaining fees. Page 7 of 11
Direct Debits Learners paying their own fees have the option to pay in instalments providing that: 1st instalment is paid at enrolment. This will include payment for ALL exam / registration and materials fees. Learner will be invoiced for the full amount at the start of the course and credited each month as payment is made Course fees are in excess of 250 Learner supplies her/his UK bank account details and signs a Direct Debit mandate at enrolment Learner has no outstanding balance of fees from any previous year Learner does not have, or is not in the process of an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) Learner has not defaulted on instalment arrangements in any previous years The number of instalments available to the learner is dependent upon the date of commencement / enrolment and the length of the course you wish to study. Terms and conditions 1. Learners who withdraw from their programme remain liable for full course fees. 2. Boston College charges an administration fee of 10 for instalment arrangements. 3. Instalment arrangements are not available for overseas learners, sponsors or employers, or learners without a UK bank account from which direct debit payments can be collected. 4. Fees will be collected on 1st of the month (or the next working day) 5. Fees charged will be for the current academic year only. For the majority of courses lasting more than 1 year, fees will be charged at the start of each year. However, if you are 24 years or older studying a Level 3 or above the fees charged will be for the full duration of the course. 6. Where Boston College is unable to collect payment from the learner s bank account, the full balance of fees becomes due for immediate payment. 7. Where a direct debit payment is refused by the learner s bank, an administration fee of 35 will be added to any outstanding fees. 8. Any learner who will experience difficulty in making a payment must contact the Funding and Registry Data Manager, Boston College, Skirbeck Road, Boston, PE21 6JF - telephone 01205 365701 immediately. 9. Boston College reserves the right to withhold certification for learners who have an outstanding balance of fees. 10. If the College is unable to collect an instalment payment from the learner s bank account the learner may be asked to leave their programme and will remain liable for payment of any outstanding fees due to the college. 11. Boston College is prepared to take legal action where necessary to recover debts from learners who do not adhere to payment arrangements and / or who fail to respond to correspondence from Boston College. This could result in a County Court judgement against the Learner. NB All County Court costs will be added to the balance due from the Learner. Any learner who changes address must notify the Funding and Registry Data Manager, without delay, of their new address. Page 8 of 11
Refund Policy Fees will only be refunded in the following circumstances: Where the course is cancelled prior to commencement due to low enrolment (the College reserves the right to cancel courses where enrolment fails to meet the required level) automatic refund of all fees. Where a course is cancelled by the College after commencement automatic refund of all fees. Where a student is unable to continue owing to exceptional circumstances such as health reasons refund upon application with supporting medical evidence Where a learner can demonstrate that their withdrawal from the course has resulted from the failure of the College to deliver what could have been reasonably expected. This would only be applicable where a written complaint has been upheld. If the learner withdraws from the course, and is entitled to a refund, this refunds will be subject to a 25 administration fee Note: 1. Resource and examination fees will be refunded only where no costs have been incurred by the College. 2. Refunds will be issued only where a Refund Request Form has been completed and received within 21 days of the last date of attendance or of the start date of the course. This must be returned to the Funding & Returns Co-Ordinator. 3. Exceptional circumstances would normally relate to ill health that necessitates withdrawal. However, a change of job, address or mind would not be classed as exceptional circumstances. 4. Fees will not be refunded where course closure is temporary due to fire, flood, adverse weather conditions or industrial action. 5. You will be required to submit evidence, so it will be helpful if you include a letter from your doctor, or other confirmation of the reasons for a refund. This must be submitted together with your Refund Request Form. 6. Only the Vice Principal of Corporate Services has the authority to agree a refund. 7. Refund of tuition fees will be calculated on the length of the course and the number of weeks remaining. Please allow approximately 28 days for refunds to be processed. Page 9 of 11
Financial Assistance This document may be amended at any time subject to changes in the policies of the College s funding bodies IMPORTANT INFORMATION PLEASE NOTE: It is now a Government requirement that we see proof of identification for all learners. This can take the form of a passport, driving licence, National Insurance card, bank credit / debit card, exam certificate, employer s ID or government Entitlement to benefit letter. We are unable to enrol you without this identification. Financial Assistance (Please Note: this information is correct at the time of printing; please check with the Learner Services Team for the most up to date information on financial assistance for learners) Learner Support Funds / Bursary The College may be able to provide assistance to learners suffering financial difficulties or hardship. This does not provide a grant to live on but can help with costs such as travel to College, books and equipment etc, eligibility criteria applies. If you are 18 years and under and living in care, a recent care leaver, receiving income support, Universal Credits, Personal Independent Payment or Employment Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance you may receive a guaranteed bursary of up to 1,200 per year from September 2014. This will be paid in weekly installments by the College. All support funds are subject to an eligibility criteria and to continue to receive funds is dependent on certain conditions need to be met i.e. attendance targets For more information please contact Learner Services on the main college number 01205 365701 x3218. HE Student Loans Learners following Higher Education courses (degrees and HNDs) are entitled to apply for loans to help with fees. There are also Maintenance Loans and Grants for full time HE learners which are means tested, to assist with living costs. For the most up to date information on Higher Education fees and loans please visit www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance or contact one of the Careers Team on 01205 365701. 24+ Advanced Learning Loans If you re starting a Level 3 course on or after 1 August 2014 you may qualify for a 24+ Advanced Learning Loan to help with cost of your College fees. For more information please visit Boston College Web Site www.boston.ac.uk/pages/adult-learners.aspx or contact one of the Careers Team on 01205 365701. Child Care Support If you are aged under 20, returning to education and have a low household income you may be entitled to financial assistance through the Care to Learn Scheme to pay towards childcare with a registered or OfSTED approved child minder. For more information please visit www.direct.gov.uk/moneytolearn or contact Learner Services on 01205 365701 ext 4440. Page 10 of 11
If you are aged 20 or over the College may be able to offer assistance with child care costs if you are in financial hardship. Eligibility criteria apply. For more information please contact Learner Services on 01205 365701 x3218 Career Development Loan You may be eligible for a Career Development Loan to help with the cost of studying. For more information please visit https://www.gov.uk/career-development-loans Page 11 of 11