Tuition Fees Refunds Policy
1. Effective date
1.1 This policy is effective from the start of the 2001/02 academic
year and will remain in force until amended. All units within the
University are required to follow this policy.
2. Full-time home/EU students transferring to another
HEI
2.1 Where a student transfers from Westminster to another higher
education institution, any private fee contribution will be treated
on the same basis as that for the public (via SLC) contribution to
fees and on the basis recommended by CVCP/SCOP in the guidance
issued May 1999.
2.2 The private fee contribution is payable in the first instance
to the institution at which the student is attending on 1st
December. If the student transfers on or before 1st December, the
fee is not payable to Westminster but to the 'receiving'
institution. If the student transfers after 1st December, the fee
is payable to Westminster, even if the student is attending the new
institution when the fee is paid.
2.3 The fee received is then apportioned on the
basis of the number of weeks in attendance at the first
institution, calculated as follows:
- the first institution receives a fraction of the fee
calculated as total fee contribution divided by 30, times the
number of weeks spent at that institution
- the second institution receives the balance
This relates to the actual amount received. The
effect of this is that in cases where a proportion of the debt is
unpaid, the two institutions share the cost of the unpaid
debt.
2.4 The institution to which the private fee contribution is paid
remits the appropriate proportion to the other institution. It
retains responsibility for debt collection/write off of any unpaid
portion of the debt.
3. Students withdrawing
3.1 All other categories of student withdrawing from the
institution, whether transferring to another institution or not,
are subject to the tuition fee refund provisions set out
below.
3.2 If a student withdraws before the end of the temporary
enrolment period of either semester, they are entitled to a full
refund for the semester concerned. Where a refund is payable
it is subject to the deduction of a £100 administration fee, plus
the replacement cost of any unreturned library materials.
a) a student withdrawing before the end of the temporary enrolment
period in semester 1 receives a full refund of tuition fees
paid
b) a student withdrawing after the end of the temporary
enrolment period in semester 1, but before the end of the temporary
enrolment period in semester 2, receives a refund of the fee
attributable to semester 2
c) a student withdrawing after the end of the temporary
enrolment period for semester 2 receives no refund
3.3 Determining the precise date of withdrawal can be difficult,
but it should be the date upon which formal (ie written) notice of
withdrawal is received and not the point at which the student
ceases attendance.
4. Exceptions
4.1 There will be no exceptions to this policy other than in the
most extreme of circumstances and then only with the prior written
consent of the Director of Finance.
Philip Harding
Director of Finance
Approved by VCEG : 05 March 2001