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