Finance and Fees Policy

Introduction and Scope

1.1 This policy provides guidancefor collection of student fees andothercharges. It covers sanctions which may be used in relation to students with overdue debts and is designed to ensure that all students are treated fairly, equitably and reasonably.

1.2 It is the intention of this Policy to clearly outline tuition fee liability for all students, regardless of course or mode of study,at Inchbald School of Design.

1.3 Choosing to study Higher Education at the School is a big decision and a great investment in your future. It is also a big financial investment, so it is important to be aware of the cost of tuition and other essential rules such as when fees must be paid, or when you might be entitled to a refund.

1.4 This policy sets out what differentfees the school charges and how they will be administered.

1.5 This policy does not state specific fee levels for each course, these can be found on our website within the 'Course Fees' sub-section of each course and within your Course Fee Schedule. This finance policy should be read in conjunction with the Fee schedule for your specific course of study.

1.6 The Fee Policy in place at the start of a student's first academic year remains in effect for the duration of that academic year and the reminder of the course, unless a student takes a temporary break from study or repeats a year of study.In these circumstances the Fee Schedule in effect at the start of the new course would come into effect.

1.7 The School can provide advice and support if things go wrong or if students get into financial difficulties; our contact details and other useful information can be found at the end of this policy.

1.8 Inchbald School of Designfollows the guidance of Student Finance England, which administers student loans onbehalf of the Government. Information on this can be found on the Student Finance England website. http://www.practitioners.slc.co.uk/policy(subject to OfS approval)

1.9 Inchbald will not accept any payment from persons or organisations unless they relate to a valid charge, levied or impending. This is to comply with UK Money Laundering regulations. Any suspicious payments and or refund requests may be reported to the appropriate regulating body.

1.10 The School will not accept Tuition Fee payments in cash to ensure compliance with the UK Money Laundering regulations

Definitions

"Inchbald School of Design"is the institution providing the teaching and may be referred to as 'Inchbald School of Design'or 'The School'

"Student"is someone who is registered as attending Inchbald School of Designfor any educational course and has undergone the enrolment process, whether actively on program at the time and before any formal cessation of studies.

"Currency"All fees published by Inchbald are in pounds sterling (GBP, £). The fee paid will be at the pounds (GBP, £) sterling rate in force when the student enrols on the course; Inchbald cannot be held responsible for changes in global financial markets or currency exchange rates where fee payments are converted into Sterling.Equally The School cannot be held responsible for changes in global financial markets or currency exchange rates where the payment of refunds are converted into Sterling.

"Period of Registration"Students register at the start of their course. The maximum duration is one year, 12 months. At the end of the period the student is requiredto register again for the next academic year or period.

"New Student" A student starting a new course at the school in the current academic year; including starting a new course at a different level to any previous course, a student changing mode of study, a student topping up a qualification following a break in study of more thanone academic year or a student returning to the same course after an authorised break of more than 1 academic year.

"Continuing Student"A student continuing on the same course as in the previous year or returning from an authorised break of up to one full academic year or topping up a higher education qualification with no break in study.

"Tuition fees" for each course will cover the following costscompulsory elements needed to meet the minimum learning outcomes:Registration, first attempt tuition, and first attempt examinationsand assessments. The fees do not include graduation costs, materials or any resit assessments or retake modules. Any study visits or additional activities are not covered by tuition fees. Any additional fees for any second attempt teaching or resits, will be confirmed at the point of relevance but will be set based on the relevant course fee and period of attendance required.

"Fee Status" is the term used to define which tuition fees costsand terms an individual student will pay to attend the course of study. The fee status will be assessed and confirmed as part of the admissions process. The fee status will normally stay with the student for the remainder of their course. The assessment is based on the residential statusof each student and split into 3 categories UKFee Status, EU Fee Status, International Fee Status. The definition of each group can be found at www.ukcisa.org.uk

"Residential Status" The assessment to decide whether a student will be classed as a Home/EU or international fee payer will depend on numerous factors such as:

• Nationality
• Immigration status in the UK/EEA*
• Where a student has been living
• What the student has been doing for the three years prior to startingtheir course

Policy Statement

Tuition fee charges

3.1 The amount that you will pay in respect of tuition fees is dependent on the course and year of study that you attend during the academic yearalongside the relevant fee status you have been designated.

3.2 Tuition fees at Inchbaldare set on an annual basis each autumn for the following academic year, based on Government policyand decisions by the Board of Directorstaking into account the cost of providing the education.

3.3 Tuition fees are fixed for the duration of the course at the amounts contained in this document and the related Course Fee Schedule and will not therefore be subject to annual increaseswhilst the student is on a program. Except for studentsstarting a new programof study, a break in study occursor change their mode of study, the fees for their first academic year will be as published by the School at the relevant time.

3.4 Tuition fees for each year of study, payment methods and due dates are outlined in the Fee Schedules for each programme.

3.5 The fee payable by a student will be included with their Offer (the formal offer of a place) prior to acceptance.

3.6 Additional costs likely to be incurred for each course are provided in the Additional Information section of the course details. (Determine these for the relevant section -estimates). Students using the Library and/or borrowing equipment have an obligation to respect the rights of others by returning library and other equipment on time. To encourage this, fines are charged on items that are returned late. All late fees or fines will be confirmed to students at the point of borrowing the equipment or using the library within their own terms and conditions.

3.7 Inchbaldreserves the right to reassess any student's tuition fee charged or fee liabilityshould new information come to light that may affect the original assessment.

3.8 Should a student change either Programme, Pathway, Modules or Level during the course of the year, a tuition fee review and relevant change of tuition fee charges may be incurred.

3.9 Students who wish to dispute a debt must submit their dispute within 21 days of receiving a request for payment. The dispute must be in writing and forwarded to Chair of Students Voice committee.This writteninformation mustinclude attachments of any supporting evidence. Any fee complaint will be handled in line with Inchbald Student Complaints and Grievances Policy and Procedure.

Tuition Fee payment type

3.10 All students are personally liable for the payment of their fees relating to their studies and any other charges, unless your offer letter expressly informs you otherwise. If payment is to be made by a third party, i.e. Student Finance England, employer orother sponsor, or by a parent or guardian, then it is the responsibility of the student to ensure this is arranged before any payments are due.

3.11There are fourtuition fee payment types:

(a) Part-funded by student loan, and part self-financing -student loan only covers part of the tuition fee and student is self-fundingthe remaining element.

(b) Fully self-financing -student is not eligible for student loan oropts to self-fund the full tuition fee.

(c) Sponsored students -a third party or company have agreed to pay some or all of the student's fees.

3.12 Self-funding students will be offeredvarious different ways in which fees can be paid includingbank transfer,debit or credit card payment online or over the phone, payment by direct debit.

3.13 Cheque and Cash payments will not be accepted.

3.14 Self-funding students will also be given the option of paying via instalments should they wish to spread the cost of the course throughout the period of attendance. Full details of the instalment options available to an individual are displayed in the fee schedule.

3.15 If an employer or a third-party organisation is paying the tuition fees, the student will need to provide evidence of this in writing by the start of the registration period. A purchase order (as provided by your Sponsor) containing your details including your student ID and the value of your sponsors' contribution should be emailed to the Accounts department.

3.16 The School reserves the right to reject sponsorship purchase orders or letters if they are not original documents, do not contain the correct information, or if they are found not to be issued by a recognisable third-party organisation. All invoices issued must be settled in full within 30 days. If invoices are not paid in accordance with these terms the debt will revert to the student. In this case, a student has the right to request a payment plan.

3.17 Fees paid by a relative or friend of the student is not considered to be a formal sponsorship. In this instance, the student will be considered to be self-financing.

3.18 Students attending a short course of less than 13 weeks in length are required to pay fees up front and will not be entitled to a refund once the 14 days statutory cooling off period has passed. Inchbald reserves the right to refuse a student to start a short program if the fees have not been cleared.

3.19 Failure to settle fees on time will mean that Inchbald reserve the right to withdraw access to learning facilities and this may ultimately lead to deregistration from the School. In preparation for full registration with the OFS, the following sections refers to First degree tuition fee loans or Postgraduateloans from the Student Loans Company

3.20 Students attending a first degree programme who are eligible and have applied for a Tuition Fee Loan will have their fees paid directly to the School by the Student Loans Company(SLC). The Student Loans Company will make the first payment directly to the school once thestudenthasfully registeredonto their courseeach year, provided that their application is fully approved,and the declaration has been returned.

3.21 UK/EU Undergraduate students are responsible for ensuring that their application for financing from Student Finance England (SFE) or equivalent is made before the start of each academic year. Students must also ensure that any requests for further documentation and or information are complied with as soon as possible.

3.22 Undergraduatestudents waiting for confirmation of funding from Student Finance England or equivalent will be classified as fully self-financing until confirmation of support is received. Students will be required to provide evidence that the loan application is in progress, if funding is not in place at the start of the academic year.

3.23 Students attending a Masters course that have applied for a Postgraduate loan from the SLC will be treated as self-funding students;as the loan is not categorised as solely for tuition payments and ispaid directly into a students bank account upon confirmation of registration.

3.24 All Students being funded by the SLC will need to provide confirmation of the level of fee support available to them during the registration process each year. Students will be asked to confirm their individual Student Support Number (SSN) as issued by the Student Loans Company(SLC)

Tuition Fee Liability

3.25 Studentsattending courses of more than 13 weeks in length(their parents or legal guardians for those students under the age of 18) become liable for the payment of the Annual Tuition Fee 14 days after the course start date or 14 days after the enrollingonto the programmeduring each registration period, depending on whichever date is later.

3.26 Students attending a short course of 13 weeks or less in length are required to pay fees up front and will not be entitled to a refund once the 14 days statutory cooling off period has passed. Inchbald reserves the right to refuse a student to start a short program if the fees have not been cleared.

3.27 The School requires a minimum number of delegates for each course date and reserves the right to cancel or change any short course dates if required, giving a minimum of 21 days' notice. Short course delegates are advised to not book any non-refundable travel or accommodation (or incur any other such costs) prior to 21 days before the course date, as the school is unable to refund any personal expenditure (including but not limited to travel and accommodation costs) that is incurred as a result of cancellations or changes (or for any other reason).

3.28 The overall fee liability is based on the annual Course Fee liability, not any instalment plan that may have been agreed. The Fee Schedule confirms an individual student liability based on the program, mode and fee status of the individual student. This information will be sent to each student as part of the offer information.

3.29 Tuition fee charges are determined on the basis of enrolment status and not actual attendance. This means that if a student stops attending, but does not formally withdraw or interrupt, the student will be liable for tuition fees until the point in time that they officially notify Inchbald.

3.30 Students will be liable for their tuition fees for the entire year of study unless they formally notify the Schoolthat they wish to withdraw, defer, or apply for a suspension of their studies. Withdrawing from a course is a big decision and students are advised to seek as much advice as possible before taking this stepby contacting the relevant Faculty Director

Change of Circumstance

3.31 New students have a right to cancel their contract (registration) with Inchbald within 14 calendar days of the completion of registration. This applies to all new students registering at the Inchbald at the start of the academic year meeting the definition of a new student (section 2). Excluding short course students.

3.32 It is the student's responsibility to ensure that Inchbald isnotified of all cancellations in writing either by letter or email (to Admissions) headed "CANCELLATION OF REGISTRATION". Students are not required to give a reason for their withdrawal.

3.33 The date of cancellation for student fee liability and liability period purposes will be the date on which Inchbaldreceives the above notification. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that this notification reaches The School in a timely fashion and before the end of the 14 day 'cooling off' period. At the end of this 'cooling off' period, withdrawal or suspension from the Schoolis subject to the withdrawal provisions, student fee liabilities and the liability periods outlined in this policy in combination with the relevant fee schedule.

3.34 In order to officially withdraw, defer, repeat or interrupt from a programme of study, the student must complete a Change of Circumstance form and submit it to Admissions.In the absence of written notification of a change, the student shall be deemed to be in attendance and as such liable for the payment of tuition fees for the academic year.

3.35 If additional payment is due, this must be paid in full (including all charges and interest) and withInchbald within 28 days of the date of withdrawal. If a refund is due to the student, this will be dealt with in line with section entitled Refunds (item 3.55) of this policy.

3.36 Students transferring during the academic year from one course to another where the fees charged for the second course are different to the fee charged for the first, the student would be required to pay the fee appropriate to the new course. In such cases, either students will be required to pay more for the higher cost new course,or they may be entitled to a refund depending on any charges due for any course/unit withdrawal associated with the original course.

3.37 Where exceptional circumstances have arisen, Inchbaldmay review the fee Liability for an individual student. Exceptional Circumstances would cover cases of bereavement, critical illness and other severe medical and social circumstances that would prevent a student being able to complete studies and benefit from the cost of education. Such cases would need to be sent in writing in the first instance to Admissions.

3.38 Where payment has been made in excess of the tuition fee charged (including any non-refundable deposits) the overpayment will not be refunded for an interrupting student. Any credit balance may be carried forward to be applied against future tuition fee charges. The credit may be carried forward for up to one academic year.

3.39 When an interrupted student returns to study in the subsequent year, Inchbaldwill charge the student the relevant fee for that course and Year of Study for the relevant Academic year. This may result in a student incurring a higher or lower fee upon return.

Fee waivers, Scholarships and Bursaries

3.40 The Schooloffers fee waivers in the form of scholarships and bursaries. Details of these can be found on schoolwebsite or via separate communication. Please refer to the relevant terms and conditionsfor each discount.

3.41 Students will not be given a cash equivalent of any fee discount where a bursary or scholarship has been awarded alongside other forms of sponsorship.

3.42 Students that successfully secured a fee waiver, scholarships or Bursary and leave the course early or defer entry will have the funding provided by Inchbaldpro-rata for the period attended.

3.43 Should a student be awarded any bursary or scholarship towards personal costs, this funding will be issuedover the academic year as applicable and will not be awarded upfront in one payment

3.44 In exceptional circumstances(including but not restricted to for example, a student has been deemed to have acted in a manner that results in dismissal from a course) )or as a result of disciplinary action or the failure to pay, fee waiversmay be restricted or withdrawn at any time and at the School's discretion, either on an individual basis or School wide.

3.45 Only one discount may be used each academic year / discounts may not be combined.

Debt policy and procedures

3.46 Failure to pay tuition fees or any other charges on time may result in various services provided by Inchbald being withdrawn such as use of any school learning platforms including the library, intranet and access to submit assignments,access to scheduled tuition and/or access to School buildings. The School also reserves the right to bar the student from returning to the following year, starting a new program or attending any graduation ceremony should debts remain outstanding.

3.47 Inchbaldreserves the right to withhold award certificates, academic transcripts or referencesand/or assessment results, where arrears of Tuition fees exist.

3.48 Students who are unable to pay any Tuition fees or charges by the appropriate due date are encouraged to contact the relevant Course Directorat the earliest opportunity, as help may be available. The Schoolwill be sympathetic and assist where it can, however the quality of teaching is dependent upon funding and so it must act to recover all outstanding debts.

3.49 In the event a student falls behind with their payment plan or fails to meet the payment date of an invoice the school will attempt to contact the student by text, email and telephone. If the school does not receive a reply and/or debts remain two weeks after the payment date, debtor actions will be escalated.

3.50 If the debt remains outstanding after two weeks the student will be sent a letter to their personal email address and UK address, if applicable, giving them notice of withdrawal from their course and deregistration as a student of Inchbald Schoolwithin 14 days from the date of the letter -in the case of students in the UK under conditions of Student Route/ UKVI, this will result in confirmation to the UK Visa and Immigrationthat Inchbaldwill cease to be the immigration sponsor for that students

3.51 Students who fail to pay their tuition fees or provide confirmation of sponsorship will be de-registered at the end of learning week six. The option to pay by instalments available at the start of the academic year may no longer be available.

3.52 After the first six weeks of the course, should a student fall more than 2 months overdue on their tuition payments, Inchbaldwill start the de-registration process.

3.53 Any student who has been deregistered will be required to pay alloverduetuition feesin full. Students who fail to pay the second or any subsequent instalment within 3 months of the due date will also be subject to termination. Any sanctions will be lifted within 24 hours of the debt being cleared in full.

3.54 Inchbaldreserves the right to refer debt in respect of any alumni or ex-student to an external debt collection for recovery.The School can add charges to a students account when the transfer is made to a debt collector to cover any additional costs incurred by The School.

Refunds

3.55 If a self-financing student has paid up front for the academic year and subsequently choose to cancel or leave the course early, the student can claim for a refund of any fees that they are not deemed liable for. No refunds will be awarded if the student is deemed liable for the tuition.

3.56 Refunds can only be applied for once the cancellationprocess has been completed and any refund of tuition fees will take effect from the date the ChangeRequestform is authorised.

3.57 Tuition fee refunds and other monies paid are only refunded to the individual or organisation that paid originally. Refunds should be processed within 2 weeks of the request being received by Inchbald finance.

3.58 Where fees have been paid by the Student Loan Company, any refunds due will be paid to the Student Loans Company thereby reducing the value of the loan secured by the individual student.

3.59 Inchbald will confirm any fee changes to the Student Loans Company directly upon confirmation of a Change Request Form being submitted in writing.

3.60 For the purposes of tuition fees, only monies paid will be refunded. Any scholarships or fee waivers awarded by Inchbald will be excluded from any refund.

3.61 Refunds will not be made in cash.Refunds and Compensation.

3.62 On the rare occasion thata course be closed, cancelled, suspended,discontinued or significantly modified by Inchbald itself, Inchbald will offer the alternative options to the student/applicant in line with the published Student Protection Plan.

3.63 If the student decides that these options are not suitable and Inchbald cannot honour the original commitment, The Schoolwill refund or pay a discretionary compensation as agreed by theStudent Complaints and Grievance Policy.

3.64 Claims for compensation will be considered on a case-by-casebasis and will take into account loss of earnings and any other factors relevant to the case.

3.65 Inchbald will apply a test of reasonableness, based on evidence of the student's expenditure, in assessing the amount to be refunded, or the costs to be compensated. For example,in the unlikely event of a change (or module discontinuation) that is likely to have a serious adverse effect on the student (for example, by prejudicing their future choice of career),fee liability may be reduced. Where a course is discontinued before the student completes, if none of the alternative arrangementsoffered by the Schoolare acceptable to the student, the Schoolwill refund the student's fees for their final year (or part year) of study on the course.

3.66 Each case for a refund or compensation, under the student protection plan provision,will be reviewed by the Management Committee and put forward by the Managing Director and Director of Finance with full details of each review.

Implementation and Monitorin

4.1 The implementation of this policy is managed via all departments from Admissions, Faculty and Managementensuring the right communication is provided to each applicant and student.

4.2 We will report on the operation of theFinance and Feepolicy to our Management committee to ensure its processes are working as intended and are in the best interests of students and the institution.

4.3 The Managing Director will report termly on the fee income and any bad debt to ensurethat Inchbald has enough provision and foresight of any unpaid fees.

4.4 The Management committeewill approve any decisions for debt to be sent for debt collection, students to be removed from programs and/or any waivers of fees for students with exceptional circumstances.

4.5 An Annual report will be produced to detail any significant changes in policy and procedures that are required following a review of the previous year.

Responsible Parties

5.1 The Manging Director and Director of Finance operations will be responsible for managing the Finance and Fees Policy and processes.

5.2 The Management committee will be responsible for approving and agreeing any deregistration of students or fee waivers in accordance with the Finance and fee procedures on a termly basis or via chairs action should the need arise between meetings.

5.3 The Management committee will be responsible for reviewing the Annual Report and ensuring that all the findings are actioned across the school.

5.4The Management committee willbe responsible for putting the fee structure proposals to the Board of Directors each year based on the Finance recommendations and annual report.

5.5The Management committee will be responsible for reviewing this Policy annually when considering the Annual report.

5.6The Board of Directors will need to approve any changes to this policy before coming into force.

Reference Points

Internal

• Admissions Policy
• Student Complaints and Grievances Policy
• Student protection plan

External

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• Student Finance rules as issued by the UK governmen

Version History

Appendix A -Example Fee schedule

Fee Schedule 2020/21

This Fee Schedule forms part of the Terms and Conditions for your course. It is recommended that you read this Fee Schedule together with your Terms and Conditionsand the Inchbald Finance and Fee policy.

Academic Year 2020/21 fees for the format purposes, fees to be amended.

The Fee Schedule sets out your individual Tuition Fee liability for 2020/21, what payment options and methods are available, should you beself funding.Should you change your program or mode of study or temporarily cease your study and return to a later year, your Tuition fee will be subject to change.

Please note that if you are a Non-EEA student who requires a Tier 4 Student visa to study in the UK, Inchbald must issue you with a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) before you can apply for your visa. You will need to pay the sum of £3,000by way of pre-payment of your Annual Tuition Fee before we can issue your CAS. You will receive an email from our admissions system asking you to make this payment if you have been identified as a student requiring a visa. Tier 4 Students will then be asked topay the remaining balance of the Annual Tuition Fee, following the deduction of the £3,000pre-payment, over the "Three instalments per academic year" option set out below. Please note that students undertaking supported online learning courses do not require a Tier 4 Student visa.

Payment Options and Methods of Payment

The following Instalment options can be offered to students that are self funding any payment of their own tuitionfee, or covering any difference between a government fee loan and the annual Tuition fee.

Instalment Options

1) Single Payment -one instalment due 7 days prior to the first day of term.

2) Three Instalments -Three instalments of the fee you are responsible for paying.

.-Due on the 1stday of each term.

3) Ten Instalments -Ten equal instalments of the fee you are responsible for paying.

-Due on the 1st of each month starting on the 1st Aug to 1st May.

-You will need to set up a direct debit mandate to pay by instalments.

-This option is only available to UK or EU stude.

Payment Methods

Bank details -Students can make payment of any tuition by Bank Transfer to the details below

-Students need to ensure to use the individual Learner ID as the payment reference

-Payments that are not referenced properly may not be able tobe matched to the correct fee account and you may still be approached for fee payments[insert bank details]

Direct Debit -Students can you set up a direct debit to allow Inchbald to process a payment on the scheduled due date

-Students will need to complete a mandate form to give the School authorisation to process these payments atleast at least two weeks before the first payment is due

-You will need to contact finance for the required form

Card payment -Inchbald also allows students to pay by card online or over the phone[insert details of the contact number to complete via phone or the web address]

2020/21Academic Year Fee Liability Dates

Your fee liability is based on the Annual Tuition Fee for your entire year of study, regardless of the instalment plan you may have chosen

-Cooling Off Period -If you cancel within 14 days of acceptance but your Course has already started, Inchbaldcan charge a reasonable prorate fee.

-Cancellation, withdrawal, interruption and Transfer-Cancellation, Withdrawal, Interruption and Transfer (as each of those terms isdefined in the Finance and Fee policy) requests carry the same fee liability consequences as Cancellation.

Securing Government Funding future proofing

-Students can apply for government funding towards tuition and living costs. Students may be eligible for a fee loan that covers up to thefull cost of tuition. Students only need to make personal contributions towards tuition where a fee loan has not been approved, does notcover the full level of tuition or where a fee waiver has not been approved to cover the difference in fee loan and overall annual fee.

-Where students have secured financial support for their tuition via Student FinanceEngland, Wales, Northern Irelandor SAAS government agencies, you will need toprovide evidence of your individual Student Support Number (SSN) to enable your fees and funding to be releasedduring the annual induction and registration process.

-Funding will only be released 3-5 days after you have attended the first day of each term. Failure to attend Induction or registrationwill resultin delayed release of funding.

-Any undergraduate Tuition Fee Loan will be paid directly to the schoolon a termly basis as detailed above, if you remain continuing on the course.

-If you do not attend regularly, any agreed Maintenancesupport or tuition fee costs may be delayed or indeed withdrawn.