1. GENERAL POLICY STATEMENTS
1.1 Students will only be permitted to join courses if the appropriate fees are paid or the students are exempt from paying course fees. The only exception is where employers or other sponsors are to be invoiced.
1.2 For most award-bearing courses there will be an integrated fee that will incorporate tuition, registration and normal examination fees. Supplementary examination fees will be charged as appropriate as mentioned in 4.below). For some courses, charges for materials and equipment may be included in the integrated fee or separately.
1.3 Where course fees are subject to agreement with an external body, such will take precedence over the ACC’s Regulations.
1.4 Any default in the payment of fees will debar the student from subsequent course and examination entries.
1.5 A full-time course is defined as a coherent programme of study followed over a whole academic year with a minimum of 15 hours per week of timetabled study or a higher education course requiring a minimum of 900 hours of total study time per year. Courses of lower duration are considered to be part-time courses.
1.6 The definition of a “course” for the Regulations includes linked units within one academic year. If units are taken in separate years, then they are regarded as being a separate “course” for each year.
1.7 Students enrolled on “full-cost” courses, NVQ assessment in the workplace and courses leading to awards of less than nine weeks duration will be liable to pay the full fees and no fee refunds, exemptions or reductions referred to in 2, 3 or 4 below will be considered.
1.8 Students who are themselves (or who are dependants of persons who are) in receipt of Family Income Supplement, Income Support/Income-Based Job Seekers’ Allowance or Disability Working Allowance (but not Severe Disablement Allowance, which is not subject to means-testing) shall be exempt from the course fee for one course only if supported by a letter of evidence from the Department of Health and Social Security. This exemption does not apply to Adult Leisure and Recreation courses.
1.9 Fee reductions that apply in the first year of a course will normally continue for the remaining years of the same course, except for reductions based on specified DHSS benefit claims where the benefit is no longer paid, or where support from the Department of Education ceases. In the latter case a pro rata course fee will be charged from the date support ceases.
1.10 Full-time ACC staff attending courses for in-service training purposes approved by the Principal will be exempt all associated fees. Part-time ACC staff and volunteer tutors will normally be charged pro-rata fees according to the full-time equivalence of their work at the ACC. Fees paid by part-time staff may be waived if the training is deemed by the Principal to be of high strategic importance.
2. FULL-TIME COURSE FEES
2.1. Students aged 18 or over on 1st September preceding the start of a full-time course who was ordinarily resident in the U.K for the three years prior to this date will be liable for course fees at the “home” rate, unless they are in receipt of a Student Award from the Department of Education for the course.
2.2. Students aged 18 or over on 1st September preceding the start of a full-time course who were ordinarily resident outside of the U.K at any time during the three years prior to this date will be liable for course fees as follows:-
(a) Student’s from the EU, the fees will be at the lower “home” rate;
(b) Student’s from outside the EU, fees will be at the higher “International”
rate.
3. PART-TIME COURSE FEES
3.1 For part-time courses related to full-time courses a proportion of the appropriate full-time “home” or “International” fees will be levied determined from the full-time equivalence of the course on a credit/unit basis.
3.2 For part-time courses where a related full-time programme does not exist, students will be charged tuition fees at the approved hourly rate and any relevant additional charges for registration, course materials etc.
3.3 Students who are under the age of 18 on 1st September immediately preceding the start of a part-time course and in employment will be liable for the full fees for courses of less than four hours per week and will be exempt fees for courses with durations of four hours or longer per week.
3.4 For students who are in full-time education at an institution supported by the Department of Education, who wish to enrol on a part-time course at the ACC, if the course is:
(a) certified by the Head of Department or Principal of the institution as being part of, and of equivalent level to, the student’s normal course entitlement, the student are not exempt from course fees;
(b) outside the student’s normal course provision or is a fast-track course, full fees are payable.
3.5 Persons of at least 60 years of age on 1st September preceding the start of a part-time course will normally be charged 50% of any course fees, subject to declaration and the provision of appropriate documentary evidence if requested.
Students who are registered as disabled and in receipt of Long Term Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Disability Living Allowance or Disability Working Allowance, shall pay 25% of the fee Where a part-time course is held in the evening. For courses during the daytime, Special Needs students may apply to the Department of Education’s Student Awards Scheme for a discretionary award.
4. EXAMINATION FEES
4.1 All students qualifying for 100% fee exemptions will be exempt from examination fees except where:
(a) re-sit examination(s) is/are necessary, or
(b) a student fails to fulfil the ACC requirements in respect of their studies,
or
(c) a student fails to attend an examination and fails to provide appropriate medical documentation.
(d) a student is enrolled in a professional qualification and the Accreditation Body charges a separate fee.
4.2 All students will be required to pay in full for re-appear examination fees. For examinations additional to those included in the course fees, the full examination fee(s) will be charged unless a 100% exemption applies.
5. REFUND ARRANGEMENTS
5.1 If a course is cancelled by the ACC for any reason, a pro-rata refund of the course fee will be paid to enrolled students for the weeks remaining of the course. Should a cancelled course be offered subsequently, previously enrolled students may be charged a reduced fee to complete the course.
5.2 Students who withdraw before the end of the first term of a course and who claim a refund in writing to the ACC will receive a pro-rata refund of the fees for the weeks of the course remaining after the date of the refund claim. 10% will be deducted from the refund to cover administrative costs.
5.3 The 10% administrative charge may be waived for students claiming a refund for documented reasons outside their control such as serious ill health, family bereavement or changed working pattern.
5.4 No consideration can be given to claims for refunds during the second, third or subsequent terms of a course, or if a student does not take an examination for which there was provision within the course fee.
5.5 No claim should be made for refund after a lapse of three months or more, for one year course or more, however, for short term course no more than three weeks, where the candidate failing to justify in providing a proof or evidence in not attending the course or the examination set up by the college..
