Regulation 14: Charging and Payment of Fees

Contents

1) Definitions

1.1) Academic Fees

1.2) Residence Fees

2) Academic Fees Levied

3) Payment of Tuition Fees

4) Payment of Tuition Fees After Being Required to Withdraw

5) Examination Fees and Resubmission Fees

6) Academic Fees Related to Registration

7) Residence Fees

8) Action in Relation to University Debts

9) Appeal Process

1. Definitions

In this Regulation 14 the following definitions shall apply.

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1.1 Academic Fees

1.1.1 The following separate fees shall collectively be known as academic fees and relate to the provision of academic services to students.

      a) Tuition fee

The tuition fee is a composite fee which covers registration, tuition, examination and graduation as appropriate. It also includes a contribution to the appropriate student representative bodies including the Students’ Union and the Keele Postgraduate Association. The tuition fee may include an additional charge as a penalty for late payment of tuition fees due (tuition late fee) or for late re-registration for any year (re-registration late fee).

      b) Examination fee

An examination fee is charged to students who are examined for a research degree by published work (see Regulation 3).

      c) Resubmission fee

A resubmission fee is charged to research students who are permitted to resubmit their thesis for re-examination.

1.1.2 Fee status

The fee status of a student indicates whether a student is required to pay tuition fees at the home rate or at the overseas rate. Students eligible to pay fees at the home rate are defined in the Education (Fees and Awards) Regulations 1997 (SI 1997 No 1972) as amended.

1.1.3 Mode of attendance

The mode of attendance of a student relates to the proportion of time which a student is spending on the course over a given period, and the University resources made available to the student for that period.

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1.2 Residence Fees

1.2.1 Residence fee

A residence fee is the fee charged by the accommodation owner for residential services in University accommodation provided by the accommodation owner. The residence fee may include an additional charge (residence late fee) as a penalty for late payment of residence fees due.

1.2.2 University accommodation

University accommodation means the University Halls of Residence.

1.2.3 Accommodation owner

The accommodation owner means the University or any person who owns or has an interest in the University accommodation.

1.3 Sponsor

Any person or organisation, other than the student, who has agreed to pay some or all of the student’s academic or residence fees.

1.4 University debts

Any monies owing to the University, which shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

  • academic fees

  • residence fees

  • library fines

  • fines charged or levied under Regulation 20: Student discipline

  • any other monies owing to the University

1.5 In this Regulation 14, all references to the Director of Finance and IT shall include any nominee of that Director who may act with the Director's powers.

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2. Academic Fees Levied

2.1 All courses offered by the University will be subject to a tuition fee unless the University specifically decides that in any instance no tuition fee shall be chargeable. Subject to paragraphs 2.4 and 2.5, the University is free to determine its own level of fee for any course.

2.2 Tuition fees will be reviewed on an annual basis and may vary. Subject to paragraph 2.4, the University Council shall approve all tuition fees levied by the University.

2.3 Unless otherwise indicated, the tuition fee is payable annually at the authorised rate. The level of tuition fee in any year for any course will vary according to the mode of attendance and the fee status of the student. Where the mode of attendance changes during a year, the tuition fee payable is pro rata to the weeks of each mode of attendance. No fees are due for approved periods of leave of absence.

2.4 For some courses, the Government regulates the tuition fee chargeable to students. The University will comply with any Government regulation with respect to regulated tuition fees.

2.5 The University is obliged by Government to levy tuition fees which are deemed to represent the full cost of the course with respect to students who are required to pay fees at the overseas rate.

2.6 Where students withdraw from a course during the year, no tuition fee will be charged if the date of withdrawal is within four weeks of the start of the course. For other dates of withdrawal, the tuition fee levied will be:

         (i) All Postgraduate students and International Undergtraduate students - the annual fee pro-rata for all full weeks completed prior to the date of withdrawal

         (ii) All Home and EU Undergraduate students and all Home and EU PGCE students - a proportionate fee which follows Government recommendations and Student Loan funding rules for the relevant academic year.

Further details are available from the Income Office, Finance & IT Directorate, if required.

2.7 In some circumstances, for some research degrees, examination or resubmission fees are levied and are subject to the same procedures set out in 2.2 above.

2.8 The levels of academic fees in force at any time will be published. The University has a policy of no hidden charges.

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3. Payment of Tuition Fees

3.1 All students are liable for the tuition fees for their course. If the student has a sponsor, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the University has the relevant sponsor details for invoicing purposes and that the sponsor has paid the fees.

3.2 Subject to 3.3, tuition fees for each year of the course are due to be paid as follows: for year one not later than two weeks after the commencement of the course, and for subsequent years not later than two weeks after the anniversary of the commencement of the course.

3.3 Students may arrange to pay their tuition fees by instalments, in accordance with University arrangements in force at any time (such arrangements to be approved by Council). Dates by which instalments are due will be notified to students. 

3.4 Any student who has not paid fees by the due date will be liable to pay a tuition late fee (the level of which is to be approved by Council).

3.5 In exceptional circumstances, the Director of Finance and IT shall have discretionary powers to make arrangements with a student for payment of any outstanding tuition fees within such period and on such conditions as he or she may think fit.

3.6 The Director of Finance and IT shall have the authority to authorise any refunds of tuition fees.

3.7 The invoicing and collection of tuition fees shall be conducted under the authority of the Director of Finance and IT, and the only conclusive evidence of payment of any fees shall be an official receipt authorised by the Director of Finance and IT.

3.8 Where in the view of the Director of Finance and IT there has been a persistent failure to pay tuition fees, the student may be required to withdraw from the University and their accommodation (see 7.1 below). The Director of Finance and IT will send to the student two formal reminder notices to this effect, and if the position is not remedied in full or to the satisfaction of the Director of Finance and IT by a specified date the student will be withdrawn.

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4. Payment of Tuition Fees After Being Required to Withdraw

If, after the student has been required to withdraw, outstanding tuition fees are subsequently paid, the student will be entitled to resume his or her course subject to the following conditions:

a) Unless agreed otherwise by the Head of Records and Examinations, a student who has missed more than four weeks and less than one year of the course will be required to resume studies at the same stage in the next offering of the course corresponding to the stage at which the student was deemed to have withdrawn, except that research students who are in the research stage of their programme will be permitted to resume studies immediately on payment of the outstanding fees.

b) Where the period of absence from study is greater than one year, the right of the student to resume the course is conditional upon the continued offering by the University of that course in substantially the same form as at the point when the student was deemed to have withdrawn. In particular, there shall be no obligation on the University to set examinations on syllabuses which during the period of withdrawal may have been superseded. In the case of research students, the right to resume the course is conditional upon the University still being able to offer appropriate supervision and facilities for the research project.

c) Where a student is permitted to resume studies after a period of absence greater than one year, then for the purposes of Ordinance IV.4 concerning maximum periods within which assessments and examinations shall be completed, the situation shall be regarded as special circumstances.

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5. Examination Fees and Resubmission Fees

Examination fees and resubmission fees, where applied, are due to be paid at the time of submission of the thesis or portfolio for examination. Submissions will not be accepted unless accompanied or preceded by the correct fee payment.

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6. Academic Fees Related to Registration

6.1 No student who is in debt to the University with respect to their academic or residence fees (subject to a minimum level agreed by Council) will be permitted to re-register with the University unless and until those debts are cleared or an acceptable arrangement for payment has been made with the Director of Finance and IT.

6.2 Any student who fails to re-register in any year by the date prescribed by the Head of Records and Examinations and is subsequently permitted by the Head of Records and Examinations to re-register may be charged a re-registration late fee, at a level to be approved by Council.

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7. Residence Fees

7.1 Places in University accommodation are available only to students registered with the University as full-time. No student who fails to maintain his or her registration with the University will be allowed a place in University accommodation (see 6 above).

7.2 All places in University accommodation are offered and accepted subject to compliance with the terms and conditions of occupancy notified to each student with the offer of a place.

7.3 Residence fees for students will be set annually by the University or Accommodation Owner and will be paid to the University by the prescribed date. Residence fees will vary in accordance with the type of accommodation and services provided.

7.4 The levels of residence fees in force at any time are indicated clearly to applicants for places in University accommodation.

7.5 The payment arrangements for residence fees are the same as those set out in (3) above for tuition fees.

7.6 Where in the view of the Director of Finance and IT there has been a persistent failure to pay residence fees, the student may be required to vacate University accommodation. The Director of Finance and IT will send to the student two formal reminder notices to this effect, and if the position is not remedied in full or to the satisfaction of the Director of Finance and IT by a specified date the student will be required to vacate University accommodation.

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8. Action in Relation to University Debts

8.1 Where the University has pursued reasonable internal procedures for the recovery of University debts (as defined in 1.4), including procedures set out in 3.8, 6.1 and 7.6 in relation to academic fees and residence fees, and where University debts are still outstanding, the University reserves the right to pursue the recovery of the debt through the legal process at any stage of a student’s course, or after the student has withdrawn from the course.

8.2 In addition, for any student who on completion of a course has University debts which comprise academic fees and/or residence fees, the University reserves the right, within the law, to withhold any award, unless and until all such fees have been paid. Where any miscellaneous fees remain unpaid, the University reserves the right to prevent attendance at any graduation ceremony, although students will still be permitted to receive their degree in absentia.

8.3 The provisions of paragraph 8.2 may be waived, in full or in part, where the level of University debt is low, such decision to be at the discretion of the Director of Finance and IT.

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9. Appeal Process

9.1 Any student who believes that any decision by the University about their fee payments is unreasonable, including any requirement to withdraw from the University or to vacate University accommodation, may bring a complaint under the University Student Complaints Procedure as set out in Regulation 26.

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