INSTALMENTS & INVOICES

Instalment Policy for Students on SFA, FE and Full Cost courses:

NB: a £25 administration fee will be charged for instalment arrangements and will be added to the amount of course fees outstanding. Also please note that course deposits are exempt from the instalment policy.

Students paying their own fees can pay by up to 3 instalments providing that:

• Course fees are in excess of £100 and the duration of the course is more than 12 weeks;
• An initial payment equal to one third of the tuition fee plus any accreditation, examination consumables, instalment arrangement and administration fees is paid by the start date of the course;
• The second instalment of one third of the tuition fee is paid on the 5th of the 2nd month after the course start date (ie, if the course starts in September, the 2nd payment will be due on 5 November);
• The final instalment of one third of the tuition fee is paid on the 5th of the 3rd month after the course start date (ie, if the course starts in September, the 3rd payment will be due on 5 December);
• The student supplies completed instalment plan documentation, a credit card, cheque or cash for the first payment and two post-dated cheques for the second and third instalments, made payable to Peter Symonds College. Cash can be paid for the subsequent two instalments if the student does not have a bank account.
• The student has no outstanding balance of fees from a previous year;
• The student does not have, or is not in the process of, an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA); and
• The student has not defaulted on instalment/payment arrangements in a previous year.

The option to pay by instalment is subject to the following terms and conditions:

1. Students who withdraw from their programme remain liable for full course fees;
2. Peter Symonds College charges an administration fee of £25 for instalment arrangements;
3. Instalment arrangements are not available for overseas students, sponsors or employers, or students without a UK bank account, unless agreed by the Director of Adult Education;
4. Fees will be collected on the agreed dates in the instalment plan;
5. Fees charged will normally be for one academic year only. For the majority of courses lasting more than 1 year, fees will be charged at the start of each year;
6. Peter Symonds College reserves the right to withhold applications for certification for students with an outstanding balance of fees;
7. If the college is unable to collect payment, the student's ID card will be deactivated and IT account suspended, unless satisfactory payment arrangements are made;
8. If the college is unable to collect an instalment payment from the student's bank account on more than one occasion, the student may be asked to leave their programme but will remain liable for payment of any outstanding fees;
9. Peter Symonds College is prepared to take action where necessary through the County Court, to recover debts from students/employers who do not adhere to payment arrangements and/or fail to respond to correspondence from Registry. This could result in a County Court Judgement against the student. NB: all County Court costs will be added to the balance due from the student/employer; and
10. Any student with a change of address must notify Registry immediately.

Even though students are able to pay for their course via an Instalment Plan this does not change the terms of enrolment. The whole fee remains payable even if the student withdraws after the first session. For further information regarding refunds please refer to our Refund Policy.

If you wish to pay by instalments please contact Registry on 01962 889547.

Students taking Foundation Degree courses and Initial Teacher Training (DTLLS) courses:

Where students are studying at Peter Symonds College but are on a programme funded by a University e.g. Foundation Degree in Counselling or Year 2 Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning sector (DTLLs), students will be subject to the relevant universities payment schemes.

What happens if my tuition fee payment is late?

If you become aware that a payment will be late you must contact the Assistant Bursar at the Adult Education division or the Director of Adult Education to explain why this has occurred. If you are in genuine difficulty making your payment we will try to agree a plan of payment that is more manageable. If you fail to submit a payment plan or if your payment plan method fails you will be contacted within two weeks of the expected payment date and asked to make immediate payment by another method. If this payment method also fails you may be charged an administration fee. If you fail to respond or you are unable to provide an acceptable payment plan, the college reserves the right to terminate your studies. The college will then put any outstanding debt in the hands of a debt collector. Any additional costs incurred will be added to your account. Students who continue to be in debt to the college at the end of the first academic year will not be permitted to register for the following year of their programme. Also, please be aware that if you remain in debt to the college you will be required to pay your balance before enrolling on any subsequent courses whether they are subsidised or full cost.

What can I do if I’m having difficulty paying my fees?

If you are experiencing difficulties in paying tuition fees you should seek help at the earliest possible opportunity. Initially you should approach the Student Support Administrator at Reception. She will be able to provide general advice as well as information about any additional funding that may be available. You may also wish to speak to your tutor for support and advice. It is important to keep the college informed of the developments (see above). The college will be sympathetic and assist where it can however in order to maintain the quality of teaching for everyone else the college must act to recover debts.

Payment of interest or administration charges:

You will be liable to pay interest at 2.5% above the UK clearing bank base rate, per annum, on any amount outstanding/overdue against your payment plan. Interest will run from the due date to the date when the fees are paid. Registry will review the student related debt ledger throughout the year and apply interest annually, on a consistent basis. An administration charge of £25.00 may be raised where your chosen method of payment is declined more than once. This will apply to each payment date.

Invoices:

If your employer wishes to pay by invoice we require a letter requesting this, written on headed notepaper, with the name of the person we need to address the invoice to plus your Enrolment Card. An invoice CANNOT be issued without a letter on headed paper.

Additional Costs:

All students are expected to supply their own books, materials, tools and stationery. These are not included in the course fee. Students are advised not to make purchases until they are sure that the course will run and that it suits their needs. Some courses also carry additional charges to cover particular costs e.g. higher cost of room hire at other centres, items supplied, consumables or for reduced group sizes.