International Deposit Refund Policy

Students who pay overseas fees and are applying for a full-time, on-campus course are required to pay a non-refundable deposit in order to enrol at University of Staffordshire. Applicants who require a Student visa must pay the deposit before the Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) letter is released.

The deposit is a confirmation that you have made your final decision to study at University of Staffordshire and is therefore non-refundable in the majority of cases. A refund can only be issued in a small number of circumstances and will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Refund criteria

A full deposit refund will be considered in the following circumstances:

• An applicant requests the return of their deposit within 14 days of receipt of payment at University of Staffordshire under the Consumer Protection Regulations 2014.
• The University is unable to provide the academic programme originally applied for, offered and accepted and the applicant does not want to take up a place on any alternative offered.
• An applicant fails to meet the academic conditions of their offer, unless the place is deferred (see deferral section below for full criteria).
• Extenuating circumstances which prevent the applicant commencing their course, including:
  • serious personal accident or injury of self or close family member
  • death of an immediate family member (eg partner, parent, primary carer, child)
  • medical emergency or requirement of long term medical care for the applicant or immediate family member (eg partner, parent, primary carer, child)
  • impact of natural disaster or civil disruption, including the recent outbreak of COVID-19
  • significant change in financial circumstances
• Some circumstances where the applicant cannot take up his/her place due to failure to obtain a student visa (see visa refusal section below for full criteria).

Please note that formal evidence from an official source will be required before a refund can be approved and processed.

Visa refusals

Student visa applicants are strongly advised to refer to the Home Office Guidance to ensure that their visa application is valid at the point of submission.

No refund will be given to students whose visa is refused for the following reasons:

• Fraudulent documentation (activity) is used in any part of visa application
• Incorrect documentation - documents do not meet the UKVI requirements as stated in the Home Office guidance
• Insufficient finance – financial documents do not meet the UKVI requirements as stated in the Home Office Guidance
• Your Student visa is refused due to breaching the conditions of your previously granted UK visas
• Your Student visa application is refused due to a failure to demonstrate academic progression or exceeding the previous UK study cap and the required information was either not previously disclosed or false information was provided
• Your Student visa application is refused due to a failure to disclose a previous criminal conviction or failure to disclose any other information which has led to visa refusal
• Where a Student visa is granted but an applicant is refused entry upon arrival in the UK
• Where a Student applicant has arrived at the UK, however failed to enrol/ communicate with the University within the expected deadlines
• Non-genuine student – the UKVI have deemed that the applicant does not have genuine intentions to study in the UK. We will assess non-genuine student visa refusals on a case-by-case basis.

In case of a visa refusal for any of the above reasons, a refund will not be granted and University of Staffordshire will retain the full deposit. Any additional tuition fee payments will be refunded in full.

A refund following a visa application could only be considered in the following circumstances:

• Where a visa application was made at least 15 working days before the course latest start date, however Student visa is granted too late for an applicant to join the course
• University of Staffordshire reserves the right to withdraw a CAS prior to a decision being made by the UKVI if it is anticipated that the student will not be able to commence their course before the latest start date as stated on the CAS.

In these circumstances, an administrative fee of £500 will be retained by the University and all other tuition fee payments will be returned in full.

How to apply for a refund

• If you meet the criteria outlined above and are eligible for a refund, you will have to complete a Refund Request Form. This can be requested from the International Admissions team,
• All refunds will be approved by the International Office as per the criteria outlined above.
• All refunds will only be paid into an originating account.
• Please note: The University reserves the right to change its refund policy for international deposits at any time.

If you have any questions about the refund process or policy, please contact the International Admissions team at int-admissions@staffs.ac.uk

Exceptions to the opening paragraph:

• Government-sponsored students
• Applicants in receipt of a full tuition fee waiver from University of Staffordshire
• Applicants sponsored by another educational institution
• Students sponsored by an International Scholarship Agency, e.g. Chevening Scholarship