International Deposit Refund Policy

Students who pay overseas fees and are applying for a full-time, on-campus course are required to pay a 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 most cases. Refunds can only be issued in the circumstances below and will be handled on a case-by-case basis using the regulations stipulated below.

Exceptions to the opening paragraph:

• Applicants in receipt of a full tuition fee waiver from University of Staffordshire
• Applicants from an approved financial sponsor
• Students sponsored by an International Scholarship Agency, e.g. Chevening Scholarship

Refund of full deposit

The refund of the full international deposit will be considered in the following circumstances:

• An applicant requests a refund of their deposit within 14 days of the payment being received by the University.
• The University is unable to provide the academic programme applied for, and the applicant does not want to take up a place on any alternative course offered.
• An applicant fails to meet the conditions of their offer and does not wish to defer their offer to the next available intake.
• The University is unable to issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) due to the Pre-CAS checks being unsuccessful.
• Where a CAS is withdrawn by the University prior to a decision from the UKVI because it is not anticipated that the student will be able to arrive prior to the latest authorised start date.
• Where applicants have made a visa application within the agreed Admissions timeframe, but the visa decision has not been made before the latest authorised start date, or the visa decision was communicated too late for the student to reach the University before the latest authorised start date.
• Where a Student Visa is refused by the UKVI, but the decision is overturned by Administrative Review. Note that the full Administrative Review documentation must be sent to International Admissions before a refund can be authorised.

Partial Refund of the Deposit

University of Staffordshire will issue a partial deposit refund as set out below. An administrative fee of £1500 will be retained by the University in the following circumstances:

• The Student Visa application is refused by the UKVI
• The Student Visa is granted but the applicant is refused entry upon arrival in the UK
• Where fraudulent activity or documentation has been used at any point in the Admissions process.
• Where a Student Visa has been granted but the student fails to enrol before the latest authorised start date. Note that in cases where the student has used the visa to travel to the UK, we will require evidence that they have subsequently left, prior to considering a refund.

Deferrals

If an applicant is unable to enrol on their chosen course following the payment of the deposit, they may be offered the opportunity to defer their studies to the next available intake. In these cases, the deposit will be retained by the University and transferred to the next intake.

Refund process

An application for a refund of part or all of the deposit with supporting evidence must be provided via the Refund Form to International Admissions before a decision to return part or all of the deposit can be made.

Tuition fees paid over and above the deposit which are received prior to enrolment will be refunded in full upon request.

Refunds are processed through our trusted payment partner, Convera, and funds are returned to the originating account. Please allow 10 working days for refunds to be processed following authorisation.

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