Welcome to Kaplan International Colleges – your pathway to success at your chosen university. The following Terms and Conditions are an integral part of your offer to study at the College and should be read carefully before you complete and sign the application form.
In college procedures and processes
Application Process
Application Form and Offer letter
Students need to send their signed application form with the required documentation to a Kaplan representative or a Kaplan office. Details of these can be found at www.kic.org.uk.. Students over 18 must sign to say that they have read and agree with these terms and conditions. The parents or legal guardians of students under 18 must read and sign on their behalf. Student’s privacy is important to us and when students submit personal data to us, they are accepting the terms and conditions described in our privacy policy which can be found at www.kic.org.uk.
If your application is accepted, you will receive a written offer letter. To accept your offer, you are required to pay a deposit as specified in the offer letter. The deposit will be credited against tuition fees. Refunds of the deposit will be in accordance with the Refund Policy (see below). Once the College has received the deposit and all conditions of the offer have been met, you will receive a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies) from the College and the University confirming your place on the course. This letter is an essential part of your visa application. The following valid documents need to be submitted to ensure a CAS is issued by the College –
- High school certificate/ attendance record, university certificate or other education results document
- Certificate from an internationally recognised English exam such as IELTS, SELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, Cambridge exam or any other recognised person or institution which shows you have studied English on a full or part-time basis and the level of English you have reached.
Data Protection
Any information provided to the College is provided subject to the College’s Data Protection Policy appearing at www.kic.org.uk. The policy is deemed to be incorporated into these Terms and Conditions.
Health declaration
Students must disclose on their application any mental or physical illness, allergy, disability or condition that may affect their ability to successfully complete their programme, that may impact the health and well-being of any other student or staff member, that may require monitoring, treatment or emergency intervention of any kind during the student’s anticipated period of enrolment, or that may require special accommodation. Kaplan reserves the right to reject an applicant or terminate a student’s enrolment in the programme if the student’s continued participation represents a risk to their health and safety or to the health and safety of other students or staff, or if, notwithstanding reasonable accommodations, in the opinion of Kaplan or Kaplan’s partner, the student’s physical or mental condition makes the student unable or unlikely to successfully complete their programme.
Under 18 year olds
KIC is able to accept students who are 17 years old and will also consider applications from students who are 16 years old, following an interview to assess their suitability.
The KIC admissions process for all students who are under 18 is slightly different as it reflects the fact that under the law of England and Wales anyone under the age of 18 is considered to be a minor (a child) and in Scotland some legal restrictions apply to under 18s.
Parents of all students who are under 18 are sent an Information Sheet which answers frequently asked questions, and explains about appointing a guardian for their child while they are studying with us. Parents are then required to complete an Underage Consent Form which has to be received by KIC before a CAS can be issued for their child.
Payment and Fees
All fees, charges and accounts will be payable in advance as determined by the College. Payment of each term’s tuition fees will be subject to any increase in tuition fees that may be announced during the course. You will not normally be permitted to commence or continue your course at the beginning of any term until all outstanding fees, charges or accounts are paid. Any outstanding amounts payable after the start of your course will be collected through the student debt collection programme of the college. Sponsored students need to submit the Financial Guarantee from their sponsor to commence their programme of study.
Payments can only be made by bank transfer prior to the student arriving in college. For bank transfers the students must cover the cost of bank charges to send and receive funds (this includes any other subsequent payments made from either side, ie refunds, additional services etc). If these charges are not covered by the student at the point of payment, the amount will be deducted from the student’s deposit.
Payments made whilst in college can be made by bank transfer and credit card. Credit card payments are accepted only if the cardholder is present with identification. There will be £30 charge for every credit card payment (£50 for American Express) on all credit card payments over £500. Any credit card payments under £500 will not incur additional charges. When outstanding tuition fees and accommodation costs are being paid by the student and the balance is over £500 then the £500 limit cannot be applied to prevent payments under £500 being made for an outstanding balance.
Payments made by debit card are not subject to any processing charges.
Students will be required to pay the tuition fees for the term they are starting and the following term where applicable as a committed term on arrival in college. This requirement will apply where the number of remaining terms on the course is more than one term including the term that is starting.
Where you undertake more than a full term load, you will pay the current fee for a full term load. Should it be necessary for you to repeat a module you will be required to pay the full module fee.
Fees are correct as at the time of printing. The College reserves the right to vary its fees at any time.
The amount of any scholarship/bursary provided to a student as a reduction on the tuition fees on their course is applied to the final term fees of a course.
Kaplan Care insurance
It is obligatory that all students have appropriate accident and medical insurance for the duration of their stay regardless of the length of the course. Students must take out either the Kaplan Care insurance policy or provide proof of adequate cover at enrolment. Cover under the Kaplan Care insurance policy does not commence until the insurance fees have been paid in full, which are only refundable in limited circumstances. Details of what is covered in the Kaplan Care insurance policy are available at www.kic.org.uk. or from your Kaplan office / representative.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees include tuition and access to the facilities of the College and its partner, orientation meeting, use of computer room, internet and study facilities, enrolment procedure, progress testing, sitting exams and a Kaplan International Colleges (KIC) award on successful completion of the course. Kaplan reserves the right to withhold the granting of a transcript attained by a student if student fees remain outstanding.
Books and learning materials
While material is provided to students throughout their course, students will be required to purchase key books to support their learning. Where Kaplan prepared learning materials need to be purchased these will be included in the amounts payable at the start of each term before the commencement or continuation of the course.
Additional services
Any additional services (travel, laundry, telephone costs, excursions, medical costs, special diet, repeating modules and enrolment amendments) are not included in any fees unless specifically stated.
Accommodation
All accommodation is booked using the accommodation booking form as per the advertised dates, unless otherwise advised. Students must select an accommodation option with the correct contract length for the course they are being offered. It is not possible to change the contract length once the accommodation is booked and the tenancy agreement is signed.
Payment for accommodation is required in advance and payments are structured as below
| Students | Payment on booking pre-arrival | Payment on arrival at College | Payment before start Term 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Term Students | £1,000 (includes £250 deposit) | Remainder of contract price | N/A |
| Pre-Sessional English Students 3 Term Students |
£1,000 (includes £250 deposit) | Remainder of contract price divided by 1.5 | Amount remaining of the contract price after first two instalments |
A deposit of 250 GBP will be added to the payment required to secure the accommodation. This will be returned to the student at the end of their tenancy unless the room is left in an unsatisfactory condition or there are outstanding payments on their account. For withdrawals from student’s accommodation once the academic course has already begun, rules under the refund policy apply.
For students undertaking 4 and 5 term courses the payment structure will follow the contract that the student selects for their accommodation option.
In college procedures and processes
Rules and regulations
Kaplan students are subject to the rules and regulations governing the particular college and/or partner university location attended.
Student Visa
Students need to be eligible to study in the UK and ensure that they have leave to remain for the entire period of their study. Any student who does not fulfil this obligation will not be permitted to enrol and will be reported to UKBA.
Students must have a current passport and valid student visa for the relevant KIC College to enrol. In line with UKBA regulations Kaplan will take a copy of the passport and visa at enrolment. Students are required to keep\Kaplan informed of and provide proof of their current residential address and keep Kaplan informed of their telephone number and email contact at all times and maintain satisfactory academic progress as per the requirements of the UKBA. Information collected by Kaplan which personally identifies a student and information regarding a student’s course progress may be shared with the British government, designated authorities, students’ parents, Kaplan staff, partners and representatives. This information may include personal and contact details, course enrolment details and changes, and circumstances of any suspected breach by the student of any visa condition.
Late arrivals
Every student should arrive on the published enrolment date, however due to credible reasons the start date can be postponed up to the published last date of enrolment. All delayed arrivals must be approved prior to arrival by Kaplan.
Deferrals
In cases when students will not be able to enrol on the desired date due to visa delays, they will have the option to defer and transfer their deposit payment to the next intake date. Deferrals can be used only once and student’s credit must be used within a year from the original start date and is non-refundable.
Programme changes
Kaplan has the right to change course start dates, course curricula and tuition fees at any time due to errors, omissions and circumstances beyond our control. However, in cases where the course is rescheduled prior to the start of the first course and the new date is unacceptable to the student, student will be subject to deferrals (see below). We also reserve the right to cancel courses at short notice due to insufficient demand.
Classes missed
No refunds or substitutions will be made for classes missed due to exams, excursions, internships, first day orientation or other obligations that fall outside the normal schedule. We respect the different culture and faiths of our students but students should be aware that it is the policy of both Partner Universities and Kaplan that students continue to attend classes during the period of any religious events, festival times and national New Year celebrations. Students are also expected to attend their classes to their daily schedule and the college cannot authorise absence for religious observance such as prayers and ceremonies.
Vacation and absences
If a student begins his or her enrolment late or is absent during his or her course, no refund will be made for the time missed. Periods of absence cannot be made up with a free extension of the course. Vacation dates are pre-built between the terms and students cannot make changes to these dates. Breaks taken at other times will be marked as periods of absence. For other courses, granting of any session breaks after the course has started will be at the discretion of individual colleges and may incur an admin fee or be marked as a period of absence. A period of 10 consecutive absences for any students will be reported to the UKBA as part of the requirements of reporting absences.
UK Public holidays
Classes are normally not held and most college facilities are closed on public holidays. All published course start dates fall on a Monday. If the Monday is a public holiday, the start date will fall on a Tuesday. Compensation will not be made for classes not offered on public holidays. Students are also advised that campus facilities may not be available during campus holidays. Further details are available from the Kaplan office/representative.
Expulsion / suspension
Any student who commits a criminal/civil offence, brings false qualifications or other fraudulent documentation, violates the student conduct code or college or partner University policy, his or hers academic performance fall under the requirements of the UKBA or fails to pay an amount you are directly or indirectly liable to pay Kaplan in order to undertake the course, may be expelled or suspended. No refund will be given and the immigration authorities will be informed.
Academic Progression
In order to progress within the programme and to subsequent courses (offered either by the College or the University), a student will be required to meet prescribed academic attainment standards. Assessment will be throughout the term on an ongoing basis and this assessment will take into account coursework, attendance and examinations.
Importantly, students must also meet the minimum English Language requirement for entry into the relevant University degree course and any English language requirements to secure a visa to study in the UK. In addition, students who have poor levels of attendance may not automatically be offered a place to progress to the chosen partner university.
Students will only be eligible to sit the final examination for each module upon satisfactory performance and attendance and completion of all coursework.
If students do not meet the academic attainment standards or English Language proficiency requirements they will not be allowed to proceed with their original course but may be offered an alternative course or required to withdraw from the College without refund. If the student successfully graduates to a course at the University they will be subject to the university’s Terms and Conditions at that time.
University Placement Service / Student Placement Unit
All students are guaranteed a place at university on successful completion of the KIC Award, the language level and meet the requirements of renewing their visa in the UK. Data will be held on the UPS Online system and students will need to agree to the terms and conditions relating to this system prior to usage.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend 100% of their classes and tutorial sessions as failure to attend is likely to have a serious impact on their study performance and the ability to successfully complete their programme of study. Kaplan has an attendance policy and procedure where students may be expelled and will have to return home if they do not attend their classes.
Refund Policy
Refunds will be made to the bank account from which the original payment was received and the payment will be made in GBP. When a student has opened a UK bank account, refunds to the value of £2,000 may be made to that account in total for the period the student is in college after which any remaining balance is refunded to the bank account from which the original payment was made.
Pre-Registration
Payment of a tuition deposit reserves the student a place at the College and is required upon acceptance of the offer to the student. The tuition deposit is applied towards tuition fees and is non-refundable except in the event of being refused a visa. In the event of visa refusal being due to fraudulent documents as detailed on the visa refusal letter Kaplan reserves the right to refuse a refund.
All requests for refunds must be submitted in writing to the Application and Admissions Centre and will normally be processed within 28 days from receipt of the written request and a copy of the visa refusal letter and passport (showing both the photograph and signature). Where the payer was not the student, an authority letter from the student authorising the repayment to the payer must be provided.
Request for refunds must be submitted within four weeks after the commencement of the course (published date). Letters for immigration use can be issued only after the College has received the tuition deposit and the academic conditions of the offer have been met.
Post-Registration
Payment of tuition fees is non-refundable after the commencement of studies with the exception of the circumstances outlined below. Any students withdrawing from their programme of study will be reported to the UK Home Office and British Embassy/High Commission in their home country.
When determining the amount of the refund the following will determine the number of terms completed. The current term will be counted as a whole term and the following term as a confirmed term. All attended and confirmed terms will need to be paid for and are non-refundable. All other terms are refundable and payments will be made as outlined in the Refund policy above. The rules on current term and following terms will apply to tuition and accommodation charges. In all cases additional service charges (eg airport transfers, Kaplan Care insurance, books and learning materials) are non-refundable and written notification of termination must be given to the College Principal or Director. Students who terminate their programme will not be eligible to receive a KIC award.
| Resort | Refundable amount | Non-refundable amount |
|---|---|---|
| Transferring to recognised UK education institution | Tuition fees paid for any remaining terms will be transferred directly to institution on proof of unconditional offer for full-time programme of study | Tuition fees for previous, current and confirmed term where applicable. |
| Returning to home country in extenuating circumstances, where withdrawal from the College has been approved at the College’s discretion | Tuition fees paid for any remaining, uncommenced terms will be sent back in the form of an electronic bank transfer to the overseas bank account from where the original payment was received from on receipt of the stamped passport proving return to the student’s home country. | Tuition fees for previous, current and confirmed term where applicable. |
The amount of any scholarship/bursary provided to a student as a reduction on the tuition fees on their course is applied to the final term of a course if a student applies for a refund.
Unused amounts
Any amounts carried forward and not applied in accordance with these terms and conditions will be forfeited to the College after one academic term of leaving the college.
Variation
No variation to these conditions is valid unless agreed in writing by the College’s Director, provided always that the College reserves the right to make any addition, amendment or alternation to these conditions upon giving one term’s written notice of such change to all affected students, parents and guardians.
The College may by written notice vary conditions of enrolment with immediate effect as may be necessary to comply with any law, regulations or amendment thereof, of the Government of Great Britain.
Liability
The liability of Kaplan, its partners, its group companies, their directors, officers, employees, affiliates, agents and partners with respect to losses, damages, injuries, illnesses or violations or otherwise is (except where such liability cannot be excluded as a matter of law) limited in all circumstances to the full amount paid to Kaplan or the relevant Kaplan group company by the relevant student for the particular program. Such persons will in no circumstances have any liability for indirect or consequential losses or damages.
Force majeure
It is a basic stipulation of the agreement/contract between students and Kaplan, its affiliates or its representatives (collectively referred to as ‘Kaplan’), that Kaplan is not liable in cases where Kaplan is unable to fulfil any services to which they are contractually bound because of fire, natural disaster, act of government, failure of suppliers or subcontractors, labour disputes or other reasons which are beyond their control.
Governing Law
Students’ arrangements with the College are governed by English law (except at Glasgow International College where Scots law applies) and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts.
Contracting Parties
The Kaplan group companies who own the Colleges are as follows:
- Glasgow International College – Kaplan Glasgow Limited (Reg No. SC312176)
- Kaplan International College London – Kaplan International College London Limited (Reg No. 06533974)
- Liverpool International College – Kaplan Liverpool Limited (Reg No. 06225445)
- Nottingham Trent International College – Kaplan NT Limited (Reg No. 05281459)
- Sheffield International College – Kaplan Sheffield Limited (Reg No. 05589519)
- Kaplan International College Bournemouth – Aspect International Language Academies Limited (Reg No. 2162156)
- University of Brighton’s International College – Kaplan Brighton Limited (Reg No. 07331979)
- University of the West of the England, Bristol’s International College – Kaplan UWE Limited (Reg No. 08102562)
