Will I get a refund if I cannot come to the University?

Circumstances under which a refund will be given

The tuition fee deposit is non-transferable and non-refundable, except in specific circumstances:

1. A refund of the full deposit paid will be given within the ‘cooling off’ period, 14 days from receipt of the deposit, or in the event of a default by the University of Hull for any of the following reasons: - where the University withdraws a programme prior to the start of the start date; where the University is unable to deliver a programme as advertised, due to circumstances beyond its control.
2. A refund (less administration fee) will be given if an applicant fails to meet the conditions of their offer to study, including academic and/or English language requirements, the ATAS requirement if applicable, or other entry requirements. This includes failure to meet any pre-CAS requirements included after the initial offer to study (e.g. failed credibility interview or failure to provide mandatory information).
3. A refund will not be given where an applicant uses deception or misrepresentation, including submission of falsified or fraudulent documents, as part of their application to study at the University.
4. Request for refund (less administration fee) will be considered where there are exceptional circumstances beyond an applicant's control, such as illness or bereavement of an immediate family member. An application for this type of refund must be supported by certified documents such as a doctor's certificate, evidence of relationship for bereavement, and/or other relevant documents verifying the situation. Documents must be on an official letterhead, be legible, signed and stamped, dated, and accompanied by a certified translation if they are not written in English.
5. A refund will not be given where an applicant has received a visa refusal or notice of cancellation of their permission from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) for any of the following reasons:
   1. Credibility (e.g. following UKVI interview)
   2. Use of deception or misrepresentation, including submission of falsified or fraudulent documents
   3. Cancellation of permission to enter or remain, either prior to travelling to the UK or after arriving in the UK.
6. Applicants who receive a visa refusal or cancellation of permission for one of the above reasons may only become eligible to apply for a refund if they provide appropriate evidence to the University of a successful outcome of their Administrative Review application, following which the refusal decision is overturned by UKVI.
7. No refunds, other than for exceptional circumstances (see above) will be made once an applicant has arrived in the UK, including where they have applied to switch into a different immigration route (including UK asylum claims).
8. Failure to attend at the start of the programme, or withdrawal from the programme after enrolment will mean that the deposit is forfeited by the applicant. Where applicable, UKVI will be informed that the student has not enrolled on the programme and has withdrawn.
9. If an applicant’s CAS has been used and/or they have received their Student visa, for a refund application to be considered the applicant is required to provide appropriate evidence to demonstrate that they did not use their visa to travel to the UK, in addition to evidence of exceptional circumstances beyond their control which prevented the applicant from enrolling on their course.
10. Applicants who have paid a deposit higher than the base deposit rate (£4,000) and who apply for a refund will automatically be eligible to receive a refund of the difference between £4,000 and the total amount paid. The base deposit of £4,000 remains non-refundable, except where the applicant qualifies for a refund (less administration fee) in accordance with the criteria set out in this policy.
11. If an applicant defers their programme of study, the deposit will be transferred to the new programme.

Exceptional circumstances and appeals

• Decisions regarding exceptional circumstances refunds are made at the discretion of a panel of Senior Management. The decision of the panel will be final.
• If an application for a deposit refund is rejected, the applicant may appeal the decision only if one or more of the following apply:
  • New evidence: The applicant can provide additional information or evidence that supports their eligibility for a refund, which was not available or could not reasonably have been provided at the time of the original refund request.
  • Procedural error: The applicant believes that the refund request was not considered in accordance with the published Tuition Fee Deposit Refund Policy or that the decision-making process was not followed correctly. This must be clearly evidenced.
• Appeals must be submitted within 14 calendar days of the date that the deposit refund rejection email is sent.
• Appeals must be submitted using the appeal form provided with the deposit refund rejection email and must include additional relevant supporting evidence or information.
• Appeals will be automatically rejected where they are submitted after the 14-day period has passed, where the appeal form is incomplete, or where the appeal is submitted without further relevant evidence or information.
• All appeals will be reviewed by a panel of Senior Management, and the outcome of the appeal will be final.

Refund processing

• Deposits will be held at least until the start date of the course applied for (or longer) at the discretion of the University, until the relevant checks have been undertaken before paying any agreed refund.
• In line with UK money laundering laws, any fee paid will only be refunded to the person or body who paid the fee.
• Unless stated otherwise, all refunds are subject to a 5% administration fee. This fee will only be levied on the compulsory minimum deposit amount (i.e. the maximum administration fee is £200).

How to apply for a refund

Applicants should complete and return the Request for Refund of Tuition Fee Deposit form.

Refunds will be processed automatically where circumstance (1) or (2) above applies and applicants are not required to submit the form to request this.

Applications for a refund must be received by the University no later than the specified deadline for the intake for which the applicant received an offer to study. The application form must be completed in full and must include all relevant documents in support of the application. The latest dates to apply are as follows:

• For the September intake, the latest date to apply for a refund is 30 November of the same year
• For the January intake, the latest date to apply for a refund is 15 March of the same year
• For the May intake, the latest date to apply for a refund is 15 July of the same year

Full guide to tuition fee deposits