Student fees policy

1. Tuition fees

1.1. Students are liable for payment to Birkbeck, University of London (‘hereafter abbreviated to ‘the College’) of all tuition fees for the programme or selected modules on which they study. Any exclusions to this requirement are outlined below in paragraph 1.3. The fees for the College’s programmes are set out in the College Prospectus, on the College webpages and in printed documentation produced by Schools and Professional Services.

1.2. At their initial registration and subsequent annual enrolment, students confirm their intention to study and confirm their agreement to pay the fee for the modules, credit or programme undertaken. Students are expected to register and enrol at the College at the earliest opportunity and within 28 days of the first day of the term in which the programme/module commences at the latest.

1.3. Students embarking on an apprenticeship programme which incorporates a programme of study at the College are not normally liable for tuition fees. The associated employer is liable for the payment of tuition fees for these programmes. If a student on an apprenticeship programme leaves their employment with the named employer during the period of the apprenticeship agreement but chooses to continue their studies, they will become liable for the remaining fees.

1.4. All fees, refunds and credit notes are quoted and will be calculated in GB pounds sterling. Any international exchange rate calculation will follow the Finance Department’s established procedures.

1.5. The College sets different fee rates for Home students and International students. Registry Services assess the student’s relevant fee at the point of application in line with the Fee Assessment Policy and Procedure.

1.6 If a student is finding it difficult to pay their tuition fees they should contact the Income Office at the earliest opportunity.

1.7. Should a student wish to contest their fee liability, the Academic Registrar (or nominee) will determine the appropriate fee to be paid. If there are relevant mitigating circumstances which might justify an alternative fee, the Academic Registrar reserves the right to request documentary evidence. If the student is unhappy with the fee agreed, they can challenge this decision using the Student Complaints Policy and Procedures.

2. Government policy

2.1. The College is not permitted to exceed any maximum government-regulated undergraduate fee. Where the annual study credit load results in a fee that exceeds the maximum regulated fee, the College reserves the right to set a maximum credit load and/or fee within the law. ‘Study credit load’ means the volume of academic study organised into modules (known as ‘credit’ and divisible by 15), permitted by any student under the College’s Common Award Scheme regulations.

2.2. The College may charge different tuition fees for students resident within the European Economic Area (EEA) and outside it and/or for different modes of study e.g. undergraduate, postgraduate, full or part-time.

2.3. Please note that transitional financial support arrangements are based on the government’s statutory Student Support Regulations. The College is not responsible for these arrangements and there is no right of appeal or an exceptions policy.

3. Ancillary fees

3.1. Students may be required to pay additional fees for ancillary products or services such as library use, books, equipment, travel and/or accommodation for field trips. The College may provide means-tested financial support to eligible students to help provide financial assistance towards the cost of these. Ancillary services may be provided by third parties and fees paid directly to them.

4. Annual increases and fee charging by cohort

4.1. The College reserves the right to set appropriate tuition fees for its programmes and modules. Any substantial changes to fees will normally come into effect for students starting a programme. Where fees are changed for programmes or modules, students continuing on a programme of study will not be subject to the new fee, except where there are inflationary increases as outlined in paragraph 4.2 and 4.3.

4.2. For programme enrolment courses (programmes of study that require an application to study: e.g. Prog enrolment Cert HE, UG degree, PG Degree, PGR degree) students are charged an annual tuition fee in each year of their programme. Following the first year of study, tuition fees may be subject to annual inflationary increases. Regulated fees for home undergraduate students (see paragraph 2.1) will only increase to permitted maximums. In all other circumstances, and for the duration of their programme, students may expect tuition fees to increase annually in line with inflation up to a maximum of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) +3%.

4.3. For modular enrolment courses, as part of a Certificate of Higher Education, students are charged an annual tuition fee based on the fee(s) for the selected module(s). Following the first year of study, tuition fees may be subject to annual inflationary increases. Students may expect tuition fees per module to increase annually in line with inflation up to a maximum of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) +3%. In exceptional circumstances due to non-inflationary fee setting there may be higher fee increases per module. Where this is the case students who have begun their studies on a modular enrolment course will be protected from the higher fees for a maximum period of two years.

4.4. When students enrol on a programme, they are allocated to a ‘cohort’. A ‘cohort’ is a group of students who commence their studies at the same time, on the same mode of attendance, and would therefore be expected to progress through the curriculum together. A student’s fee is linked to their cohort of study which indicates when they commenced their programme of study. Students in a particular cohort will pay the same fees as other students of the same type (e.g. Home or International students) in that cohort.

4.5. If a student interrupts their studies or is required to repeat a year, they will join a new ‘cohort’ for fee purposes and will be charged the appropriate tuition fee for the programme year of study. If the fee has increased for this later cohort, the student will be charged the new fee aligned to their new cohort. There is a cap on the maximum increase of no more than an additional 10% of the student’s previous cohort fee. This will apply again should the student interrupt their studies or repeat a further year.

4.6. Students should seek guidance on the financial and tuition fee implications of taking a break in study or retaking a year of study, so they understand fully the implications of doing so. Once a student is allocated to a new ‘cohort’ they cannot return to the lower fee cohort. Students should also note that their financial support arrangements as well as their tuition fee can be affected by the cohort to which a student belongs and are subject to government student funding regulations.

5. Payment methods and deposits

5.1. The Student Services web pages include a list of tuition fee payment methods:

• full payment upfront
• instalment plans (termly/monthly)
• Student Loan, US or Canadian Loans and
• employer sponsorship, the College’s staff study assistance.

5.2. Where a student has registered and enrolled with a third party paying their fees (this includes an employer, a sponsor or a loan provider), the student needs to understand that they are liable for payment of fees should the relevant third party fail to make payment.

5.3. Some programmes of the College are extremely popular and have a limited number of places. The College may require a non-refundable deposit to be paid in order to secure a place when accepting an offer for these programmes. Any deposit will be taken as part of the overall course fee and not as an additional amount. Where a programme requires a deposit, details will be provided to prospective students when an offer is made. If a prospective student subsequently chooses not to take up their place, they should note that the deposit is non-refundable: this means it will not be repaid.

5.4. Where a student has agreed to pay their fees monthly by direct debit but misses a payment due to insufficient funds in their account, they will receive an email asking for the missing payment to be made within five working days. Failure to make payment will result in the direct debit being cancelled and the total fees will become due. If a direct debit is cancelled at the paying bank, the fees will also become due in full. Where a student is not able to make a payment on time, they should contact the Income Office to make an alternative arrangement and at least three working days before the payment is due.

6. Tuition fee amendments

6.1 Where a tuition fee must be amended, the correct fee (even if it is higher) will always be applied and charged to a student to ensure the student record is correct. In such circumstances and post enrolment, a credit note may be applied to reduce the actual amount a student is liable to pay. An amendment to an individual student’s tuition fee cannot be agreed by an individual member of staff without the written permission of the Academic Registrar or their nominee. A reduction in tuition fee or tuition fee amendment (not initiated by a student) can only be requested by a Director of Operations or their nominee.

6.2. It is important for the College to assess a student’s tuition fees correctly. Students who have been under or over charged, where they have not provided relevant information when asked to calculate the correct fee, will automatically be charged the correct rate of tuition fee as assessed by the College. Tuition fees are charged annually at the rate set for each programme for the appropriate mode of study. In some circumstances, the College may agree that a student can take a non-standard study load and they may be charged a different tuition fee. This tuition fee will normally be prorated to the study credit load but in certain circumstances, which may relate either to the programme of study or the student, a different calculation may be required. All non- standard tuition fees are subject to the agreement of the Academic Registrar (or their nominee).

6.3. If a student’s study credit load is reduced by recognition of accredited prior learning (APL) the tuition fee may be adjusted. There is no additional fee chargeable for the consideration of accredited prior credited learning (APCL). The College may charge a fee to assess accredited prior experiential learning (APEL). See the Accreditation of Prior Learning Policy for more information.

7. Changing modes or programme of study

7.1. Students who wish to change programme or mode of study are encouraged only to do so between academic years. If a student changes mode of study from full-time to part-time (or vice versa) or transfers to a different programme of study during the academic year, the fee will be re-calculated for the full year of study. The new fee will be based on the student’s new study mode. Note that this applies to changes to mode of study in the first term of the academic year and that changes to mode of study after term one are not normally possible. The recalculated fee will be based on the new fee cohort year and/or programme the student joins as a result of the change.

7.2. Changing mode of study can affect government student funding entitlements, which may be subject to terms and conditions of a funder (for example the Student Loans Company), and students receiving tuition fee and/or maintenance loans should seek advice about the impact on their fees prior to making the change.

8. Tuition fee debt

8.1. Students should not enrol on any programme of study unless they have sufficient funds or access to funding to pay their fees.

8.2. Students who find themselves in a position where they are unable to pay tuition fees at any time should contact the College for advice and support. Students should contact the Income Office in the first instance but may also contact the College’s Student Advice Service (see paragraph 5.4 which outlines requirements and penalties for those on payment schemes).

8.3. A student becomes a debtor to the College when tuition fees remain unpaid (in part or fully) in the timeframes agreed by the College. If a student is in debt to the College, they will only be permitted to undertake further study once the arrears/debt are settled.

8.4. Students are expected to respond to all communication from the College or its agents relating to the payment and/or non-payment of fees and acknowledge receipt of them when requested to do so.

8.5. Students experiencing financial hardship may be able to apply to the College for financial support towards course costs and living costs, or unexpected essential expenses. Financial support is not normally available to use towards tuition fees and students who are in debt to the College are not eligible to receive any financial support funds until they have a payment arrangement in place with the Income Office. Students who are experiencing financial hardship or struggling to meet fee payments should contact the Income Office and Student Advice Service for further advice on the options available to them.

8.6. For students who are in debt to the College for tuition fees, the following will apply:

• Students will not be permitted to renew their enrolment whilst any tuition fee debt remains outstanding.
• Students’ registration and enrolment will be ended (‘discontinued’) if they do not heed written reminders and pay the outstanding debts.
• Students may find that non-academic services, for example access to the College library and computer facilities, are withheld.
• Students may not be permitted to access educational services, which means attending their lectures or other classes, accessing Moodle resources, or receive their examination or assessment results (where the College is legally obliged to disclose assessment results to a student debtor, the communicated results, mark, grade or award, will not constitute an official transcript and the student debtor will not be able to declare to e.g. employers or other educational organisations that they have achieved that award. The results will also be communicated in a medium that does not associate them with the College).
• Students may not be permitted to attend graduation.
• A tuition fee debtor may not be awarded any qualification of the College while their debt remains outstanding.

8.7. The College reserves the right to pursue student debtors for any fees they owe the College. This includes transferring the debt to legal or other agents to pursue.

8.8. Non-tuition fee debts will not prevent a student progressing in their studies or graduating. The College reserves the right to pursue (or via agents) such debts and to recover any costs incurred.

8.9. The College reserves the right to make students a debtor where they have enrolled on the basis of applying for a Tuition Fee Loan or Tuition Fee Grant from the Student Loans Company or its regional agencies (Student Finance England, Student Finance Wales, Student Finance Northern Ireland, or the Student Awards Agency for Scotland) and that fee Loan or fee Grant is not paid to the College when the student’s study commences.

8.10. If a student is in dispute with a third-party sponsor, such as Student Finance England, the College asks that the student provides relevant staff with the authority to speak to the third-party sponsor on their behalf. This is known as a Consent to Share Information Agreement and it is facilitate resolution of any dispute. If consent is not given, the College may choose not to permit students to enrol, may be compelled to discontinue all study and/or withdraw services.

8.11. If the third-party sponsor confirms that a student is ineligible for funding (e.g. a student loan), the College reserves the right to request that the student sets up a new payment method. If the fee is not paid the student will become a tuition fee debtor to the College.

8.12 Any dispute about the nature of a debt recorded by the College should be dealt with under the College’s Student Complaints Policy (view College policies).

9. Financial support

9.1. The College provides a range of financial support options. If a student withdraws, interrupts study or does not attend to the satisfaction of the Academic Registrar (or their nominee), the College reserves the right to withhold the payment of financial support. Where an overpayment of financial support is identified, the College reserves the right to request repayment of any overpayment. If the repayment is not made the College reserves the right to create a student debt on the sum outstanding.

10. Student visa students

10.1. Overseas applicants who require a UK Student visa to study and are not funded by a scholarship or studentship are required to pay a non-refundable deposit when accepting an offer to secure their place.

10.2. Details of the deposit scheme and its Terms and Conditions are available via the Visa Information web pages. Payment of the deposit confirms the applicant’s acceptance of our Terms and Conditions for Student Visa Deposit.

10.3. Applicants are issued a Student Visa Confirmation of Acceptance for Study (CAS) on condition that they have sufficient financial resources to cover tuition fees and living costs in the United Kingdom. Applicants are required to provide evidence of this if requested.

10.4. Non-payment of fees that result in a student becoming a debtor may result in the withdrawal of student visa sponsorship.

11. Research students

11.1. Research students who have been examined for a doctoral programme of study are liable to pay a fee for each re-assessment of their dissertation, thesis or equivalent. The fee charged is available on My Birkbeck.

11.2. Students enrolled as research students will be charged the appropriate full PhD programme fee. Research students on writing up status will be charged a lower ‘writing up’ fee in accordance with the College’s Writing Up Policy. Any variation to the relevant fee will be agreed by the Academic Registrar (or their nominee) in consultation with the Faculty Director of Operations (or their nominee).

11.3. Research students must be enrolled in order to submit their thesis for examination.

12. Cancellation

12.1. Students who choose not to begin their studies may cancel their intention to study without financial liability up to 14 calendar days into the first term that the programme or module, begins. If a student registers and enrols within that 14 day period, they still retain 14 calendar days from their date of registration and enrolment to decide to cancel their intention to study. If a student starts attending classes before completing their registration/enrolment, the 14 day period starts from the day of the first class attended. Attendance in a class is interpreted as an intention to study so this will apply even if formal registration/enrolment is not yet completed.

12.2. In order to cancel, students must inform the College of their decision to cancel by following the instructions on their My Birkbeck profile or in writing. This must include details of their College student number and the name or code for the programme of study or module.

12.3. For students who cancel their studies within the 14 day period, their tuition fee liability will be reduced to 0% and any sums paid to the College to enrol on a programme or certificate/short course module(s) will be reimbursed if paid in advance and the sum is requested by the student to be refunded. Where a non-refundable deposit has been paid, this will not usually be returned should the student cancel their studies within the 14 day period.

13. Withdrawal and break from studies

13.1. The term ‘withdrawal’ means that a student ceases their studies and does not intend to return to study before their whole course concludes. A break in studies is where a student takes an approved and temporary interruption from their enrolment on their programme or modules. A withdrawal or break in study may take place between or during an academic year. If a student is considering withdrawing or taking a break from studying, they must speak to the Programme Director, Personal Tutor or Programme Administrator (or equivalent) for advice. Students should also familiarise themselves with the appropriate College policies. The Student Advice Service can provide advice on non-academic matters.

13.2. A student who withdraws themself or is withdrawn from study ceases to be a student of the College and their contract with the College is at an end. Students may withdraw or be discontinued at any time in line with the Terms of Condition of Study and College Policies. Once a student is withdrawn, they will have no right to access or receive services from the College. A student who withdraws will be liable to pay fees based on the period of time that they have remained enrolled, calculated on a termly basis (as per table 1). Fee liability is calculated in relation to the last date of attendance. Attendance is defined as including in person or online attendance at a lecture, seminar, lab session or examination; a research student attending a one-to- one session with a supervisor; or the submission of coursework. This definition accords with the requirements of external funding bodies (such as the Student Loans Company and US Federal Loans) to which the College must report details of student attendance and engagement. If the funding body has additional requirements of the student, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they act in accordance with these. Further information about the College’s attendance and engagement requirements are outlined in the Student Engagement and Attendance Policy.

13.3. The College has the right to determine what constitutes a student’s ‘last’ attendance, once the College officers have received, in writing (by email or My Birkbeck Profile) a request for withdrawal or interruption.

13.4. In line with government regulations for students receiving government funding, the last date of attendance or engagement must also be reported to the Student Loans Company, who will make any necessary adjustments to a student's loan entitlement and may claw back any overpaid funds.

13.5. If a student interrupts their academic studies and takes a break in study, for fee purposes, the break in study will commence from the first day of the next term. For example, if a student interrupts study during Term 2, their fee liability will be calculated based on them breaking their studies at the start of Term 3. Students are recommended to only pursue a break in studies when they have a clear intent and/or plan to return to study. When a student returns to study following an approved Break in Studies, they will not be charged again for taking any term of study already part or fully attended and where a fee has already been charged for that term. However, if a student changes their mode of study, credit load or programme following a break in studies this may affect their fees as outlined in this Fees Policy. When a student returns to study after having a break in study, they will be liable to pay the relevant tuition fee for the cohort they are returning to at the time of re-enrolment. This may result in the student paying a higher or lower fee as result of any changes to fee tiers for their programme of study. (For more information see section 4.)

13.6. The options for withdrawing and/or taking a break in study can have a number of significant financial and academic implications. Students are strongly encouraged to acquaint themselves with the implications to make an informed decision. The reduction in liability for tuition fees will be calculated using the calculations in Table 1 (Programme enrolment) or Table 2 (Modular enrolment). The fee liability for students on modular enrolment programmes will be dependent on the number of modules and the amount of credit studied.

13.7. Students who withdraw or take a break in studies within the first 14 days of the first day of each term will not be liable for fees for that term. Students who withdraw before the end of the academic year and have not paid the full programme or module fee (even if teaching has completed) may not be entitled to receive the credit or award.

13.8. When a student takes a break in study or withdraws, they will be liable for the fees relating to any module where all teaching on the module has been completed prior to the student’s last day of attendance. This provision applies even if the last date of attendance is before the end of the academic year. This is to ensure that students who have had the opportunity to receive all teaching on a module are charged appropriately for that module.

13.9. If a student withdraws or takes a break in study, their tuition fee liability will be automatically adjusted as outlined in the tables below and the rules listed below will apply:

• Students where fees are paid (wholly or in part) by a grant from a UK government or government agency (or equivalent), or from the College, are not eligible for a refund or credit for the grant element of the fee.
• Where fees are paid using a combination of payment methods, any refunds for which students are eligible will be applied in proportion to the sums covered by the different payment methods. This includes if the tuition fee was paid by a third party.
• If a discount has been applied to reduce the fee liability, students will not receive a refund or credit on the portion of the fee that was discounted.
• If the student’s course commences in the spring or summer terms, their fee liability will be calculated according to the term of study in which the course started.

13.10. For students who withdraw or take a break in studies from their programme (which means a course longer than a single module), student fee liability will be adjusted as follows:

Please note: Fee liability for students funded by undergraduate student loans are prescribed by government regulation on the basis of liability per term divided by 25%/25%/50%. Liability by any other payment method is calculated on the basis of equal liability across 3 terms of 33.33%/33.33%/33.33%.

13.11. Subject to approval from the Registry a research student may resume studies on 1 July instead of waiting to return at the beginning of the Autumn term. The fee liability for a student returning from a break in studies on 1 July (for the period July- September) will be calculated as 50% of the Summer term fee.

13.12. For students who withdraw or take a break in studies from a modular enrolment programme, student fee liability will be adjusted for each individual module withdrawn from as follows:

14. Mitigating circumstances and retakes

14.1. Where a student is given a retake opportunity without any academic penalty because their situation is covered by an agreed mitigating circumstances claim, this may be taken into account in their tuition fee liability (meaning that they may not automatically be charged for the retake). It is at the Academic Registrar’s discretion whether this will mean the tuition fee liability is reduced, in consultation with the relevant Faculty Director of Operations. Students should understand that this rule is intended to recognise that the College cannot necessarily support multiple retakes, even with approved mitigating circumstances, if this means an individual is receiving repeat teaching each time.

15. Refunds

15.1 Students who have had their fee liability reduced and payment has already been made (other than by student loan) that is above the fee liability, will have the amount applied as a credit to their student record. Please note that refunds can only be made back to source. If a student wishes to request the credit to be refunded, they must contact the Income Office.

Policy review

• Created: June 2015
• Latest update: May 2024
• Date of next review: 2026-27 academic year
• Owner: Director of Registry
• SLT owner: DVC Education and Student Experience
• Committee oversight: Education Committee for Academic Board