Fee Information
Course Fees Policy
If you require further details on any of the information within this document, please contact the College Information Centre on freephone: 0800 980 2185 or email: cic@wlc.ac.uk
Sections:
Introduction
If you are a Home student, under the age of 19 on 31 August 2009, you will not be charged any fees for the majority of our courses (exceptions apply). If you are under 19 when you start a two-year course, you will not be expected to pay any course fees for your second year, even if you are 19 at the beginning of the second year.
All students are required to pay an annual £20 administration fee at the time of enrolment.
If you are 19 years old or over on 31 August 2009, you will be charged fees. However, if you receive an income-based benefit or meet the criteria for Level 2 or Level 3 entitlement, you may qualify for a fee exemption/remission for certain courses – more details are available on request.
The fee that you pay for your chosen course(s) depends on your personal circumstances and we have to assess a number of factors, such as your age, status and any benefits that you receive to reach a decision. In this section, we hope that the information provided will help you to understand how much, if anything, you will need to pay.
Important:
The rules, regulations and information that we have given in this guide are correct at the time of publication, however, we cannot guarantee that changes will not occur before you come to enrol and start your course. <top>
Is this information available in other languages or formats?
Information about fees is available in the following languages: Arabic, Kurdish, Persian, Polish and Somali. To receive these documents, please email: marketing@wlc.ac.uk
To request this information in an accessible format, such as large-print or Braille, please contact the College Information Centre on freephone: 0800 980 2185 or email: cic@wlc.ac.uk
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College Fees
The fees charged by the College are as follows:
- Enrolment fee – this is a one-off charge of £20, payable when you join the College.
- Course fee/s – unless stated, this fee includes all tuition costs. In some instances, registration and examination fees will be additional to the course fee.
- Registration/Examination fees – In order to enrol on certain courses at the College, you may be required to pay a fee for registration, examinations, certifications or accreditations with
an awarding/professional body. If this applies to you, we will let you know at the earliest possible stage so that you can register directly with the relevant organisation.
- Extra costs – These may include equipment, field trips, books, special clothing or other similar items.
- Commercial Activity Programmes (CAP) – fees for these courses are the same for Home (EU) and International Learners.
Higher Education students only:
Higher Education courses offered by Ealing, Hammersmith & West
London College include Foundation Degrees (FdA/FdSc), Higher National Diplomas (HND) and Higher National Certificates (HNC).
Higher Education Course Fees for 2009-10 are:
Home students (full-time): £1,285
Home students (part-time): TBC
International students: £5,500
It is possible for Home students to apply for maintenance and tuition fee loans through their
Local Education Authority and the Student Loans Company who will supply the application form and assess eligibility. There are many available loans and grants you can access through your local council’s Education & Awards Department as well as a number of external bodies. For more information, please visit:
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Assessment and Status
We look at the information that you provide us with on your application and enrolment forms in order to confirm the fee that you will be charged. This is called ‘assessing your status for fee purposes’. If you tell us that you are receiving certain income-based benefit(s) or that you have a special visa on your passport or immigration papers, we will ask you to bring in the original documents to verify this information and may also take a photocopy for our records. This is very important as it may mean that you will qualify to pay a reduced fee for your chosen course.
The College charges different levels of fees and the two most common ones are Home and
International. The main difference between them is that Home fees are partly funded by the Learning & Skills Council (LSC), which makes them significantly lower than International fees. It is often the case that not everyone studying the same course will have paid the same fee. <top>
Employer-Sponsored Students
If your employer has agreed to pay for you to study at the College, we will invoice them directly for payment of fees associated with the course. You will not be able to complete enrolment without providing us with a letter from your employer, on company headed paper, that details the company name, address and a signature from your manager confirming that they will be responsible for the cost of the course. Should a circumstance arise where we do not receive the course fees from your employer, the responsibility for payment of course fees automatically reverts to the student. Further information is available during enrolment. <top>
Do I pay the Home or International fee?
The rules that we use to decide whether you pay the Home or International fee are complex and vary depending on your personal circumstances. Please use the following information as a guideline:
You are a Home student if you:
- have lived in the UK, without any restrictions on your right of stay, for at least three years before the start of the course.
- are a European Union national (passport holder) with three years ordinary residence in the area of the European Union.
- have been granted refugee status in the UK
- are an asylum seeker who is in receipt of income-based benefits or receiving support from the National Asylum Support Service, Home Office or similar agencies.
- have indefinite or exceptional leave to remain or enter the United Kingdom or have been granted humanitarian protection or discretionary leave in the UK.
Please note: the examples listed above are the main ways of obtaining Home status and, in some instances, may also apply to your spouse, civil partner or child. Don’t worry if you do not meet any of the above requirements, it does not mean that you will automatically be classed as an International student.
Please contact the College to discuss your individual circumstances with an experienced member of staff.
You are an International student if you:
- do not meet the criteria defining a Home student.
- are a European Union national but do not have three years ordinary residence in the area of the European Union.
- are in possession of a student visa (irrespective of your length of residence in the UK).
- are somebody whose main reason for being in the UK is for the purpose of receiving education.
- are in possession of a tourist visa.
- have not lived in the UK, without any restrictions on your right of stay, for at least three years before the start of the course.
Please note: the examples listed above are the main ways of obtaining International status. Apart from student visas and tourist visas, the Home Office and Immigration & Nationality Department issue other types of visas which may make you eligible for International status. In some instances, it may be possible to qualify as a Home student even if you meet some of the above requirements. Please contact the College to discuss your individual circumstances with an experienced member of staff. <top>
Circumstances for Fee Reductions
1. You are under 19 years of age on 31 August 2008
- Course fees are free
- You pay £20 College enrolment fee
- You pay any extra costs for items such as books, equipment or field trips
2. You are over 19 years of age on 31 August 2008 and enrol on a Full Level 2 or Full Level 3 qualification. Please check the L2 or L3 Qualifying Criteria to see if you are eligible for free tuition.
- Course fees are free
- You pay £20 College enrolment fee
- You pay any registration or examination costs
- You pay any extra costs for items such as books, equipment or field trips
3. You receive one of the following income-based benefits:
- Job Seekers Allowance
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax Benefit
- Working Tax Credit (Yearly household income must be £15,050 or below – figure correct as of 2008/09).
- Course fees are free
- You pay £20 College enrolment fee
- You pay any extra costs for items such as books, equipment or field trips
4. You are a senior citizen and receive a state pension.
- Course fees are free
- You pay £20 College enrolment fee
- You pay any extra costs for items such as books, equipment or field trips
5. You are an asylum seeker and receive assistance from the Home Office, the Refugee Council, Local Authority or National Asylum Support Service.
- Course fees are free
- College enrolment fee is free
- You pay any extra costs for items such as books, equipment or field trips
6. You enrol on a Basic Skills course (Literacy or Numeracy)
- Course fees are free
- College enrolment fee is free
- You pay any extra costs for items such as books, equipment or field trips
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Help with the Cost of Studying
There are various types of financial support that you could be entitled to during your time studying with us whether you need assistance with the costs of childcare or are faced with unexpected difficulties at any point. The help and/or amount of money that you can receive will depend on your personal circumstances.
18+ Student Oyster Photocard
You must be 18 years old or over and fully-enrolled on a full-time course, consisting of 15 or more tuition led and/or structured learning hours a week over a period of at least 14 weeks or be a part-time higher education student in receipt of a fee grant, course grant or be receiving help from the Access to Learning Fund to apply. Please contact Transport for London (TfL) for further details: www.tfl.gov.uk 
Application forms are available from the College and there is a charge of £5.
Adult Learning Grant
This is available to full-time students enrolled on a Full Level 2 or Full Level 3 course (marked with ALG in the course guide). You must earn less than £19,513 if you are single or £30,810 if you live with a partner to qualify and also not already have a qualification at the same level. You can receive up to £30 per week whilst you study to help you to pay for expenses such as travel costs, books or other materials for your course and it is paid directly into your account. You do not need to pay this money back, however, you will need to attend your course regularly and hand in all your work on time. If you don’t meet these requirements, your ALG payments will be stopped. You can still receive ALG if you are receiving low-pay benefits such as Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax benefit, but not if you are claiming out-of-work benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support or Incapacity Benefit.
For more information, please call the LearnDirect helpline: 0800 100 900, visit www.direct.gov.uk or contact the Student Funds Team at the College.
Level 2 Entitlement*
If you join a course where the L2 symbol appears, you could qualify for free tuition, although you will still need to pay the £20 College enrolment fee and any relevant registration or examination fees.
To qualify: You will need to be 19 years old or over and not already have a Full Level 2 qualifications, such as five GCSEs at grade C or above, GNVQ Intermediate, BTEC First Diploma or NVQ Level 2.
Level 3 Entitlement*
If you join a course where the L3 symbol appears, you could qualify for free tuition, although you will still need to pay the £20 College enrolment fee and any relevant registration or examination fees.
To qualify: You will need to be between 19 and 25 years old and without an existing Full Level 3 qualifications, such as two A Levels/four AS Levels, GNVQ Advanced/AVCE, BTEC National Diploma, Access to Higher Education Diploma or NVQ Level 3/OCN Level 3, NVQ Level 4/5 or HND/HNC, Degree or Postgraduate Degree.
*Please note: The reduced fee does not apply if you already have one of these qualifications and choose to study another course at the same level.
Care to Learn
If you are under 20 years old with one or more children, Care to Learn can help you with the costs of Ofsted-registered childcare. You need to be enrolled on a LSC-funded course at the College and will be able to receive up to £175 per week, per child. You will need to meet certain criteria in order to receive Care to Learn funding. For more information and to find out if you qualify, call the Care to Learn helpline on 0845 600 2809, visit www.direct.gov.uk www.connexions-direct.com or contact the Student Funds Team at the College.
Childcare Grant (Higher Education)
The Childcare Grant supports full-time higher education students with the costs of Ofsted-registered childcare (for children aged between eight and 14) and does not need to be repaid. You could qualify for up to £148.75 per week if you have one child or up to £255 per week if you have two or more children. This amount will depend on your household income and the actual costs of your childcare. If you or your spouse/partner receives the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit, you will not be able to apply for the Childcare Grant. For more information, please visit www.direct.gov.uk or contact the Student Funds Team at the College.
Claiming Benefits
The rules concerning students and benefits are dependent on your personal circumstances and too complex to be summarised here. Rules also vary for claiming benefits during term-time and holiday periods. For advice, you should contact your local Benefits Office or JobCentre Plus: www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
College Hardship Fund
This fund is available to students who are faced with unexpected financial difficulties. Priority will be given to single-parent families, students with disabilities or those who do not meet the criteria for other sources of funding. For more information, please contact the Student Funds
Team at the College
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
If you are 16, 17 or 18 and enrolled on a full-time course at the College, you could apply for EMA to help you with the cost of learning. You receive up to £30 per week, directly into your bank account as long as you attend your course regularly and hand all your work in on time. The amount that you receive depends on your household income and is not affected by any money you earn from part-time work. For more information and to find out if you qualify, call the EMA helpline on 0800 121 8989, visit www.direct.gov.uk or contact the Student Funds Team at the College.
Learner Support Funds
The College Learner Support Fund aims to support students enrolled at the College who are experiencing financial difficulty. Priority will be given to applicants continuing their studies at the College, particularly those returning to complete the final year of a two-year course.
Learner Support Funds are available to students aged 19 and over who are enrolled on a LSC-funded course (except HND/HNC courses) and receive income-based benefit/live in a low-income household. For more information and to find out if you qualify, please contact the Student Funds Team at the College.
Student Funds Team
To talk about funding options and help with the cost of studying, please contact our Student Funds Team:
Acton: 020 8231 6335
Ealing: 020 8231 6010
Hammersmith: 020 7565 1383
Southall: 020 8231 6133
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Payment Methods
You can pay by cash, cheque or most major credit cards (except for American Express and Diners Club). Unfortunately we cannot accept foreign currencies (including the Euro) and we can only take cheques from banks with branches in the United Kingdom.
Paying Fees by Instalment
The College prefers for all fees to be paid in full before the start of the course, however, if your fees are £300 or over, it may be possible to divide the amount into instalments of two or three payments (Home students only).
Please speak to a member of College staff about dividing your fees into instalments as we will need to draw up an agreement for you to sign.
For courses starting in September 2009 and finishing in June 2010
If your fees are £300 - £500, you can divide them into two payments as follows:
• 50% payable at enrolment and before your course is due to start
• 50% by no later than 30th November 2009
If your fees are over £500, you can divide them into three payments as follows:
• 33% payable at enrolment and before your course is due to start
• 33% by no later than 30th November 2009
• 34% by no later than 28th February 2010
For courses lasting for one term or over, but not a full year
If your fees are £300 or over, you can divide them into two payments as follows:
• 50% payable at enrolment and before your class is due to start
• 50% no later than six weeks after the course start date
Fees under £300 cannot be divided and must be paid in full before the start of the course.
We unfortunately cannot offer these payment options to International students.
Our Refund Policy
The College will only offer you a refund for course fees paid in the event that a course does not run, is cancelled after a few classes or in very exceptional circumstances. We will also refund your fees if the College makes changes to the course time or day and this means you are unable to attend. <top>
