Hull Training and Adult Education provides many learning opportunities funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). All courses are funded by the ESFA and may be used as matched funding for the European Social Fund (ESF).
Classroom based learners are ultimately responsible for ensuring that their fees are paid, even where a third party (e.g., an employer) intends to pay on their behalf.
Fees, Charging and Instalments.
All fees become payable at the time of enrolment either by the learner or third party unless the learner is entitled to full fee remission.
Payment of fees may be made by cash, invoice, credit/debit card, or cheque and in the case of instalments, by standing order.
Where the total fee is more than £150, and the course is more than 12 weeks in duration, learners can pay a deposit followed by a maximum of two instalments. Other arrangements are available for courses with a course fee in excess of £500 and longer than 21 weeks.
Some courses carry charges for materials, which could include uniforms, kits and books as these are available for use outside of the course and are therefore not covered by government concessions. Any trips that are provided as enrichment for the course and are optional are chargeable and are not covered by government concessions.
We will not make compulsory charges relating to the direct costs of delivering a learning aim to learners we fully fund, including those with a legal entitlement to full funding for their learning. Direct costs include any essential activities or materials without which the learner could not complete and achieve their learning.
If a fully funded learner needs a disclosure and barring service (DBS) check to participate in learning, we will not charge them for this. If the learning is associated with the learner’s employment, their employer is responsible for carrying out and paying for this check.
Fee Refunds
The full fee for a course is payable even if the learner decides not to complete the course. Fee refunds or waivers will only be approved where Hull Training and Adult Education has cancelled the course, where there is a justified complaint, or in exceptional personal circumstances.
If a learner wishes to withdraw from a course prior to its commencement and informs Hull Training and Adult Education in writing or by email at least 14- days before the start date, a refund less an administration fee of £10.00 will be given.
If a learner wishes to withdraw from a course prior to its commencement and fails to inform Hull Training and Adult Education in writing or by email at least 14-days before the start date, a refund will be given only at the discretion of the Head of Service after the course’s continuing viability has been confirmed. Refunds will be subject to the deduction of the administration fee.
Please note that this policy has been compiled from guidance available as of 31 July 2023. A revision of this policy may result from further guidance received from the ESFA.
Fees and Charges Policy
- Review Cycle - Annually
- Next Review Date - July 2025
- Person Responsible - Head of Service
- Approving Body - Senior Management Team
1. Introduction
Hull Training and Adult Education’s approach to setting and collecting tuition fees and associated charges (such as materials and equipment) is reviewed on an annual basis.
The approach of Hull Training and Adult Education to recovering fees is largely dictated by its principal funding body.
2. Objectives
This policy seeks to ensure that:
Hull Training and Adult Education has a fees policy that is fair, equitable and clear.
- tuition fees and associated charges are calculated and applied consistently across the entire curriculum offer of Hull Training and Adult Education
- any barriers to participation presented by tuition fees and associated charges are mitigated by providing flexible payment options and/or assisting learners to access appropriate financial support to meet the cost of these
- Hull Training and Adult Education can respond flexibly to market forces and government policy, including fee guidance issued by its funding body, the ESFA
- Hull Training and Adult Education generates a proportion of overall income from non-publicly funded sources
- Hull Training and Adult Education develops appropriate and effective targets relating to fee income generation, and reviews performance against these regularly, and in relation to sector benchmarks
3. Responsibility for paying course fees
Hull Training and Adult Education has an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy and seeks to ensure that arrangement for fees and charges are consistent with this.
Learners or their third party, unless they qualify for exemptions/ waivers, are to be charged.
Classroom based learners are ultimately responsible for ensuring that their fees are paid, even where a third party (e.g. an employer) intends to pay on their behalf.
All fees are due at enrolment and continuing attendance on a course or programme of study and sitting examinations is dependent on the payment of all fees due. Appendix 1 sets out the fees payable for subsidised courses. Instalment arrangements are available provided that certain criteria are met.
No tuition fees are payable by adult learners who meet the specified criteria in Appendix 1.
Learners seeking a reduction or waiver of fees under these policies may be asked to provide documentary evidence of their entitlement to receive benefit, or proof of their membership of the relevant group.
In order for a learner to be eligible for Government funding for their learning programme the learner must have the legal right to be resident in the UK at the start of the programme. There should also be a reasonable likelihood that the learner will be able to complete their programme of study. Other residency rules apply.
A learner’s status at enrolment (e.g. employed, in receipt of eligible benefit) applies throughout the year on that learning aim.
Where a learner did not successfully complete their examination and the learner resits the examination within further learning a resit charge may apply.
Other charges imposed by awarding organisations (re-marking, requests for scripts) will be passed on to all learners.
Apprenticeships
Employers are contractually required to pay the agreed amount for each Apprentice as set out in the signed contract between the employer and HTAE, and a payment schedule will be agreed at the time of the contract being signed. For employers with a digital account the payments will be on a monthly basis from their Apprenticeship Service (AS) account unless the funds are insufficient, at this point the employer is liable for the amount due for that month and until funds are available in the AS, in this case an invoice will be issued to the employer for the required amount and is payable in line with our standard payment terms. Employers who do not hold a AS account are liable for the payment of the agreed amount in the time frame set out in the payment schedule which is specified at the time of signing the Apprenticeship Training contract.
4. ESFA funded provision
In addition to the ESFA fee remissions (as detailed in Appendix 1) Hull Training and Adult Education may offer discretionary fee remission to learners:
- Those in receipt of the following benefits:
- Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), including those receiving National Insurance credits only.
- Low wage earner (qualifications only) Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
- Universal Credit, and their take-home pay as recorded on their Universal Credit statement (disregarding Universal Credit payments and other benefits) is less than £345 a month (learner is sole adult in their benefit claim) or £552 a month (learner has a joint benefit claim with their partner)
- Unwaged dependents of those listed above.
Hull Training and Adult Education has a discretionary Learner Support Fund for courses leading to a qualification. Learners are considered on an individual basis by the Senior Lead Performance Funding and Finance.
The requirement to pay the cost of awarding body registration and examination is set out in Appendix 1.
5. Bespoke Employer Courses
Payment for such courses is due upon receipt of invoice.
Cancellations giving notice of more than 14 days will incur a £10 administration fee. Notice of less than seven days will incur all fees.
6. Payment of Fees and Instalments
All fees become payable at the time of enrolment either by the learner or third party unless the learner is entitled to full fee remission. Payment of fees may be made by cash, invoice, credit/debit card, or cheque and in the case of instalments, learners will be invoiced.
Where the total fee is more than £150, and the course is more than 12 weeks in duration, learners can pay a deposit followed by a maximum of two instalments. Other arrangements are available for courses with a course fee in excess of £500 and longer than 21 weeks.
7. Unpaid Fees
Hull Training and Adult Education will use appropriate debt recovery procedures where learners breach the terms of their instalment agreement and may exclude such learners from Hull Training and Adult Education.
8. Fee Refunds (General)
Fee refunds or waivers will be approved where Hull Training and Adult Education has cancelled a course, where there is a justified complaint, or in exceptional personal circumstances, at the discretion of the Head of Service.
If a learner wishes to withdraw from a course prior to its commencement and informs Hull Training and Adult Education in writing or by email at least 14 days before the start date, a refund will normally be given, less an administration fee of £10.00.
If a learner wishes to withdraw from a course prior to its commencement and fails to inform Hull Training and Adult Education in writing or by email before the start date (see 8.2), a refund will be given only at the discretion of the Head of Operations after the course’s continuing viability has been confirmed. Refunds will be subject to the deduction of the administration fee.
9. Interpretation of the Policy
Hull Training and Adult Education recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances in which a certain level of discretion may need to be exercised.
The Head of Service has discretion to waive or reduce deposits payable under instalment arrangements having regard to the personal circumstances of individual learners. However, waivers and reductions will not be given to learners with previous poor payment history.