Terms and Conditions – Express English College (EEC)
1. General Terms
1.1 Availability of Services
- The college services (courses and accommodation) are subject to availability.
1.2 Right to Cancel or Modify
- We have the right to cancel, delay or change a course or a leisure activity in case of low demand or any other unforeseen circumstances that require such action.
1.3 Parental/Guardian Consent for Minors
- Bookings for under 18-year-old students require a signed parental/guardian/carer consent letter to be sent to the college before the course start date. Please note that such students may study in adult groups.
1.4 Health Information Requirement
- An applicant’s critical health information must be indicated on the application form. This will be used to inform members of staff, other students, or your host in case of an emergency. Although we always endeavor to cater for all students’ needs, EEC may refuse to accept a student if it feels it cannot meet the needs of the student, based on medical grounds.
1.5 Academic Suitability
- EEC may refuse to accept a student based on the academic needs of the student, if it feels those needs cannot be met, for example, if the student is an absolute beginner, or their level is higher than the current levels of classes running in the school.
1.6 Visa Compliance and Border Control
- EEC may refuse to accept a student, without reservation, if there is a suspicion or a risk that the student will not comply with the requirements of their visa status or pose a risk to the integrity of the UK Border control requirements.
1.7 Document Validity
- EEC may refuse an application, without reservation, if there is a suspicion that documents presented to support a visa application are not valid or appropriate.
1.8 Financial Sponsorship Proof
- EEC requires all financially sponsored students to send proof of sponsorship before they can be accepted on a course of study.
1.9 Insurance Requirement
- Health and Travel insurance should be purchased before coming to the UK; EEC is not liable for any payments of items or services that are usually covered by insurance. Such cases include cancellation and curtailment, lost course fees, medical expenses, personal belongings cover, money, personal liability, and injuries.
1.10 Long-term Illness
- If a student, having applied for a course, is affected by a long-term illness, they should immediately apply for a medical certificate and present it to the college. This would only allow for the course to be postponed but not refunded.
1.11 Non-Transferable Fees
- Fees paid cannot be transferred to any other student and are only applicable to the student who applied. The accepted payable currency is GBP (£). Payment in other currencies should be the exact payable amount in GBP (£) on the day of receipt of the payment.
1.12 Holiday Policy
- Holidays can be taken at any time, exclusive to a student being on a full-time or intensive programme. This is subject to students having completed their course within the period of their visa legibility (where applicable). A student must give two weeks’ notice to authorize their holiday.
1.13 Holiday Duration
- A one-week holiday for a six-week period of study is permitted for a full-time student, but could be taken consecutively on courses lasting 12 weeks or more. These holidays cannot be given on individual days and can only be taken in one-week blocks (Monday – Friday).
1.14 Non-Changeable Course Type
- Once booked and paid for, the course type cannot be changed, for example, from General English Course to 1-1 lessons.
1.15 Student Responsibility for Visa Applications
- Students are responsible for their own visa application. Once full booking and tuition fees are received, documentation enabling the visa application will be sent by email.
2. Payment and Fees
2.1 Course Deposit
- To book a full-time course, a student is required to pay a deposit of £100 to EEC.
2.2 Balance Payment
- The student should clear the balance within 60 days before the course starts.
2.3 Full Payment for Courses Starting Soon
- Students booking a course starting in less than 60 days are required to pay the fees in full.
2.4 Visa Application Fees
- When a student is ready to apply for a visa, they must pay all fees in full to allow for application processing and confirmation of course details, etc.
2.5 Included Services
2.6 Excluded Services
- Course fees do not include course books and external exam fees, such as IELTS. These are subject to an additional cost.
2.7 Replacement Certificate Fee
- Issuing a certificate or report more than two months after course completion will incur a fee of £10.
3. Academic/Teaching and Learning
3.1 Attendance Requirement
- Students must attend and study throughout all their lessons at the times outlined in their timetable.
3.2 Classroom Conduct
- Students should not leave the class during lessons nor disrupt the teaching of the class for any reason.
3.3 Punctuality
- Express English College expects all students to be on time for classes. Students arriving more than 5 minutes late for a lesson will be marked as ‘late’ on the class register.
3.4 Late Arrival Restrictions
- Students who arrive 15 minutes late in the morning to class without notifying EEC in advance will not be allowed to join that class, except in exceptional circumstances.
3.5 Absence for Extended Lateness
- Any student who is 10 minutes late after the break will not be permitted to enter the class until the following lesson, and will be marked as absent on the class attendance register for that class unless there are exceptional circumstances.
3.6 Regular Lateness Protocol
- Students who are late on a regular basis will receive a verbal warning initially followed by a written warning. Agents or Sponsors will also be notified, where relevant.
3.7 Attendance Threshold
- The minimum accepted attendance level at EEC is 80%. If a student’s attendance falls below 80%, they will not receive an attendance certificate. Please refer to EEC’s attendance policy for further information.
3.8 Course Start Days
- Students begin courses on Mondays only, except for Bank and other national holidays.
4. Termination of Course
4.1 Termination for Misconduct
- A student’s enrolment and accommodation will be immediately terminated, without any refund, if any student is found to have committed an act of serious (gross) misconduct.
4.2 Termination Due to Fake Documentation
- Discovery of fake documentation usage will lead to immediate termination of the application, before or during the course.
5. Cancellations Policy
5.1 Course Cancellations
(a) Before the Course Start Date:
- For cancellations made more than 14 days before the course start date, only the non-refundable enrolment fee will apply.
- No refunds will be granted for cancellations made within 14 days of the course start date.
(b) After the Course Start Date:
- Once the course has begun, no refunds will be issued.
- Any course extensions are treated as extensions to the original booking rather than new bookings.
(c) Notice of Cancellation:
- All cancellation notices must be submitted in writing to the Principal of Express English College by the individual who booked the course.
- Cancellations will only be processed during office hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.
(d) Group Booking Cancellations:
- Group booking cancellations are subject to different terms. Please refer to the specific terms and conditions applicable to group bookings.
5.2 Accommodation Cancellations
(a) Homestay Accommodation:
- For cancellations made more than 14 days before the accommodation check-in date, only the non-refundable accommodation booking fee will apply.
- Cancellations made 14 days or less before the accommodation check-in date will incur a charge of 1 week’s accommodation, in addition to the non-refundable accommodation booking fee.
- The accommodation booking fee is non-refundable under all circumstances.
- If a student wishes to change their homestay accommodation during their stay, a written notice must be given at least 1 week in advance, submitted on the first Monday of the week-long notice period. All homestay families undergo a thorough inspection to ensure the health and safety of our students. If a student requests to change their homestay without a valid reason, we cannot guarantee an alternative host family will be available.
(b) Residence Accommodation:
- Residence accommodation is confirmed only upon full payment.
- A 14-day ‘cooling-off’ period applies after payment, allowing a student to cancel their accommodation within this period and receive a full refund, minus the non-refundable accommodation booking fee.
- No refunds will be issued for cancellations made after the 14-day cooling-off period.
- Please note that student residence accommodations are subject to the terms and conditions set by the residence provider, which may differ from those of Express English College.
- Changes to residence accommodation after the check-in date are generally not permitted, as the residence room is booked and paid in full at the time of reservation. Any changes are subject to the residence manager’s approval.
(c) General Terms for Cancellations:
- This policy remains in effect throughout the duration of your stay.
- Group bookings are subject to different booking and cancellation terms. For group booking cancellations, please refer to the specific terms and conditions applicable to that booking.
6. Refund Policy
6.1 Bank Transfer Fees
- Where a refund is granted, any international bank transfer fees incurred will not be covered by the school.
6.2 Processing Time
- Once a refund is approved, we aim to process all refunds within 60 days.
6.3 Non-Refundable Fees
- The enrolment fee, visa documentation fee, accommodation booking fee, and bank transfer fees are non-refundable.
- Deposits paid for group bookings are also non-refundable.
6.4 Refund Eligibility
- Refunds are only issued for complete calendar weeks, consistent with our weekly charging policy.
- No refunds will be given for shortening the course duration after payment has been received.
- Students who choose to leave the course early are not eligible for a refund.
- Refunds must be applied for in writing via email or post. This will then be passed to the Principal, who will review it and inform you, in writing (usually within 14 days), about the decision.
- Once the refund is confirmed and transfer details are correct, refunds are usually processed within 60 days.
7. Visa Requirements and Refund Policy
7.1 Visa Requirement Responsibility
- It is each student’s responsibility to verify their visa requirements to study in the UK. Visa requirements vary per individual, and Express English College is not qualified to provide specific visa advice. For accurate and up-to-date information, please refer to the UK government website: www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.
7.2 Visa Refusal
- If a visa application is refused, students must provide a copy of the visa refusal letter before any refund is considered. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure accurate and complete documentation for their visa application.
- If a visa refusal is due to an error on the student’s part, no refund will be issued, and students will be advised to re-apply with the correct documents or information.
- If the refusal is due to reasons beyond the student’s reasonable control, a refund of fees—excluding the registration fee and, if applicable, the accommodation booking fee—will be granted, provided that a minimum of 14 days’ notice and supporting evidence are submitted at least 14 days in advance.
- Please note, no refunds will be provided to students who have received visa support documents from us and subsequently decide not to complete their booking.
8. Course and Accommodation Postponement
8.1 Postponing a Course
- If you wish to postpone your course, you must pay the full course fees by the original start date and may take up the place within 3 months.
- You may postpone the start of your course for up to 3 months if 21 days’ notice (before the course start date) is given in writing. After the booking is confirmed, EEC reserves the right to charge a £100 administration fee each time course details are changed.
- Postponed courses are subject to availability, and where a course is fully booked, you will be offered an alternative start date which will be decided by Express English College.
8.2 Postponing Accommodation
(a) Residence Accommodation:
- Residence accommodation cannot usually be postponed. The residence room is booked and paid for in full at the time of booking, and changes are subject to the decision of the residence manager.
(b) Homestay Accommodation:
- You must request to postpone your accommodation in writing (by email) no later than 14 working days before the check-in date. After this time, it will be treated as a cancellation, and our Accommodation Cancellation Policy must be followed.
- You may postpone your accommodation twice free of charge, after which it will be considered a cancellation, and our Cancellation Policy must be followed.
- Postponing your accommodation will most likely lead to you being placed within a different room or with a different host family than originally stated in your Confirmation Letter, as determined by Express English College.
8.3 Group Bookings
- Booking, cancellation, and postponing terms for group bookings are different from our standard terms. If you are cancelling or postponing a group booking, you must refer to the specific terms and conditions that apply.
9. Additional Policies
9.1 Student Identity Cards
- Student identity cards are given to students during the induction day and are to be worn at all times. If you lose it, a new one can be replaced at a cost of £10.
9.2 Media Usage
- Pictures and videos may be taken occasionally by the school for promotional purposes. We will ask for consent from parents of under-18s. If you don’t wish to appear in any of our promotional material, please state this at the time of booking. Please refer to our Privacy Policy, E Safety Policy, Safeguarding Policy, and CCTV Policy for more details.
10. Changes to Terms and Conditions
- EEC reserves the right to modify or replace these terms at any time.
- If any revision is made, we will provide notice before any new terms take effect.
Review Date:
Reviewed December 2023 (EC/AA). This document will be reviewed by the Management Team not less than every six months. The next review is due in June 2024 and will also be subject to any changes based on UK law.