Debt Recovery Guidelines
Robert Gordon University's approach to the recovery of outstanding tuition fees from students.
The University will send reminders to students by email to their RGU email address and any preferred email address held on the system. Failure to receive a reminder does not excuse a student from the responsibility of paying tuition fees on time, nor will it prevent the University from taking action to recover outstanding debt.
Day 1
1st Reminder
A reminder is sent to the student drawing attention to the outstanding payment.
Day 7
2nd Reminder
A second reminder is sent which sets out the timetable of actions that will be taken if the fees are not paid.
Day 16
3rd Reminder - Access Removal
The student is advised that access to the University IT network and Library services has been removed. Access is not re-instated unless outstanding fees are paid in full, or payment is made up to date. Please note that for access to be reinstated, it is a 24-hour process.
Day 30
4th Reminder - Warning of Withdrawal
The student is advised that in 10 days, the case will be referred to the Director of Academic Administration, recommending the student's withdrawal from the course for financial reasons, unless the student provides evidence of exceptional circumstances that the University accepts as a legitimate reason for the failure to make payment on time.
Day 40+
5th Reminder - Withdrawal for Financial Reasons
The Director of Academic Administration will notify students in writing of the University’s decision to withdraw for financial reasons. Legal action will now be taken to recover the outstanding debt, and debtors will be liable for any costs incurred, including commission and charges. There will be no automatic right of re-entry to the course if debt is cleared at this point.
Students in the UK who hold student visas will be reported to UKVI, and the student sponsorship will be cancelled. If these students wish to resume their studies at a later date, they will need to apply for a new student visa.
Sanctions
The University has a range of measures it may take to enforce the payment of outstanding tuition fees, including but not limited to:
- Removal of access to the University IT network and Library services.
- Withdrawal of enrolment.
- Referral to a debt collection agency.
The University’s sanctions also include withholding the conferment of awards to students who are in debt to the University, although the results themselves will be released in those circumstances. Lack of access to university facilities due to these sanctions is not a ground for extenuating circumstances mitigation. Further information can be found in Academic Regulation A3 - Section 2: Student Conduct Procedure - Paragraph 4.1:
Students who are sponsored on a student visa and are withdrawn from their studies due to financial reasons will have their student visa sponsorship cancelled. As the students' work rights are tied to their student permission, they are required to cease working immediately and make arrangements to leave the UK.
Reinstatement Post Financial Withdrawal
Upon payment of outstanding debt post financial withdrawal, there is no automatic right of reinstatement. If a student wishes to be considered for reinstatement, then an application will have to be made via AskRGU. This will be at the discretion of the Dean.
If the student is an overseas student, action is also needed to ensure the student has valid student permission to continue with their studies.
The student will remain withdrawn for financial reasons until the School and the Student Immigration team in the case of overseas students agree to the reinstatement. Once this confirmation is received the student’s status will be returned to current, the School and Student Immigration team will be notified of the update.
The University reserves the right to collect not only the outstanding balance, but the full annual fee owed.
Refund Guidelines and Conditions
Applicants
Refund of deposit
The Tuition fee deposit is a NON REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT and can only be refunded in full under the following circumstances:
- Where the visa application is rejected. You will be required to provide the visa refusal letter with a completed refund request form.
- Where there are exceptional circumstances such as illness or bereavement of an immediate member of family. In this case the completed refund request form must be supported by certified documents such as a Doctors certificate and a supporting statement from you verifying the situation. Decisions regarding exceptional circumstances refunds are at the discretion of the University.
- In the event of a default by the University for example, if the programme can not be offered on the advertised start date or can not be provided as advertised.
No refunds, other than the circumstances stated above will be made.
Should an applicant be found to have used fraudulent documentation at the time of application or at the time of applying for entry clearance no refund will be given and no further applications to study at the University will be accepted. You must submit your claim within 1 year of the date on your unconditional offer letter.
How to Request a Refund
Download and complete the Applicant Refund Form and return a copy to admissions@rgu.ac.uk
Students
Should a student have overpaid any fees due to withdrawal or suspension from a course, refunds will be processed in line with the dates outlined in section 8 – Recalculating Tuition Fees of the Tuition Fees Policy:
In these cases, refunds will only be made when the student has completed the formal withdrawal or suspension process, and the student records system has been updated with the approved last date of engagement.
In all cases, any other debt owing to the University will be subtracted from any refund of fees.
No fee refund will be provided where the student is in breach of the University’s policies and procedures and is disciplined by the University.
We aim to process all refunds within six weeks.
How to Request a Refund
Payment of Refunds
All refunds will be returned to the original payment source. Payments received by debit/credit card will be refunded to the original debit/credit card. Payments received by bank transfer via Flywire will be refunded to the original bank account the transfer came from.
Bank charges incurred by the University in processing any refund will be deducted from the value of the refund.
In cases where a bank account has been closed, we can make direct payment to an alternative UK bank account in the student’s name, provided the original fee payment came from a UK bank account and was also in the student's name.
Refunds will not be made in cash. If the original fee was paid in cash, the refund will be made to a valid UK bank account in the name of the student.
Tuition Fees Policy
Detailed information about our Tuition Fees: