Whilst every care has been made to ensure that all information, fees and charges are accurately displayed on our website, we reserve the right to make alterations to reflect changes in our course offer, facilities and qualifications.

Please note: The government is planning to make significant changes and funding cuts in 2011. This means there will be changes as to who may be entitled to free tuition or concessions. Please email our Funding and Compliance Team for the latest information.

Do you have to pay fees?

Many students do not pay tuition fees because they are either:

• Under 19 years (unless they are on a full-cost course)
• Studying on a FREE course
• Eligible for concessionary fees.

See Concessions (below) for more details.

Tuition Fees

Fees, where stated, are displayed on individual course factsheets and are for one academic year, which runs from September until June.

If you are not eligible for concessions, the 2011-12  full-time [Full-time courses consist of 12-16 hours study per week. International students on full-time courses must study a minimum of 15 hours per week.] course fee for FE [A further education course at Entry level, Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3. Includes pre-university and vocational qualifications.] courses is £1,200.

If you are not eligible for funding, for example, if the course is only funded for 16-18s and you are aged 19+, you will have to pay the full fee: £4,950 in 2011-12.

Part-time course fees vary from course to course depending on the number of hours you study and other factors.

• Click here for higher education course fees.

• Click here for international student fees.

Concessions

You will not pay any tuition fees, exam fees or college registration fees if:

• You are under 19 years on 31 August 2011 (except for full-cost courses). However, you will have to pay exam fees if you are re-sitting an exam.
• You are over 19 and taking a basic skills (literacy or numeracy) course.
• You are 19 years of age on 31 August 2011 and on the second year of a 2-year course and you were aged 18 at the start of your course.

On courses where there is provision/funding for students aged 19+, you will not pay tuition fees or exam fees if:

• You are aged 19+, on a Level 1 course (excluding full-cost courses) and have never taken a Level 2 course before, and you intend to progress to Level 2.
• You are 19+ years on a full Level 2 course and do not already have a Level 2 qualification (excludes full-cost courses).
• You are aged 19-24 on a full Level 3 course (excluding full-cost courses) and have never taken a Level 3 course before.
• You are in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance (or you have a joint claim with your partner), or Employment Support Allowance (Work Related Activity Group). You must produce proof of benefits when you enrol.
• You are unemployed (or an unemployed dependent of someone who is) in receipt of a means-tested benefit (e.g. income support, housing benefit, council tax benefit) and you are taking this course in order to help you gain employment. You must produce proof of benefits when you enrol and sign a declaration to state that you are actively seeking work.

You will be required to pay a £50 college registration fee when you enrol. The college will contribute up to 50% towards the cost of any materials.

Full-cost courses

On some of our courses (mainly part-time professional courses) no concessions apply and the full fee (which includes the college registration fee and any exam fees) must be paid at enrolment regardless of your age or status. This should be stated on the course factsheet.

Age restrictions

Most courses are suitable for students of all ages providing the entry requirements have been met. However, sometimes an awarding body may set a minimum age requirement for a course or, if a programme is government-funded, funding may only be available for students within a specific age range. Places on these courses may be available to other students if they meet the entry requirements, but these students may be required to pay the full cost of the course (i.e. the equivalent of the international student [International students are usually from outside the EU/EAA and have not been a UK resident for the last 3 years.] fee: £4,950 for full-time [Full-time courses consist of 12-16 hours study per week. International students on full-time courses must study a minimum of 15 hours per week.] FE [A further education course at Entry level, Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3. Includes pre-university and vocational qualifications.] courses in 2011-12).

Exam Fees

Unless you are eligible for concessions (see above), you will be required to pay any exam registration fees when you enrol. The exam fee should be included in the fee quoted on the course factsheet.

Registration Fee

If you are 19+ years, you will be required to pay a college registration fee of £50 (2011-12 fee) when you enrol. This also applies to those eligible for concessions.

If your course states "No concessions" (full-cost course), the registration fee is usually already included in the fee stated.

Materials

On some courses there will be a charge for specialist kits and materials. If you are eligible for concessions, the college may contribute up to 50% towards the cost of materials. Please ask for details from the Funding and Compliance Team on 020 8326 2132 / 2123 / 2305, or email registry@west-thames.ac.uk/

CRB Check Fee

On some courses (usually caring and teaching courses) you may need to have a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check before you are accepted onto the course as you will be required to work with children or vulnerable people. The CRB fee for 2011-12 is £44. 

Payment of Fees

All fees must be paid when you enrol. We accept payment by credit and debit cards including Visa, Mastercard, Switch/Maestro or Delta.

Payment by instalments

Payment by instalments may be possible for some courses. If so:

• 40% of the fee is payable at enrolment,
• 30% is payable on 1st December
•  The final 30% is payable on 1st March.

For these instalments, you can opt to pay by a standing order from a UK bank account or by credit/debit card. You will need to complete an instalment agreement.

All fees due are totalled and an administrative charge added. (There is no administration charge for home students on higher education [HND, Foundation Degree or BA Hons Degree - i.e. university level qualifications at Level 4 and higher.] courses.) Students who fail to honour this agreement will not be allowed to attend further classes and will be re-admitted only when they have paid the full sum outstanding. Fees already paid will not be refunded. Students who withdraw from their course remain liable for any instalments outstanding.

Refunds

Fees will be refunded if we cancel the course or if you have a medical certificate to withdraw you from the course due to ill health. Any request for a refund must be made in writing to the Funding and Compliance Manager.

Financial Support

Even if you don't have to pay tuition fees, covering the costs of being a student can sometimes be difficult. We offer financial support for home students to help with the cost of travelling to college, living expenses, books and materials. If you are eligible for support from the Discretionary Support Fund, you may be entitled to up to £180 (subject to funding allocations) towards the cost of your exam fees and we may contribute up to a maximum of 50% towards materials and CRB check fees.

To find out more, contact our Student Welfare and Support Adviser on 020 8326 2412 or email StudentWelfare@west-thames.ac.uk.

Further Information

If you have any further questions about our fees, please contact the Funding and Compliance Team on 020 8326 2132 / 2123 / 2305 or email registry@west-thames.ac.uk.