Part A - Admissions, Enrolment and Fees

1.A Academic Integrity and Equality of Experience 

  

1.A.1 The University of Lincoln's Regulations are founded upon the underlying principles of maintaining academic integrity and ensuring equality in experience for all students of the University. Staff and students are expected to uphold academic integrity with consideration of the following values: honesty, respect, fairness, trust, and collective and individual responsibility. 

1.B Student Charter   

1.B.A The practical expectations on staff and students in support of these principles are articulated in the Student Charter.

2.1 Admissions is the decision by which the University agrees to allow an individual to enrol on a programme as a student of the University. 

  

2.2 The University will determine the standards of attainment that any applicant will be required to achieve to be admitted to a particular programme.  

  

2.3  An individual seeking admission to a programme provided at the University will act in good faith and disclose any fact that is material to the University’s decision to admit the individual as a student.   

  

2.4 Applications for admission will be considered on academic grounds and on the availability of places on a particular programme unless the applicant’s past conduct, experience and circumstances are material to admission. 

  

2.5 Possession of minimum entry qualifications does not guarantee the allocation of a place even if such a place is available. 

  

2.6 The University will adopt admissions policies which will from time to time be reviewed and, where necessary, be revised.    

  

2.7 The University follows the national Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) whereby it can formally evaluate applicants’ prior experience and qualifications and offset them against standard entry requirements. An individual may be admitted with advanced standing to a programme. Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) may be granted for formal learning from other institutions, including where this learning has resulted in the award of a similar qualification, and the University welcomes applications for the accreditation of academic credit. Applicants are advised to consult the University’s policy on Accreditation of Prior Learning and any relevant student handbooks. The University has an approved list of qualifications with the credit structure and the maximum amount of credit that can be awarded for prior certificated or experiential learning (AP(E)L).   

  

2.8 A student can be admitted directly to Level 5 or, exceptionally, Level 6 of a programme. However, the student will not be able to claim an interim award of the University unless they meet the University’s credit requirements. 

  

2.9 Credits already awarded by the University as part of a University award may not be used as APL credit against a second award which is at the same Level and in a similar subject area. For example, credit achieved as part of a postgraduate diploma may be used as credit towards a Masters degree but cannot be used a second time as credit towards a different Masters award. 

  

2.10 Postgraduate credits, awarded either by the successful completion of individual modules or as part of a short course may be used for students wishing to apply for University of Lincoln postgraduate programmes and may, according to specific programme admissions requirements, be accredited as prior learning.   

  

2.11 Applications to University postgraduate programmes will be through the normal admissions procedure for part time or full time students.   

  

2.12 Former students withdrawn from the University on academic, fitness to practise, attendance or engagement grounds are not eligible to reapply for admission onto the same programme. 

3.1 Enrolment establishes an individual’s status as a student of the University.  

  

3.2 Enrolment is the agreement between the University and the student under which:    

3.2.i The University provides a programme for the student and makes available to the student the other academic services and facilities associated with that programme. 

3.2.ii The University registers the student as a candidate for an award of the University. 

3.2.iii The University confers the award for which the student is registered where the student satisfies the Board of Examiners of their entitlement to receive that award. 

3.2.iv The student undertakes to pay the fee for the programme and any other charges levied by the University in respect of the programme and the provision of other academic services and facilities associated with the programme. Students are expected to pay their fees, or make arrangements for the future payment of fees, at enrolment. 

3.2.v The student undertakes to do anything else required by the University that concerns the student’s following of a programme, receipt of other academic services and use of facilities associated with a programme. 

3.2.vi The student undertakes to be in attendance at the University. 

                  

3.3 An individual is not certified as a student until they have completed the relevant enrolment process as requested by the University and their enrolment has been authorised by a designated member of staff of the University. 

  

3.4 An individual who is not enrolled as a student of the University will not be allowed to follow any part of a programme at the University. 

  

3.5 It is the responsibility of an individual to seek their re-enrolment as a student of the University, as the formal renewal of the agreement between the University and the student. The formalities for re-enrolment are the same as those for first enrolment. 

  

3.6 Re-enrolment will normally take place on or around the anniversary of the student’s first enrolment to a particular programme. Re-enrolment is subject to annual deadlines, and eligible students who fail to attend for re-enrolment may be deemed by the University to have terminated their enrolment, and the University’s obligations to them. 

  

3.7 A student who has failed to re-enrol may be considered for re-admission to the programme. 

  

3.8 Registration is the recording of an individual’s candidacy for an award of the University. 

  

3.9 A student who is enrolled to a programme of the University leading to an award of the University will be registered by the University as a candidate for that award. 

  

3.10 An individual who is enrolled by an institution authorised by the University to offer a programme leading to an award of the University will complete their registration as a candidate for an award of the University.  

  

3.11 An individual registered as a candidate for an award of the University will only be eligible for that award where the Board of Examiners is satisfied as to their entitlement to receive that award. 

  

3.12 The Chair of the Board of Examiners may, except where restricted by professional body requirements, agree, on an exceptional basis, to extend a student’s registration beyond that set out in the programme documentation. 

4.A.1 For the purposes of the University’s Tuition Fee Regulations the word ‘fees’ will be interpreted as: 

  

4.A.1.i A sum of money due to the University in respect of educational services, that will include registration, enrolment, tuition (including assessment and examinations), academic supervision, the provision of other academic services and facilities such as library and learning resources, the provision of pastoral and extra-curricular services and the conferment of awards. 

  

4.A.2 Tuition fees are payable each academic year or other relevant period of study as determined by the University.  

  

4.A.3 Prospective and continuing students who are designated as an international student each academic year, will be required prior to enrolment to pay a deposit or the full tuition fee, whichever is the lesser amount. This does not apply to Online programmes. For the first academic year of study, prospective students should refer to the conditions of their offer letter, whilst the requirements for continuing students will be communicated in advance of each new academic year. 

  

4.A.4 A Certificate of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) number, for visa purposes, shall only be issued on receipt of the deposit. The deposit is non-refundable except under the following circumstances:   

4.A.4.i The student fails to meet the conditions of the offer.    

4.A.4.ii The student fails to obtain a VISA from the appropriate competent authority to travel and study in the UK, as long as the reason for refusal is not due to credibility, deception or fraud. 

  

4.A.5 Fee status is assessed at the start of each academic year. Where a student’s immigration status changes during an academic year (including acquisition of ILR), this may affect eligibility for home fee status but will normally apply from the start of the next academic year. The University does not reassess or adjust tuition fees on the aforementioned basis within the same academic year. 

 

4.A.6 The Academic Registrar or nominee may waive the deposit requirement for applicants who are sponsored by an organisation which is considered acceptable to the University or in exceptional circumstances in the case of individual applicants. 

  

4.A.7 A student is required to pay all outstanding tuition fees relating to previous academic years prior to enrolment.  

  

4.A.8 A student who requires an extension to their leave in the UK is required to pay all outstanding tuition fees relating to previous tuition fees before the University can provide a new CAS for their Student Visa application.  

  

4.A.9 Tuition fees for additional activity are payable at the equivalent £ per credit for each module. Additional activity includes:   

4.A.9.i Enrolment on modules that are over and above the full credit diet for the relevant academic year.  

4.A.9.ii Retakes of modules as permitted by the Board of Examiners. 

4.A.9.iii Students who re-take modules on an 'assessment only' basis will be charged half of the £ per credit point fee for each module. 

  

4.A.10 Exceptionally, tuition fees may not be payable where a student has been granted a retake with approved mitigating circumstances. 

  

4.A.11 A student who knowingly or recklessly tenders false information relating to their liability to pay a fee, either personally or via a sponsor, will have breached the University’s Regulations on student conduct and be subject to the University’s Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedure. This is without prejudice to any rights the University might have in respect of legal proceedings.  

4.B.1 Fee Waiver Requests 

  

4.B.1.A In exceptional circumstances, the Academic Registrar (or nominee) on receipt of a written request from the student, may waive or vary tuitions fees, in full or in part. All requests must be submitted in writing to a Student Registry Services Manager in the first instance for subsequent consideration by the Academic Registrar.  

  

4.B.1.B For the purpose of this procedure, the term ‘student’ includes those who have left the University within the previous 3 months for whatever reason.  

  

4.B.1.C Exceptional circumstances may include:   

4.B.1.C.i Death of spouse/long term partner, parent, or child.  

4.B.1.C.ii Serious physical or mental illness or injury that prevents the student from continuing with their studies. 

  

4.B.1.D The above list is not exhaustive, and each request will require the submission of certified medical or other documentary evidence.  

  

4.B.1.E The University may reject a fee waiver request where the substantive matters of the request require investigation and therefore fall within scope of the Student Complaints Procedure. 

  

4.B.1.F Where a request for a fee waiver is not approved by the Academic Registrar, the student will have a maximum of 15 working days following notification of the outcome of their initial claim to provide further evidence. This timescale may be extended dependent on request-specific circumstances. This opportunity to provide further evidence will only be available once following the outcome of the Academic Registrar’s review.  

  

4.B.2 Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education 

  

4.B.2.A A student dissatisfied with the University’s final fee waiver request decision has the right to submit an application to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), an independent review body, for the outcome to be reviewed independently of the University.  

  

4.B.2.B This right may normally only be exercised when the University’s internal processes have been exhausted.  

  

4.B.2.C The student must first obtain a Completion of Procedures letter from the Legal and Compliance Services Team. An OIA Scheme Application Form must be completed to make a submission to the OIA, and this must be made within 12 months of the date of the Completion of Procedures letter.  

  

4.B.2.D Guidance on making an application to the OIA can be found on its website.  

  

4.B.2.E Students may obtain assistance with OIA claims from the Student Support Centre and the Students’ Union Advice Centre.  

4.C.1 The University may agree to accept payment from a sponsor in respect of any part of a fee owed to the University by a student. Only private or public sector bodies are acceptable as sponsors. 

  

4.C.2 Where a sponsor payment is withdrawn or reclaimed, including funding received from the Student Loans Company or other funding bodies, the student will be liable for any tuition fees.  

  

4.C.3 Sponsored students should provide an official letter at enrolment confirming the amount of fees to be paid by the sponsor for the relevant academic session.  

  

4.C.4 The University, at its discretion, may refuse to recognise a sponsor where reasonable efforts have not established the existence of that sponsor or of the sponsor’s ability to make a payment. The University shall notify the student of its decision to reject a sponsor.  

  

4.C.5 Any part of a tuition fee payable by a sponsor must be paid within 30 days of the invoice. Where a sponsor’s payment is outstanding more than 30 days the student will be automatically liable for any outstanding sum. This is without prejudice to the University’s right to require any sponsor to pay a fee on or before enrolment. 

4.D.1 Research students may be required to pay either annual Research Support Fees or Additional Resource Tuition Fees in addition to the annual standard tuition fee. This fee covers the cost of specialist resources, equipment and access to any specialist collections that may be required to support the research project and will be specified in the formal offer letter. Students, or their sponsors, will be required to pay the fee.  

  

4.D.2 On completion of the requisite period of registration a research student will automatically be transferred to Thesis Pending Fee Status. This is to recognise that at this point in their registration research students are expected to have completed the research part of their work, have prepared the first draft thesis, and are solely involved in the preparation and refinement of their final thesis for examination. 

  

4.D.3 Thesis Pending Fees Status may only be granted upon completion of the following periods of registration:   

4.D.3.i 2 years for full-time MPhil students. 

4.D.3.ii 3 years for part-time MPhil students. 

4.D.3.iii 3 years for full-time PhD and PhD Professional students. 

4.D.3.iv 5 years for part-time PhD and PhD Professional students.  

  

4.D.4 Thesis Pending Fee Status will be granted for 12 months. A one-off fee will be charged at the point that Thesis Pending Fee Status is granted. Where a student has not completed their thesis and submitted for examination within that period, the normal fees regime will apply thereafter.  

  

4.D.5 If a research student submits their thesis during their Thesis Pending Fee Status period, they are still liable for the one-off Thesis Pending Fee. No additional fees are due between thesis submission and first examination.  

                                                                                                                           

4.D.6 Where a research student is given the opportunity to be re-examined, they will be liable to pay a re-examination fee on a pro rata basis for each full month of registration up until the point of resubmission of the revised thesis.  

  

4.D.7 Where a research student is recommended for the award of the degree with either minor amendments or substantive amendments, but is not required to be re-examined, there will be no liability for further tuition fees.  

4.E.1 Terms are defined by the Student Loans Company as the breaks of holiday, i.e., Term 1  

starts at the same time as Semester 1 in autumn, Term 2 starts after the Christmas holiday, and  

Term 3 starts after the Easter holiday.  

  

4.E.2 Students interrupting or withdrawing from their programme will be charged a proportion of the total tuition fee as set out below. Effective start date is the formal date on which the student completes the relevant enrolment process for a programme or the first day of the term, whichever is the later date. A ‘period of study’ means one full academic year for full time students. 

  

Term	% Of Tuition Fees Charged
Undergraduate Programmes, MArch, Postgraduate Health and Social Care Programmes (Regulated Fees)
0-2 teaching weeks following effective start date	0%
Term 1	25% of total fee for period of study
Term 2	50% of total fee for period of study
Term 3	100% of total fee for period of study
Time Following Effective Start Date	% Of Tuition Fees Charged
Work-Based Distance Learning Undergraduate Programmes
0-2 weeks following effective start date	0% of total fee for period of study
3-15 weeks following effective start date	25% of total fee for period of study
16-30 weeks following effective start date	50% of total fee for period of study
31 weeks onwards following effective start date	100% of total fee for period of study
Postgraduate Taught Programmes
0-4 weeks following effective start date	0% of total programme fee
5-10 weeks following effective start date	25% of total programme fee
11 weeks onwards following effective start date	100% of total programme fee
Postgraduate Research Students
0-2 weeks following effective start date	0%
Online Programmes delivered in partnership with Higher Ed Partners
0-2 weeks following effective module start date	0% of current module
2 weeks onwards following effective module start date	100% for the current and any previously studied modules
Short Courses
Any	100% of course fee

  

4.E.3 CAS deposits and any other tuition fee deposits are always non-refundable unless the relevant deposit refund criterion as set out in the Terms and Conditions of Admission are met. In the context of fee liability this means that any refund owed will exclude any deposit paid.   

  

4.E.4 Students who have their enrolment terminated by the University, or who have their visa sponsorship withdrawn by the University due to being in breach of their visa requirements, will remain liable for the payment of tuition fees for that academic year up to the date of withdrawal from the University. The withdrawal date will either be the date the withdrawal decision is made or, if the student lodges an appeal, the date of the Completion of Procedures letter.   

  

4.E.5 A student on an unregulated fees programme interrupting their studies will remain liable for their full tuition fee for the interrupted academic year.  

  

4.E.6 A student on a regulated fees programme interrupting their studies will be charged in the academic year that studies are resumed.  

  

4.E.7 Fees will be adjusted to reflect those already charged during the interrupted academic year. 

  

4.E.8 A student who resumes studies in a later academic year at an earlier point than the original interruption and/or resumes on a greater number of credits will incur an additional charge.  

  

4.E.9 Bachelor of Architecture, Master of Architecture, and undergraduate students, except in the case of short courses, interrupting studies will be liable for tuition fees calculated on a term basis for the academic year in which they have interrupted their studies.  

  

4.E.10 If the fees have been paid in full the credit will be carried over to the academic year in which the student resumes their studies and completes their year.  

  

4.E.11 If a payment plan has been agreed this will normally be suspended during a period of interruption and resume once studies recommence. Upon resumption, tuition fee liability for the academic year in which studies are resumed will be calculated on a termly basis.  

  

4.E.12 The overriding principle is that the student will pay for one complete period of study (for full time students this would be one academic session) although this may be spread over two academic years, provided that the student resumes studies in the same term as the initial interruption. Where a student resumes studies in an earlier term than the initial interruption, an additional charge will be payable for the subsequent term(s) of study repeated.  

4.F.1 A student who, within 21 days of enrolment, has neither paid their tuition fee in full nor committed to an instalment payment plan, which has been approved by the Finance Department, or who is in default of a tuition fee instalment payment by 21 days or more, may be suspended from their programme.  

  

4.F.2 Suspension will be communicated in writing by the Finance Department. The communication will set out (as per these Regulations) the terms of the suspension, how the student can rectify the matter, the University’s right to interrupt a student’s studies after 28 days of suspension and the support available to the student via Student Services and the Students’ Union Advice Centre. 

  

4.F.3 During the period of suspension, a student will not be entitled to attend classes or lectures or to have access to learning resource facilities or to submit an assessment or to take any examination. Marks awarded for work submitted during a period of suspension shall be disregarded by the Board of Examiners, who shall treat the work as a non-submission.  

  

4.F.4 Suspension from a programme for non-payment of tuition fees will not be grounds for the granting of extensions for submission of assessments, nor will the Board of Examiners treat such a suspension as mitigating circumstances adversely affecting student performance in assessment. 

  

4.F.5 A student who has been suspended may be re-admitted to a programme where payment in full of all outstanding tuition fees is received, or an instalment plan is agreed with the University Finance Department, within 28 days of the suspension. Where payment is received or an agreement reached later than 28 days after the suspension, the student will normally be re-admitted in the following academic year at the stage in the programme when the original suspension occurred unless the delivery of the programme means an earlier opportunity is available. This regulation is without prejudice to the Chief Financial Officer’s right to make an arrangement for the payment of tuition fees where a student is in default.  

  

4.F.6 If a student is in default of payment of their tuition fee or has failed to agree an instalment plan with the University Finance Department within 28 days of the suspension, the Chief Financial Officer (or nominee) may determine that a student’s enrolment be interrupted. If students are in the UK on a student visa, they will have their immigration sponsorship stopped as a result of interruption. 

 

 4.F.7 A student placed on interruption for non-payment of tuition fees will only be permitted to return to studies once any overdue tuition fee balance is paid in full. They will rejoin their programme at a time decided by the University as being appropriate for re-engagement with the programme, and in accordance with provisions under the Regulations for Interruption of Studies and any internal or external requirements (i.e. PSRBs, UKVI). 

 

Appeal 

 

4.F.8 A student whose enrolment has been interrupted for non-payment of tuition fees may lodge an appeal against the decision within 10 working days of the date of the interruption letter. An appeal must be lodged on the Withdrawal/Interruption Appeal form in OneUni on either of the following grounds only:    

4.F.8.i ii. That there were mitigating circumstances which meant the student was incapable of attempting to rectify the issue with the Finance Department. The student must provide documentary evidence to support their claims.  

4.F.8.ii That there was a material error in the conduct of the process that was of such a nature as to cause reasonable doubt as to whether the outcome might have been different had the error not occurred. 

  

4.F.9 The student must provide all material and evidence that they wish to be considered in support of their appeal at the time that the appeal is made. 

  

4.F.10 Upon receipt of a student’s appeal, the Legal and Compliance Services Team will request the requisite evidence from the Finance Department. 

  

4.F.11 The Legal and Compliance Services Team will forward both the appeal and Finance Department evidence to the Academic Registrar (or nominee) for consideration. The Academic Registrar will normally reach a decision on the appeal within 15 working days. When considering the appeal, the Academic Registrar has the discretion to make enquiries of such persons (including the student) as they deem necessary. 

  

4.F.12 The Academic Registrar will notify the Legal and Compliance Services Team of the outcome of the appeal and give reasons for the decision. The Academic Registrar may confirm the decision to terminate the student’s enrolment or may provide a further, time-limited opportunity for a student to rectify the matter. This decision is final and will be notified to the student in writing by the Legal and Compliance Services Team, who will issue a Completion of Procedures letter. 

  

Termination of Studies  

4.F.13 When a student placed on interruption for non-payment of tuition fees does not resolve their outstanding tuition fee balance and reaches the maximum period of interruption allowed (this being two years, unless a PSRB or other requirement supersedes this), they will be deemed to have not sought re enrolment and will have their studies terminated.  

 

4.F.14 In the event of termination as set out above, where a student has accumulated the requisite number of credits for an intermediate award, the Board of Examiners may confer an alternative exit award only where the student has paid tuition fees in full for all credits contributing to that award. Individual programme specific Assessment Regulations set out the detail of exit awards that are available. A student may receive only one award in respect of any programme. A candidate who accepts a lower award rather than taking the opportunity to be reassessed may not normally elect to subsequently be reassessed.   

  

Miscellaneous  

4.F.15 Students in default of tuition fee payment will be prohibited from continuing from one Level of a programme to another, from completing their programme of study, from attending Graduation and will have any decisions on marks by the Board of Examiners deferred, and transcripts of marks and certificates withheld. The University will not confirm ‘successful completion’ of the programme to the Home Office where a student visa holder has outstanding tuition fee debt. 

  

4.F.16 The University reserves the right to take any reasonable steps to recover any sums due in respect of unpaid fees.