International Tuition Fee Deposit Policy

  1. Purpose

This Policy applies to all international applicants who are required to make a tuition fee deposit to secure a place on a programme of study at Aberystwyth University. Information about any deposit payment due will be included in your offer letter.

Before paying a deposit, you should be confident that the University is your preferred choice for study, and that you believe you will:

  • meet your academic conditions
  • meet the English language requirement
  • be able to provide the correct documentation and financial evidence to obtain a student visa
  1. Cooling-off period

You may cancel your place and request a refund by emailing admissions@aber.ac.uk within 14 calendar days of paying your deposit.  You do not need to give a reason.

  1. Refund eligibility

The University operates a rules-based refund Policy, and refunds are only available in the specific circumstances listed below.


3.1 Student visa refusal

A refund may be granted if your student visa is refused and you provide the official refusal notice.  However, a refund will NOT be granted where the refusal is due to:

  • submitting false information;
  • inconsistent or incorrect documentation;
  • failure to provide required evidence; and/or
  • a decision by UKVI that you are not a genuine student.


3.2 English language condition not met

A refund may be granted if the University withdraws your offer because you did not meet the English language requirement and you:

  • took a recognised English test within 12 weeks before the programme start date; and
  • provided official evidence of the result.

Failure to arrange a test or allowing a test result to expire does not qualify for a refund.

 

3.3 Refunds will automatically be issued in the following circumstances

Where any of these circumstances applies, a refund will be issued automatically (subject to a £200 administration fee), and you do not need to take any action:

  • if the University withdraws your offer because you did not meet the academic conditions specified in your offer letter;
  • where the University decides not to issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) following an interview assessment; or
  • if the University makes a significant change to, or cancels the programme for which you applied, and you decline offer on an alternative scheme.
  1. Deadline for refund requests

You must submit your refund request no later than 14 days after the programme start date.

Requests outside this timeframe will not normally be considered.

Where a refund is approved, the amount to be returned depends on when the University received your refund request.

If you submitted your request for a refund

Refund amount

Within 14-day cooling-off period

100%

More than 6 weeks before start date of the course

100% minus £200 admin fee

2 to 6 weeks before start date of the course

50% of deposit paid

Less than 2 weeks before start date of the course

25% of deposit paid

After the programme start date

No refund

This scale reflects the University’s reduced ability to fill the place closer to the start of the course.

  1. Deferrals

If you choose to defer to a later intake, your deposit will usually be carried forward. It cannot normally be refunded following a deferral unless one of the eligibility criteria outlined in Section 3 applies.

  1. Payment method

Any approved refunds will be made via the original payment method.  We aim to process refunds within 30 working days of the refund being approved.  We cannot make allowances for any fluctuations in exchange rates.

  1. Incorrect or misleading information

If incorrect or misleading information is identified, the University may withdraw the offer, refuse or withdraw a CAS, and retain an appropriate portion of the deposit as specified in section 4.

Serious cases may be reported to relevant authorities.

  1. How to request a refund

Email admissions@aber.ac.uk including your Applicant ID, full name, course details and reason for the refund request.  Supporting evidence may include documents such as a visa refusal notice or English test result.

  1. Appeal and complaints

Appeal: If you disagree with the refund decision, you may submit one appeal within 10 working days of receiving the decision.  You may provide additional evidence to support your request.

Your case will be reviewed by the Head of Conversion and Admissions, or their nominee, and you will be notified of the outcome within 10 working days.  The outcome of the appeal will be final. 

Complaint: If you are not happy with the way your case has been dealt with, you may submit a complaint through the Applicant Complaints Procedure.

  1. Policy updates

The University reserves the right to amend the Policy from time to time to reflect sector changes and business needs.  The version of this Policy in force on the date you pay your deposit applies to you.

Once you enrol as a student, the Early Withdrawal Policy will apply, rather than this Policy.

 

Version 2.1 [1 April 2026]

The previous version of this policy can be viewed here Tuition Fee Policy (to January 2026).