About us Policies 2019/20 Tuition Fees Policy Download Introduction The Institute for Optimum Nutrition (ION) reviews its fees and its fee policy annually. Tuition fees relating to courses commenced in any academic year are liable to increase annually. The liability of the student for payment of course fees, and the agreement between the student and the Institute in relation to the payment of all fees due will remain in place, so long as the Institute has delivered the academic provision. Please note that the Institute reserves the right, within the latitude allowed by our external regulators and consumer legislation and codes of practice, to alter the timing and/or location and or/content of the academic provision, always consulting and advising students in line with national regulation. Country Groups For the purposes of this policy, the Institute differentiates the processes it follows when considering eligibility for type of Student Credit Agreement based on location of the student. Country Group 1 Those students based in the following countries will be considered as Country Group 1 students: United Kingdom, Eurozone, Sweden and Australia Country Group 2 Those students who are not based in Country Group 1 countries will be considered as Country Group 2 students. 2019/20 Fees Country Group 1 students (including UK) Country Group 2 students Registration Fee £450.00 £450.00 NTSAC £2,900.00 £2,900.00 NTDC £4,500.00 £4,500.00 RTP‐A £750.00 £750.00 RTP‐B £900.00 £900.00 Payment of Fees Registration fee All students first enrolling to any ION programme, except for Science eRefresh and Return to Practice, are required to pay a one‐off registration fee of £450.00 by the registration date of their chosen programme. Should a student cancel their student agreement within 14 days of signing, this registration fee will be fully returned minus a £50 administration fee. Students progressing through stages or changing courses do not need to pay this again, once already paid. Diploma and Nutrition Certificate students All fees for the first year are due before the start of the course, unless agreement is made to pay by instalments as set out above. At time of writing, UK/EU/EEA students do not have access to UK government financed loans, grants or bursaries and are expected to incur the full costs of the tuition fees themselves. Tuition fees for the second and subsequent years of eligible programmes become due in the month immediately preceding the commencement month of the new academic session. It is the responsibility of students to agree to a payment schedule with the admissions department, or for Years 2 and 3 students, with the courses administration department, once fees become due. See section 5. Outstanding Debt for further detail. Students whose fees will be paid by their home country’s student loans provider must supply the accounts department with the schedule of payments as soon as they are granted the funds. If the funds need to be paid for the second year of a course, students should ensure appropriate arrangements are in place with the provider and supply the Institute with evidence. Deposits Those Diploma and Nutrition Certificate students offered a place and who have a Student Credit Agreement in place must pay a deposit to secure their place on their course. Country Group 1 based students can confirm their place by paying a deposit of £450.00 and Country Group 2 based students a deposit of £1,125.00. Please note this is not refundable in the event the student cancels the contract after the expiry of the 14‐day ‘cooling off’ period. Science access students All science access students confirm their place on their course by either paying for tuition fees in full or for those students with a Student Credit Agreement in place by paying a deposit. Country Group 1 based students with a Student Credit Agreement in place will pay a deposit of £362.50 and for Country Group 2 students a deposit of £800.00. Please note this is not refundable in the event the student cancels the contract after the expiry of the 14‐day ‘cooling off’ period. Return to Practice students All Return to Practice students confirm their place on their course by paying for tuition fees and an administrative fee of £150 in full. Payment can be either via direct bank transfer or via Worldpay card transaction over the phone. Return to Practice programmes are not eligible for payment via instalments and fees must be paid in full in advance. Methods of Payment Payment in full, and payments for registration fee and deposit The Institute encourages students to pay full year tuition fees in advance and we accept payment using direct bank transfer: Account Name: Institute for Optimum NutritionBank Name: CAF BankAccount: 00019242Sort Code: 40‐52‐40IBAN: GB48MIDL40053072138549SWIFT: MIDLGB2141W Students must quote the student name and course ID on their remittance and confirmation of payment should be sent to: Institute for Optimum NutritionCourse AdmissionsParadise RoadRichmondTW9 1SQ or emailed as an attachment to: [email protected] or to [email protected] for those Diploma students commencing years 2 and 3. Payments in full, and payments for registration fees and deposits, can also be made using credit or debit cards using Worldpay by calling Reception on 020 8614 7800. Payment via instalments Students wishing to pay by instalments must return a signed Student Credit Agreement. Instalments will only be granted on a year‐by‐year basis, according to the published term dates for a course. All requests for payment via instalments must be directed to the Admissions Officer and must be agreed at the point of accepting the offer; or to Courses Administration in the case of those Diploma students commencing years 2 and 3, at re‐enrolment. ION is under no obligation to grant an instalment agreement, and students who do not keep up payments risk their places on their programme should they fall behind. In agreeing to instalments, students are entering into a commitment to ensure they pay as per the agreed instalment dates. Failure to keep up with payments or continual late payment will result in termination of access to materials and lectures and a potential enforced withdrawal from the programme or withholding of academic transcripts and certificates. Payment of fees in full will be due immediately upon default. Eligible students paying fees by instalments who withdraw partway through their programme of study will be required to complete payment of their outstanding fees as determined by the refund policy set out below. If an instalment agreement is cancelled, the remaining tuition fee payable becomes due immediately. For those students in Country Group 1, all payments except for registration fee and tuition fee deposits must be paid via a GoCardless Direct Debit link. For those students in Country Group 2, all payments must be paid via direct bank transfer. No over‐the‐phone payments will be accepted for any student with a Student Credit Agreement in place except for registration fees and deposits. Those students who enrol on to their chosen course after the registration date for that course, and have a Student Credit Agreement in place, will have their instalment plan start in the month in which they return their signed Student Credit Agreement. Country Group 1 Students (UK, Eurozone, Sweden and Australia based students) ION uses GoCardless to process monthly recurring instalments by Direct Debit for those students with bank accounts registered in the UK, Eurozone, Sweden and Australia (Country Group 1). All students paying for their fees from bank accounts registered in those countries, are obliged to pay for all instalments via GoCardless, for which a link will be shared at unconditional offer stage or re-enrolment stage for returning students. If eligible, Country Group 1 based students can pay for their annual tuition fees via monthly instalments on the following schedules: Diploma programmes NTDC (September) ENTDC (February) Date due Amount Date due Amount Registration fee 23 August 2019 £450.00 24 January 2020 £450.00 Deposit 23 August 2019 £450.00 24 January 2020 £450.00 Instalment 1 15 September 2019 £450.00 15 February 2020 £450.00 Instalment 2 15 October 2019 £450.00 15 March 2020 £450.00 Instalment 3 15 November 2019 £450.00 15 April 2020 £450.00 Instalment 4 15 December 2019 £450.00 15 May 2020 £450.00 Instalment 5 15 January 2020 £450.00 15 June 2020 £450.00 Instalment 6 15 February 2020 £450.00 15 July 2020 £450.00 Instalment 7 15 March 2020 £450.00 15 August 2020 £450.00 Instalment 8 15 April 2020 £450.00 15 September 2020 £450.00 Instalment 9 15 May 2020 £450.00 15 October 2020 £450.00 Science Access Programmes NTSAC (October) NTSAC (January) NTSAC (May) Date due Amount Date due Amount Date due Amount Registration fee 20 September 2019 £450.00 6 December 2019 £450.00 10 April 2019 £450.00 Deposit 20 September 2019 £362.50 6 December 2019 £362.50 10 April 2019 £362.50 Instalment 1 15 October 2019 £362.50 15 January 2020 £362.50 15 May 2019 £362.50 Instalment 2 15 November 2019 £362.50 15 February 2020 £362.50 15 June 2019 £362.50 Instalment 3 15 December 2019 £362.50 15 March 2020 £362.50 15 July 2019 £362.50 Instalment 4 15 January 2020 £362.50 15 April 2020 £362.50 15 August 2019 £362.50 Instalment 5 15 February 2020 £362.50 15 May 2020 £362.50 15 September 2019 £362.50 Instalment 6 15 March 2020 £362.50 15 June 2020 £362.50 15 October 2019 £362.50 Instalment 7 15 April 2020 £362.50 15 July 2020 £362.50 15 November 2019 £362.50 Country Group 2 Students (All countries not in Country Group 1) All students paying for their fees from bank accounts registered Country Group 2 countries are obliged to pay for all instalments via direct bank transfer. If eligible, Country Group 2 based students can pay for their annual tuition fees via quarterly instalments on the following schedules: Diploma programmes NTDC (September) ENTDC (February) Date due Amount Date due Amount Registration fee 23 August 2019 £450.00 24 January 2020 £450.00 Deposit 23 August 2019 £1,125.00 24 January 2020 £1,125.00 Instalment 1 15 October 2019 £1,125.00 15 February 2020 £1,125.00 Instalment 2 15 January 2020 £1,125.00 15 May 2020 £1,125.00 Instalment 3 15 April 2020 £1,125.00 15 August 2020 £1,125.00 Science Access Programmes NTSAC (October) NTSAC (January) NTSAC (May) Date due Amount Date due Amount Date due Amount Registration fee 20 September 2019 £450.00 6 December 2019 £450.00 10 April 2019 £450.00 Deposit 20 September 2019 £725.00 6 December 2019 £725.00 10 April 2019 £725.00 Instalment 1 15 November 2019 £725.00 15 February 2020 £725.00 15 June 2019 £725.00 Instalment 2 15 December 2019 £725.00 15 March 2020 £725.00 15 July 2019 £725.00 Instalment 3 15 January 2020 £725.00 15 April 2020 £725.00 15 August 2019 £725.00 Liability for Payment The liability of the student for payment of course fees, and the agreement between the student and the Institute in relation to the payment of all fees due will remain in place, so long as the Institute has delivered the academic provision. It should be noted that some individual modules may involve costs to be assumed by the student. Please see the relevant course materials for disclosure of additional course costs. Students will be personally liable for any professional membership fees that they adopt. All Institute fees due must be fully paid before completion of award or qualification. Outstanding Debt No enrolled student with outstanding tuition fee debt can progress to the next stage of their programme of study, receive an award, be considered for further qualifications or be given a reference from the Institute. Once fees become overdue, students will be sent statements and reminder emails, and if no action is taken, the debt will be referred to the Institute’s debt‐collecting agents. Such referrals will also incur Legal Recovery Costs. If a student needs information on their debt or to discuss repayment plans, they should contact Courses Administration: [email protected] The Institute will take every precaution necessary to ensure students have the fullest opportunity to clear debt. The onus is on the student to proactively engage with the Institute to discuss any personal circumstances that may be affecting their ability to meet their tuition fee payment obligations. The Institute will try to be as flexible as possible but will prioritise the needs of the institution when considering students’ individual circumstances. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Certificated Learning is learning for which a student has received a formal qualification, for example a Certificate or Diploma of Higher Education, a Higher National Diploma (HND), a Foundation Degree, or individual modules/course units completed at another institution. In normal circumstances only qualifications and experience acquired in the last ten years will be admissible. Certain courses may apply a different time period to reflect professional and other regulatory requirements. Those students with certified RPL are eligible to pay for only those modules they will complete and submit assessment for, see Courses Modules Fees document for more details. There is an administrative fee that is charged against every module for which a student has certified RPL to cover the administrative costs of enrolling those students into the module content pages. The amount of the fee is per module and is dependent on the credit weighting of that module. 10‐30 credit modules £50 per module 31+ credit modules £100 per module All students with certified RPL will receive full access to all module content pages including lecture capture, materials, discussion and support but will not submit assignments for marking. Tuition Fee Refund Policy The Institute for Optimum Nutrition (ION) is a small, independent, specialist training institution offering a specific and finite number of places on each of its courses. ION cannot typically refill a place on any of its courses once a programme has commenced for more than 30 days. Furthermore, the collaborative nature of many of the lectures, workshops, assessments and clinical practice necessitates long term planning, budgeting and commitment from students and staff. For these reasons, whilst students can withdraw from their course, they will be liable for a portion, if not all the tuition fees for that academic year, dependent upon when they withdraw. The Institute has a formal policy and procedures on withdrawing from a programme as set out below. Your ability to withdraw before 30 days into your course You have a right to withdraw from your course within 30 days of the timetabled commencement of your course by contacting Courses Administration: [email protected]. If you do so, you will remain liable for 50% of the tuition fees for that academic year. If you have paid tuition fees in full before withdrawing in accordance with this clause, 50% of the annual tuition fee will be returned to you. Your ability to withdraw after 30 days into your course You have a right to withdraw from your course after 30 days of the timetabled commencement of your course by contacting Courses Administration: [email protected]. If you do so, you will remain liable for all fees relating to the academic year in which you are withdrawing. If you withdraw from your studies after completing the previous academic year, you must notify Courses Administration: [email protected] by the registration date for the following academic year. If your notice is received after the registration date, you will be liable for 50% of fees for the upcoming year. Extenuating Circumstances In the event a student has a genuine case of extenuating circumstances the Institute has a formal policy regarding the procedures for deferring a place or suspension of studies on a programme, however this does not negate the requirement for all students to pay the tuition fees in full for the year they began their studies. Those students with a Student Credit Agreement in place are obliged to continue scheduled payment as per their agreement. This policy applies to registered students who subsequently withdraw from their programme of study before completion and relates to fees and instalment paid/to be paid personally by a student or by a student’s sponsor or loan provider. Tuition fees will not be reduced for students who start their course late. Direction and support will be given to students for how they can cover missed material. In cases of extreme mitigating circumstances, the Institute reserves the right to use management discretion when considering applications for refunds. Any refund due will be made using the original method of payment, i.e. credit/debit card payments will be refunded to the original card, and bank transfers will be refunded to the account that was originally debited. Evidence of payment may be required for the Institute to process a refund. Changes in Circumstances Students wishing to break their programme of study must first contact their Year or Programme Leader and complete the Change of Studies Form so that suitable arrangements can be agreed in order to maintain their student status at the Institute. The Institute’s Academic Regulations Handbook details this process. Students who break study remain liable for that academic year’s tuition fees and must be paid within the academic year the session commenced in. Cancellation of instalment payments without prior notification to the Institute will constitute unilateral withdrawal from the programme of study. If a student cancels their instalment payments, they should forward a letter of cancellation with payment for the balance of fees outstanding, as the outstanding fee payable becomes due immediately. If circumstances beyond a students’ control mean they are no longer able to meet the payment schedule agreed in an instalment agreement or for the following year of a programme, the Institute will endeavour to seek an amicable resolution before any action is taken. The emphasis is placed on students to highlight these instances at the earliest opportunity so the Institute can make appropriate plans. Other Charges The Institute gives students information in advance and in line with consumer legislation requirements regarding any additional charges or optionally assumed costs, made in connection with the academic programme. Assessment outside of submission points £150 Retake of assignment due to category 3 or 4 academic integrity fail or fail £150 Financial Help There are no mechanisms for financial aid from the Institute itself, though it will signpost students to practical support and guidance if they find themselves in difficulties.