How to Book

GUIDANCE NOTES FOR ENROLLING CUSTOMERS

Please read the instructions carefully. customers wishing to pay in cash, by instalments or who wish to claim fee remission must enrol in person. The college is registered under the Data Protection Act and some information will be disclosed to certain Government Agencies as requested (please see section on Privacy Statement)

LEARNING DIFFICULTIES/DISABILITIES

BCoT welcomes and supports customers with learning difficulties or disabilities. If you feel you would benefit from additional support, please complete the relevant section on the form. The college wishes to ensure that it complies with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (as amended by the Special Educational Needs & Disability Act 2001). This college is therefore committed to ensuring that disabled people, including those with learning difficulties, are treated fairly. All reasonable adjustments to provision will be made to ensure that disabled customers and other disabled people are not substantially disadvantaged. If you are a disabled person, please ensure that we know what you need so that we can make all reasonable adjustments to help you.

CUSTOMERS ON WORK BASED LEARNING PROGRAMMES

Tuition fees quoted in the directory apply to Further Education funded customers only and customers following Work Based Learning Programmes will be charged a different rate. Apply to the Head of Student Administration for further details.

TUITION FEES

The fees stated are for the academic year 2011/2012. If your course runs for two or more years you will be required to pay a tuition fee for each year of study. All fees are due at the time of your enrolment, including any examination/registration and materials fees. The fees quoted in the directory do not apply to ‘overseas’ status customers or those following Work Based Learning Programmes. You can pay by either cash, cheque, Visa/MasterCard/Switch/Solo or by written authority from your employer accepting responsibility for your fees.

PLEASE NOTE: Fee concessions are NOT available for any of the full cost programmes.

A: If you are 16 – 18 years at 31 August 2011, tuition, exam and registration will be free unless you are funded from other sources such as an Apprenticeship Programme.

B: If you are 19+ at 31 August 2011, and enrolling on a first full Level 2 or 3 programme fees may be free - please ask for details

C: Important Changes to Government Funding for customers Aged 19+ and the Implications on Fee Remission

Fees held at 2010-11 rates:

Entry Level £400 plus £175 registration fee

Levels 1/2 £500 plus £175 registration fee

Level 3 £800 plus £250 registration fee

Tuition fees will not be charged for the following customers on either full or part-time courses:

Customers enrolling on Entry or Level 1 qualifications (with progression routes to a full Level 2) who have not previously attained a full Level 2

Customers studying for their first full level 2

Customers studying for their first full Level 3 qualification if they have not previously attained a full Level 2

Customers studying for their first full Level 3 qualification if they are aged 19-24 at the start of the programme

Customers studying on a designated basic skills qualification

Please note that this is different from previous years and you may not be entitled to discounts you have had previously. Customers enrolling on a new programme who were given a reduction in fees due to Housing or Council Tax Benefit, Working Tax Credit, or Pensions Guarantee Credit will no longer be eligible for reduced fees.

If this affects you, you may like to enquire about a BCoT concessionary scheme which will be introduced for customers on low incomes who have documentary evidence to support their application. The scheme will give a discount of tuition fees of either, 25%, 50% or 75% depending on income.

If this news has come as a shock and you feel you may be unable to progress your studies next year please do not make any hasty decisions. Instead please discuss your concerns with your tutor or contact Sue Wallace, our Welfare Manager, in Learner Services on 01256 306333 or 01256 306394.

You will not be enrolled unless you pay your fees in full on enrolment, or make arrangements to pay a deposit on enrolment with an agreed instalment plan. You will not be issued with an ID card in order to gain access to the College until you are enrolled.

EXAM BOARD/REGISTRATION FEES

Where appropriate, all exam/registration fees are charged on enrolment. Please note that exam/registration fees are payable by all customers (except 16 – 18 year olds), including those eligible for a remission of fees. You should be aware that customer achievements may be displayed on College notice boards from time to time. If you do not wish your achievement details to be made public you should contact the Examinations Officer in writing.

EMPLOYER SPONSORED LEARNERS

For the convenience of employers, invoices can be issued for employee’s fees. The employer must provide a certificate or letter of intent confirming responsibility for all fees. The employee will be required to provide this letter at enrolment. If an employer accepts responsibility for the payment of an employee’s fees, that responsibility remains even if the employee leaves the company before the account is paid.

PAYMENT BY INSTALMENT

You need to enrol in person. The College operates a direct debit plan for courses in excess of £150.00, and longer than 6 months duration, except for full cost courses. A 25% deposit is required on enrolment followed by 4 monthly direct debit payments. If you wish to pay your fees by this method please ask for details at enrolment. Please note that should you withdraw from your studies the fees remain payable.

CANCELLED COURSES

If the college has to cancel a course then the course fees will be refunded in full.

TUITION FEE REFUNDS

It is College policy not to provide a refund of course fees to customers who, having enrolled and embarked on a programme of study, decide to withdraw. However, in exceptional circumstances, a refund of course fees will be considered if the customer makes a written request to the Head of Student Administration stating the reason for withdrawal.

OVERSEAS customers

If you have not been a permanent member of the UK (or other EEA country) for 3 years prior to enrolment, or are in the UK subject to visa restrictions, please inform the enrolment staff who will discuss the tuition fee situation with you. You should be aware that tuition fees for overseas status customers vary from those quoted in the directory. Please ask for details.

ETHNIC ORIGIN

The Department for Education requires the college to collect information about the ethnicity of its customers. This information is also vital to the college’s own equal opportunities monitoring. The categories are in line with those developed by the office of National Statistics for the 2011 Census.

COLLEGE CHARTER

The college charter informs customers of what they can expect from BCoT. A copy can be obtained from Customer Services, Advice & Guidance or Learner Support Services.

PRIVACY STATEMENT

How We Use Your Personal Information. The personal information you provide is passed to the Chief Executive of Skills Funding and, where required, the Young People’s Learning Agency for England ('the YPLA') to enable those organisations to fulfil their statutory obligations, principally under the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009. Both organisations are registered as data controllers with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office. The Skills Funding Agency funds adult further education and skills training, including apprenticeships, in England. The YPLA is responsible for arranging the provision of funding for the education and training of young people in England. The Skills Funding Agency processes customer data on behalf of the YPLA. The information you provide may be shared with other organisations for purposes of administration, the provision of career and other guidance and statistical and research purposes, relating to education or training. Other organisations include the Department for Education, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Local Authorities, Connexions, Higher Education Statistics Agency, Higher Education Funding Council for England, educational institutions and organisations performing research and statistical work on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency, the YPLA, or partners of those organisations. The Skills Funding Agency also administers the customer registration service (LRS) which uses your customer information to create and maintain a unique learner number (ULN). Further information about use of and access to your information is available at: Skills Funding Agency: http://skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk/foi.htm YPLA: http://www.ypla.gov.uk/foi.htm At no time will your personal information be passed to organisations for marketing or sales purposes. The YPLA, the Chief executive of Skills Funding and their partners may wish to contact you from time to time in respect of surveys and research to monitor performance, prove quality and plan future provision and to inform you about courses, or learning opportunities relevant to you.

DISCLOSURE OF CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS

If you indicate that you have an unspent criminal conviction[s] (other than minor motoring offences) your enrolment will not be processed until you have completed a Declaration of Criminal Convictions form (which will be posted to you). A copy of the policy will also be available and should your enrolment be refused any monies paid will be refunded in full.