University Centre Colchester | Fee Policy 2026/27

University Centre Colchester (UCC)

Fee Policy 2026-2027

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Important Terms and Conditions

All of the terms and conditions in this document are relevant to your studies with University Centre Colchester. However, we would like to highlight below some specific important and/or updated terms and conditions for your information. These are:

UCC students become liable for their tuition fees once they have been registered and attendance on a timetabled session has been confirmed.

Any student who intends to pay via third party sponsorship or a student loan will be required to provide evidence of appropriate approved funding at registration, or have an approved payment plan agreed by the Colchester Institute finance department by the 2^nd October 2026.

Failure to provide this information will result in the student being withdrawn from the course.

Payment plans will require a 25% tuition fee payment by the 31st December 2026, payable through subsequently approved funding or other means. In the event that the student defaults on an agreed payment plan the student shall be automatically suspended from their studies from the date of default. In such event, the student shall remain liable for any sums due to Colchester Institute.

In the event of a student withdrawing or intermitting during the academic year University Centre Colchester will determine the outstanding tuition fee liability in line with the liability periods shown below and the guidance provided in section 6.

Students may cancel their registration with Colchester Institute and receive a refund for the academic year concerned if they notify Colchester Institute in writing of their desire to cancel their registration within 14 days of their first timetabled event following registration (normally the date of the first timetabled activity on Registration Day).

Students must notify Colchester Institute of their desire to cancel their registration in one of the following ways:

• Emailing Colchester Institute on uccacademicservices@colchester.ac.uk (the email must be received within one of the above periods stated; or
• Writing to Colchester Institute at UCC Academic Services, Colchester Institute, Sheepen Road, Colchester, CO3 3LL (the letter must be received within one of the periods stated above).

If you do not pay your tuition fees in accordance with this policy, you may be withdrawn from your programme of study and/or UCC may take legal action to recover unpaid tuition fees. All fees must be paid in full before the completion of your award and/or qualification. Transcripts and certificates will not be issued if there are any outstanding debts, and you would not be able to attend graduation.

Students who have not paid fees, or other charges related to their studies, by the required date may be charged a late payment fee, or rate of interest, to be determined by Colchester Institute. Where fees continue to be due Colchester Institute may inform debt collection agencies in order to recover money owed and additional costs may be incurred.

Introduction

1.1       This policy relates to all students on all undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at University Centre Colchester (UCC) and incorporates those providing payment via a Student Loan, employer or other sponsorship agreement, personal payment (self-payer) or any other means.

1.2       This document provides information on payment of and liability for tuition fees. Throughout this policy references to fees relate to the current academic year unless stated otherwise. Please refer to Appendix A for fee details.

1.3       University Centre Colchester (UCC) refers to provision of Higher Education courses at Colchester Institute. All contracts, fees and liabilities are to the wider organisation of Colchester Institute.

1.4       Students studying on University Centre Colchester (UCC) provision delivered by partnership providers are also subject to this policy.

Higher Education Home Fees

2.1       All students are required to confirm method of funding at registration and have provided evidence of funding by 2^nd October 2026.

• Students who are sponsored by an employer must provide a completed employer authorisation form and initial payment (as per section 5.3) by the 2^nd October 2026.
• Students intending to pay with an approved loan through Student Finance England must provide evidence of an approved loan by the 2^nd October 2026.
• Self-funding students must either pay their fees in full or sign up to an instalment plan by the 2^nd October 2026.

2.2       UCC fees for 2026/27 academic year are published on the UCC website (www.colchester.ac.uk/ucc) and attached in Appendix A.

2.3       Fees can be paid by credit card (excluding American Express), debit card, pre-paid cards or by instalments (see item 5.2). Cash will not be accepted. All fees must be paid in full before completion of the award or qualification.

2.4       UCC students become liable for their tuition fees once they have been registered and attendance on the programme is confirmed. In the event of a student withdrawing or intermitting during liability periods 1 and 2 (as defined in section 6.5), University Centre Colchester will determine the outstanding tuition fee liability in line with the guidance provided in section 6.

2.5       Students without confirmed funding

Any student who intends to apply for a student loan or has applied but the loan is not yet approved, will be required to provide evidence of appropriate funding, as per paragraph 2.1, or an approved payment plan agreed by the Colchester Institute finance department by the 2^nd October 2026.

Failure to provide this information by the 2^nd October 2026 will result in the student being withdrawn from the course.

2.6       Payment plans will require a 25% tuition fee payment by the 31st December 2026, payable through subsequently approved funding or other means. In the event that the student defaults on an agreed payment plan the student shall be automatically suspended from their studies from the date of default.  In such event, the student shall remain liable for fees incurred during liability periods attended.  Please see section 9 for further information.

2.7       Equivalent or Lower Qualifications (ELQ)

If you are applying for an undergraduate course in September 2026, but already possess a qualification at the same level or above, you should be aware that in most cases you will be unable to access a tuition fee loan or financial support from the Student Finance England. Please visit www.gov.uk/student-finance/who-qualifies for more information on eligibility criteria.

2.7.1     ELQ Funding from January 2027 Onwards

The Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) will replace the current student finance system from January 2027. Students who commenced their course prior to January 2027 will continue to not be able to access funding for an Equivalent Level Qualification. However, any student who commences a new undergraduate course after January 2027 may be able to access funding. Further information about the LLE can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/student-finance-on-or-after-1-january-2027

2.8       Colchester Institute Employees

All core and hourly paid Colchester Institute employees are eligible for a reduction in tuition fees up to 35%.  Where the course is designated as a full cost course, a reduction in tuition fees up to 10% may be available. To be eligible for the reduction in fees, staff must be in employment with Colchester Institute on the first day of the course. There will be a qualifying period of 6 months employment with probation satisfactorily passed for this discount to be applied, unless the course is essential to support the role. All staff discounts are subject to annual review and are for the academic year in question and not the lifetime of the qualification. Discounts will not be available for Colchester Institute staff undertaking an apprenticeship or where staff development funding is being supplied by Colchester Institute.

2.9       Colchester Institute staff looking to obtain financial support from the Learning and Development Team within People and Culture must gain formal authorisation for support prior to Registration. In these circumstances an agreement to repay course fees if leaving employment within a certain time period will be required. Staff will be required to provide evidence of authorisation at Registration.

Additional Fees

3.1       Some courses may carry additional charges for specific vocational materials, clothing, visits or discipline-specific pre-professional promotional activities. Typically, additional charges can range from £10 for materials to £300 for a visit (visits are normally optional). For more details about course specific fees please contact UCC Admissions on: (01206) 712613 or email uccadmissions@colchester.ac.uk or see your programme handbook.

3.2       Counselling Students

Students studying on the BA (Hons) Counselling and Diploma of Higher Education in Person Centred Counselling course will be required to undertake a specified level of personal therapy both prior and during the course which they will be liable to pay for themselves. The cost of personal therapy varies from practitioner to practitioner, however it is anticipated that personal therapy is estimated to cost in the region of £750. Counselling students who intend to practise will be required to have membership of BACP and professional indemnity insurance. These costs are variable; students should contact the course team for further guidance.

3.3       Counselling Hours and Client Supervision

Students studying on the BA (Hons) Counselling and Diploma of Higher Education in Person Centred Counselling course are required to undertake 100 hours of client hours [The understanding of client hours needs to be in line with the approved delivery method set out in the programme validation documents of the course] during their studies to apply for British Association Counselling Practitioners (BACP) membership. Students who are unable to complete their client hours during the completion of the academic modules and wish to continue to utilise the Colchester Institute Counselling Service (CICS) for completing their hours and associated supervisions beyond the length of their programme will be required to pay additional fees to access these services. UCC Academic Services will provide details to those students identified as requiring additional hours at the end of the academic year.

3.4       The fees due are dependent on the volume of hours to be completed, are due for each additional academic year required and are non-refundable. The fees for 2026-27 can be found in the table below. Please be aware that these fees will need to be self-funded and cannot be paid for with a Student Finance England loan.

3.5      Students commencing on Health and Education related programmes are required to undertake an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prior to commencing on their studies.

3.6      Where a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) disclosure is required the relevant fee charged by the DBS will be passed on to the applicant/student. DBS checks are undertaken prior to registration and through our DBS partner e-safeguarding, to whom all DBS payments are made directly to. DBS checks are currently charged at £57.90 but are subject to change during the academic year.

3.7      If an applicant undertakes and pays for a DBS check but does not subsequently register on their chosen course, the DBS fee is not refundable.

3.8     Certificate of Education (Cert Ed) and PGCE students

Students on Cert Ed/PGCE course will be required to attend a compulsory Subject Specialist Conference at the University of Huddersfield. This normally takes place in the second year of the course. Further information will be provided nearer the time, but it is important to note that although attendance at the conference is included in tuition fees students will be required to individually arrange and fund their own travel and accommodation costs. Historically this has cost in the region of £250.

International Fees

4.1       University Centre Colchester is committed to a transparent and equitable approach to charging fees. International students are therefore charged the same fees as Home students. Student should be aware however that there may be a requirement for fees to be paid in advance and/or a declaration of available funds required in line with UK VISA policy. For more information please refer to the International Fee Payment Policy 2026/27. Please contact University Centre Colchester Admissions on (01206) 712613 to confirm your fee status.

4.2       Despite its transparent and equitable approach to International Fees, University Centre Colchester continues to have a requirement to identify and report on students being charged Home or International Fees. Students must respond and engage in any request to provide evidence so such a Fee Assessment can take place. Failure to do so may result in an offer of a place being withdrawn or an enrolled student being withdrawn from their programme of study.

Fee Payment

5.1       Payments must be for the exact amount due. Cheques will not be accepted.

5.2       Instalments (Home and EEA)

Self-funding students

Any home or EEA student of the College who pays his/her own fees is entitled to do so on a monthly payment plan basis by signing an agreement with Colchester Institute. Full details are available on request from Registry or the Finance Department. Payment by instalments is only available provided all of the following conditions are met:

• Payment by instalments will only be available for courses with a fee of at least £200.
• The student must be aged 18 years or over on the 31^st August in the current academic year.
• The student must agree a legally binding document with Colchester Institute to arrange a monthly payment plan for the balance in accordance with a clearly stipulated timetable, ensuring all fees are paid in full within 10 months of the start date of the course (except where the course commences after 01 January 2027 where a maximum of 6 months will apply). Once agreed instalment payments will be taken automatically through a recurring card payment system.
• If the student fails to sign up to an instalment plan within 4 weeks of their first attendance, all fees will become due for payment within 14 days following the expiry of that 4 week period.
• The student’s continued access to the course is dependent on the payment of each instalment by the due date.
• Failure by a student to fulfil any of the terms and conditions of an instalment agreement will result in the student becoming immediately liable for the full outstanding balance which may affect the entitlement to pay any future fees by instalments.
• If a student withdraws from a course and does not meet the refund criteria detailed in section 6 of this policy, they will continue to be liable for the period of time they attended and must continue to meet the terms of the instalment agreement.
• This facility will also be available to employers or sponsors of students enrolled on courses. Please contact Registry on (01206) 712555 for further information.

5.3       Students sponsored by an employer

Employer funded or sponsored students (not Student Loans Company) must produce a Colchester Institute Employer Authorisation Form, available from Registry, completed and signed by the person authorised to pay fees. This form details the Terms and Conditions for fee payment and must be provided along with a 25% payment by 2^nd October 2026. Initial payments can be made at Colchester Institute Online Store

5.4       If a student chooses to leave the employment of their sponsor the course fee liability is transferred to the student, but may be taken over by a future employer.

5.5       Employers placing students on apprenticeship programmes should refer to the Employer Contribution Fees and Charges Policy. For further information relating to employer contributions and the Apprenticeship levy please visit: colchester.ac.uk/apprenticeships/employers-information/the-levy/

5.6       Students with student loans

If fees have been paid and a student loan is later applied for and approved, Colchester Institute will require a completed refund request form from the student in order to process any refund.

5.7       Refunds will not be processed until Colchester Institute has received and cleared required fees from the Student Loans Company. Where a student expects to get full tuition fee support and this initial payment is likely to cause financial difficulty, they should apply to Student Services where a short-term emergency loan may be possible.

5.8       All students

No student with an outstanding debt can progress to the next stage of their programme of study, receive an award transcript or certificate, be considered for further qualifications or be given a reference from Colchester Institute. If fees become overdue, the Finance department will manage recovery of the debt.

5.9       Please note that students will NOT BE ABLE to attend Graduation Ceremony if they are in debt to Colchester Institute.

5.10     Normally no award shall be granted to a person for whom Colchester Institute disciplinary proceedings are outstanding.

5.11     Students Accessing Postgraduate Loans in 2026/27

Students who intend to pay for a postgraduate programme of study by utilising the new Postgraduate Loans System will be deemed as a self-payer and be required to make arrangements for a payment plan with Colchester Institute as referred in sectioned 5.2.

5.12     Once registered all postgraduate loan paying students will be subject to the same terms and conditions linked to self-paying students listed in this document.

Cancellation Rights, Fee Discount and Fee Refund Policy

6.1      Students may cancel their registration with Colchester Institute in accordance with this clause.

6.1.1  Students may cancel their registration with Colchester Institute and receive a refund for the academic year concerned if they notify Colchester Institute in writing of their desire to cancel their registration within 14 days of their first timetabled event following registration (normally the date of the first timetabled activity on Registration Day)

6.1.2  Students must notify Colchester Institute of their desire to cancel their registration in one of the following ways:

• Emailing Colchester Institute on uccacademicservices@colchester.ac.uk (the email must be received within the period stated in clause 6.1.1); or
• Writing to Colchester Institute at UCC Academic Services, Colchester Institute, Sheepen Road, Colchester, CO3 3LL (the letter must be received within the period stated in clause 6.1.1).

6.1.3   Where a student cancels their registration in accordance with clause 6.1.1 Colchester Institute will refund payments received in respect of the student for that academic year. All refunds can only be returned to the original payee.

6.2 Students who decide to withdraw or intermit outside of the 14-day cooling off period will not be entitled to a full refund and will be expected to pay course fees to cover the costs of the liability period attended. Please refer to section 6.4 for more information. Students wishing to formally withdraw or intermit should complete official withdrawal or intermission forms available from UCC Academic Services. All refunds can only be returned to the original payee.

6.3 When calculating the date of withdrawal or intermission a student’s ongoing engagement with the learning opportunities provided by the course will be considered. This will include their last positive register mark, tutorial appointment, accessing of virtual learning environment and/or submission of work. Further details can be found in the UCC Withdrawal and Intermission policy.

6.4 In the event of a student withdrawing or intermitting after positive engagement has been made for liability period 1, 2 or 3 no refund or reduction will be made by Colchester Institute for that period. A breakdown of liability periods for students commencing in September 2026 can be found below:

6.5 Programmes which commence within the academic year will be subject to sections 6.1-6.4 but differing liability dates will apply and can be found below. Fees charged will be for the 2026/27 academic year.

Programmes commencing from 1st January 2027 to 31st March 2027:

Programmes commencing from 1st April 2027 to 31st July 2027

6.6 Short programmes which commence and conclude within a reduced number of liability periods will have no reduced liability, with payments expected in full by 31st July 2027.

6.7 For programmes which bridge more than one academic year (e.g. January 2027 to December 2027) a ‘calendar year fee’ may also be issued which should be used for accessing student funding through the Lifelong learning Entitlement (LLE).

6.8  If a student wishes to request a reduction in fee liability they should write to the Principal and Chief Executive within two weeks of the date printed on their withdrawal confirmation letter sent by Registry. All applications for refunds are considered on a case-by-case basis but must be accompanied by relevant official documentary evidence to be considered. This may include, but is not exclusive to, bank statements, pay slips and social security eligibility.

Temporary Withdrawal (Intermitting Students)

7.1       Students are required to remain registered with Colchester Institute throughout the period of intermission.

7.2       Intermitting students are entitled to request a tuition fee reduction in line with section 6. When students return to active study they will be required to reactivate their fee payments and will be subject to the course fees of the academic year in which they return.

7.3       Intermission normally lasts for one calendar year. Students can return to study earlier but may be subject to increased tuition fees if an earlier return results in repeating parts of their programme of study.

7.4       Students who temporarily intermit due to illness will be required to obtain, and supply UCC Academic Services with, a fitness to return to study certificate from their General Practitioner prior to being able to register on their chosen programme of study. Any fitness to return to study certificate will be considered in line with the UCC Fitness to Study policy.

Transfers

8.1       Self-paying students or those who are in receipt of a tuition fee loan but transfer to University Centre Colchester from another provider during the academic year will be liable for full tuition fees for the course they transfer onto. If a student’s tuition fee loan does not cover the full fee they will be liable to cover any shortfall. Any student who transfers to University Centre Colchester should contact the Academic Services department for further information.

Liability for Payment

9.1       All students are liable to pay tuition fees. Students are responsible at all times for any fees or amounts outstanding to Colchester Institute.

9.2       All students, including employer sponsored and Student Loans Company (SLC) funded students, remain liable at all times for the timely payment of fees. Application for a student loan does not remove a student’s liability. Payment of a student loan does not remove liability. If a student fails to return the Student Loans Company online declaration the Students Loan Company will not make a payment to the College and the student will be required to arrange an instalment plan (see section 2 for further information).

9.3       Students suspended or withdrawn from their programme due to non-payment of fees will continue to be liable for fees incurred during liability periods attended.

9.4       Where a student is sponsored by their employer, the fees will be the responsibility of their sponsor. If Colchester Institute is unable to collect tuition fees, in line with the processes outlined in this policy, the student may have their place cancelled and be withdrawn from their programme of study.  In the event that the employer fails to make any payment owing to Colchester Institute, the student will be liable for the payment of all course fees in respect of any course on which they are enrolled, irrespective of whether or not they complete the course or remain in the employment of the employer for the duration of the course.

9.5       No prospective or continuing student will be permitted to attend lectures or classes, use the Library, computing or any other facilities of the College until he/she has registered and paid or made satisfactory arrangements to pay their tuition fees and any other fees due.

9.6       Students who have not paid fees, or other charges related to their studies, by the required date may be charged a late payment fee, or rate of interest, to be determined by Colchester Institute. Where fees continue to be due Colchester Institute may inform debt collection agencies in order to recover money owed and additional costs may be incurred.

9.7       Tuition fees charged by Colchester Institute are for the programme of study attended whether delivered virtually or otherwise. Colchester Institute will not discount or refund tuition fees as a consequence of circumstances beyond our control, including but not exclusive to fire, flood or other force majeure, adverse weather conditions, failure of public utilities or transport systems/networks, restrictions imposed by the government, terrorist attack or threat of, epidemic or pandemic disease including COVID-19, temporary staff absences or changes including those due to industrial action. However, the institution is committed to taking all reasonable steps to ensure that its students receive an appropriate amount of tuition or alternative academic provision.

Fee Discounts and Bursaries

10.1     Postgraduate Discount

For 2026/27 University Centre Colchester will honour the Postgraduate Discount for any continuing postgraduate students who received it in 2025/26.

The discount will apply to all those holding a full bachelor’s degree (gained at either University Centre Colchester or any other UK degree awarding provider).

Eligible courses for the postgraduate discount in 2026/27 are:

• PGCE
• MA Education

The discount will be applied at the point of registration for year two. For 2026-27 a 10% discount will be applied to the annual tuition fee for the second year of a two-year part-time course.

The discount is not awarded in combination with other University Centre Colchester discounts. If a student is eligible for more than one University Centre Colchester discount, the discount with the greater value will be applied.

The Postgraduate Discount is not available for any new students starting a postgraduate course in 2026/27.

NB: A copy of degree certificate will be required to obtain the postgraduate discount and University Centre Colchester reserves the right to remove, and reclaim, the discount in the event of any fraudulent claim becoming apparent.

10.2     Colchester Institute Employee Discount

For more information on the Colchester Institute Employee Discount please see section 2.8

Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL)

11.1     The acceptance of applicants with credit to University Centre Colchester programmes will not normally reduce the fees payable. Applicants who wish to apply for Accreditation of Prior Learning should contact UCC Academic Services directly on (01206) 712613.

Examination/Award Body Registration Fees

12.1     Where applicable all students on UCC courses will generally not be expected to pay examination/registration fees. Therefore all essential examination/awarding body fees are included in the fees payable at registration.

12.2     Registrations with other accredited organisations are not included in the above and may result in an additional fee being charged. Please contact UCC Academic Services prior to accepting a place on the programme.

Additional/Replacement Transcripts

13.1     All University Centre Colchester students enrolled on University of East Anglia programmes will receive an academic transcript free of charge at the end of their final year of study. Academic transcripts will be issued following the appropriate examination board.  It is essential that students who have not received their transcript within twenty weeks of their examination board taking place contact Academic Services. All transcript requests after the twenty week deadline will be treated as replacements and students will be charged £10 per transcript.

• Additional/replacement copies of academic transcripts may be requested and paid for by visiting https://colchester.configio.com. It is recommended that you type “transcript” in the search box to take you directly to the transcript order and payment screen.
• Payment will be requested in advance of any additional/replacement transcript issue.
• University Centre Colchester will provide additional/replacement transcripts within 10 working days of all payments received.
• University Centre Colchester can only supply transcripts for programmes completed since 2015/6 with validating partners the University of Essex and the University of East Anglia.

13.2     Students requesting earlier transcripts should contact their awarding body directly. Please Note: University Centre Colchester has no facilities to print or supply transcripts from other awarding bodies i.e. Anglia Ruskin University.

13.3     PLEASE NOTE:  It is University Centre Colchester’s policy to retain student transcript information for a period of 10 years.

14. Further Information

• For support with finances please contact Student Services on (01206) 712078 or email student.finance@colchester.ac.uk;
• For information on registration, withdrawals, fee payments, or Student Finance England, please contact Registry on (01206) 712555;
• For information regarding transfers in from other institutions and other non-standard applications, please contact UCC Academic Services on (01206) 712613;
• For general information and advice on course availability for full and part time courses please contact UCC Admissions on (01206) 712613;
• For information on international fee and admission criteria please contact the International Admissions Officers on international@colchester.ac.uk.
• For the latest information on tuition fees please refer to our website https://www.colchester.ac.uk/ucc/higher-education-finance/
• Student loans are administered by the Student Loans Company (SLC) and applications are required before the start of each academic year for in which you are a student. Helpline: 0845 300 5090 direct.gov.uk/studentfinance;
• For loan queries once you have commenced your programme please contact the Student Finance England Helpline: 0300 100 0607.

The University Centre Colchester Fee Policy 2026-2027 is correct at time of publication.  Colchester Institute reserves the right to make changes.

Appendix A – 2026-2027 University Centre Colchester Course Fees

Full Time Undergraduate Courses

Part Time Undergraduate Courses

Part Time HNC/HND 18 Month Courses

Postgraduate Courses

 Notes:

• All course fees are stated on a per annum basis.
• The fees are not applicable for students studying on an apprenticeship programme. Apprenticeship fees are agreed between Colchester Institute and a students employer at the commencement of an apprentice’s study.
• Part-time students will be charged a pro-rata rate based on the full-time course fee. Where intensity of study changes the fee amount may rise or fall accordingly.
• Students allowed to repeat a year of study or module without attendance by an examination board will be charged 10% of the listed tuition fees. This fee reduction relates directly to those affected by an examination board decision and is not related to a student’s personal circumstances.