Fee policies and payment notes

Tuition Fee and Refund Policy 2026/27+

Introduction

The University of Sunderland reviews its fees and its fee policy annually.

This policy is applicable to students who are considering or are already undertaking a relevant course of study at the University of Sunderland. All references to 'you' and 'your' within this policy relate directly to the student.

Your liability for payment of tuition fees, and the agreement between you and the University in relation to the payment of all fees due will remain in place, so long as the University has delivered the academic provision. Please note that the University reserves the right to alter the timing and/or location and or/content of the academic provision but will advise you of any changes.

It's important when considering any changes to study, transferring of courses, or changing mode of study, including progressing from your first year of an extended course or integrated foundation year course, voluntary withdrawal or leave of absence, to contact the University of Sunderland Financial Guidance Team in the first instance to discuss the implications on fees and funding. You can contact the team by phoning 0191 515 2284 or by emailing studentfinancialguidance@sunderland.ac.uk.

If you're an International student, you may also want to seek support from International Student Support to understand any visa implications.

Liability for payment

As a student, you're liable to pay the relevant tuition fees for your course of study. You're always responsible for any fees or amounts outstanding to the University.

If you're in receipt of student support through the Student Loans Company (SLC), Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS), or Islands Governments (Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man), and the University doesn't receive your financial assessment, you could be held liable for paying the full fee.

The University accepts sponsorship by UK/EU/EEA Registered Companies and International Government Embassies and will confirm validity of all sponsorship. Where sponsorship is confirmed, fees are payable in full at the start of the course upon receipt of invoice and in line with the University terms of payment (30 days from invoice date). The failure of your sponsor to pay fees doesn't negate your responsibility at all times for any fees or amounts outstanding to the University.

Where relevant to your course of study, you'll be personally liable for any professional membership fees associated with your course, unless they're specified as included within your course fee detailed in your offer letter.

For International students, if you withdraw from your course for any reason or are required to withdraw from your course by the University due to academic failure or lack of attendance, your full course fee will still be due, regardless of how much of the course you have studied.

If you're required to withdraw from your course by the University due to disciplinary actions/exclusion decision against you, or you're withdrawn (revoked) from your course of study for non-payment of your fees, your full course fee will still be due, regardless of how much of the course you've studied.

All fees due must be fully discharged before completion of your award or qualification.

The University won't award a degree, diploma, certificate or other qualification to any student who's in tuition fee arrears. If tuition fee debt is subsequently cleared, the University will award the qualification.

Paying your tuition fees

Student Finance/Student Loans Company (SLC) funded students

If you intend to apply to Student Finance to pay your fees, either in full or in part, you must inform the University at the time of enrolment.

Applications for funding need to be made directly to Student Finance and a new application must be made for each academic year of your course of study if applying for support using an undergraduate application process.

If Student Finance agrees to fund your studies, they'll notify the SLC who'll then confirm the funding to the University.

Tuition fees from the SLC will be paid directly to the University for undergraduate study as termly instalments.

For postgraduate study, the loan will be paid directly to you from SLC using the same termly instalments. It's then your responsibility to ensure the applicable amount is paid to the University to cover the full amount of your outstanding tuition fee. If you've requested an instalment plan from the University for your fees, you must pay these when they fall due.

Until the SLC confirms your tuition fee payment to the University, you'll remain liable for any fees due. If the SLC is funding less than the full amount of your tuition fee, it's then your personal responsibility to settle the outstanding amount.

For those students (undergraduate and postgraduate) who've applied through Student Finance Northern Ireland, fees will be paid directly to the University as termly instalments.

Financially Sponsored Students

If you're being financially sponsored, a sponsor letter is required for each academic year. A valid sponsor letter must meet the following criteria:

Be presented on the official sponsor's letterhead
Clearly state the student's name and student number
Clearly state the sponsorship amount
Clearly state the financial contact details of the sponsor, including email address, which is required to send fees invoice and other correspondence on to
Purchase order number stated where required
Confirmation if you're an employee of this company/sponsor.

Valid sponsor letters should be submitted to Student Records by email to student.records@sunderland.ac.uk.

If relatives or personal friends are paying your fees, they're not official sponsors, and you'll be treated as a self-funded student and will be liable to pay all fees due.

Home self-funded students

The University offers options for full payment on enrolment, or you may select from either a three or seven month instalment plan.

Three month instalment plan

For courses lasting a full academic year or more, please see the table of instalments dates. The first instalment date is based on the official start date of your course of study.

Official start date of course	First instalment	Second instalment	Third instalment
September	1 November	1 February	1 May
October	1 December	1 March	1 June
November	1 January	1 April	1 July
December	1 February	1 May	1 August
January	1 March	1 June	1 September
February	1 April	1 July	1 October
March	1 May	1 August	1 November
April	1 June	1 September	1 December
May	1 July	1 October	1 January
June	1 August	1 November	1 February
July	1 September	1 December	1 March
August	1 October	1 January	1 April

Seven month instalment plan

If you choose to take the seven month instalment option, your first and last instalment will be as above, with an instalment due on the first of each month until the third instalment date.

Failure to pay your fees when due may result in you being withdrawn (revoked) from your course of study for non- payment of tuition fees. Full course fees will still be due, regardless of how much of the course you've studied.

International self-funded students

Deposits

All International students are required to make a payment to the University of a deposit in order to receive a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies letter (CAS). This deposit is non-refundable and the University won't make any refund of this deposit except in the circumstances outlined in 'Circumstances where you may be due a refund' and 'Voluntary withdrawal refund policy'.

Enrolment

All International students are required to pay 50% of their overall tuition fees for the academic year before enrolment. You'll then be entitled to make payment over five instalments to pay the remaining 50% of tuition fees.

If you're financially sponsored and your sponsor doesn't cover the full value of your tuition, you're still required to pay 50% of the remaining balance.

For courses lasting a full academic year or more, the instalment deadlines are outlined in the table. The first instalment is based on the official start date of your course of study.

Official start date of course	First instalment	Second instalment	Third instalment	Fourth instalment	Fifth instalment
August	1 October	1 November	1 December	1 January	1 February
September	1 November	1 December	1 January	1 February	1 March
October	1 December	1 January	1 February	1 March	1 April
November	1 January	1 February	1 March	1 April	1 May
December	1 February	1 March	1 April	1 May	1 June
January	1 March	1 April	1 May	1 June	1 July
February	1 April	1 May	1 June	1 July	1 August
March	1 May	1 June	1 July	1 August	1 September
April	1 June	1 July	1 August	1 September	1 October
May	1 July	1 August	1 September	1 October	1 November
June	1 August	1 September	1 October	1 November	1 December
July	1 September	1 October	1 November	1 December	1 January

Payment methods

Online payment enables your fee to reach us quickly and safely. You'll receive automatic confirmation of your payment for your own records.

You need your student registration number and your date of birth to access the University secure online payment site, where you'll have access to make direct payment to the University by using one of our approved methods of payment:

Payment by credit/debit card, bank transfer, or local currency transfers via our online pay portal
Payment by credit/debit card, bank transfer, or local currency transfers online via Convera. Seven days prior to your tuition fee instalment becoming due, you'll be sent an email to your chosen email account containing the value of tuition fees due and a 'pay now' button which will guide you to the Convera payment page.

The University doesn't accept cheques or cash for fees.

Your right to cancel (cooling off period)

If the University finds fraudulent documents have been used by you to obtain an offer from the University, the University will immediately withdraw the offer and you won't be entitled to a refund of your deposit, nor will you be able to apply for another course of study, now or in the future.

Your statutory right of cancellation is in addition to the University’s Voluntary Withdrawal Policy.

Non-payment of fees

If you're unable to pay your tuition fees by the date they fall due, you must contact Income Collections immediately at incomecollection@sunderland.ac.uk to discuss your account further.

In the event of non-payment of tuition fees, you'll be subject to the University’s debt collection process, which may include the following:

Removal of access to all your classes
Removal of access to all University IT systems
Removal of ability to have any of your work marked
Removal of ability to attend any examinations for your course
Withholding payment of any bursaries due to you
Removal of UKVI sponsorship.

The University won't award a degree, diploma, certificate, or other qualification to any student who's in tuition fee arrears. Following clearance of any tuition fee debt, the University will award the qualification. Until the tuition fee debt is cleared, you'll not be able to apply for another course of study, now or in the future.

If payment isn't received, this may result in your withdrawal (revoked) from your course and from the University, and subsequently reported to the relevant authority.

Once withdrawn (revoked) from the University, the full debt, including any fees still due for your course, will be referred to an external collection agency to recover on behalf of the University, which may include legal actions against you to pursue payment.

Circumstances where you may be due a refund

For International students, the circumstances where the University will consider making a refund include but aren't limited to:

If you fail to obtain a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), unless the University finds fraudulent documents have been used by you to obtain an offer from the University
If you fail to obtain a visa to enter the UK to start a course of study, unless the University finds fraudulent documents that have been used by you to obtain an offer from the University
If you're applying from within the UK and fail to obtain a visa to enable you to start your main course of study, unless the University finds fraudulent documents have been used by you to obtain an offer from the University
If the University withdraws the place offered to you on your chosen course of study, unless the University finds fraudulent documents that have been used by you to obtain an offer from the University
If you don't fall into one of the above categories but withdraw your application to the University and haven't yet applied for your student visa
If you give written notice declining your offer for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course at least 10 days before the course start date. This is in addition to your statutory right to cancel.

This written notification must be emailed directly to Admissions at internationaladmissions@sunderland.ac.uk and must be received at least 10 days before the start date of the course.

Claims for refunds must be made within three months of the official start date of the course.

Voluntary withdrawal refund policy (after enrolment)

If you've completed the enrolment process and you decide you no longer wish to continue on your course, you must officially withdraw from your course of study. This applies even if you haven't actually started your course yet.

The policies governing student voluntary withdrawals can be found in our Student Handbook. It's important that you read the relevant policy carefully and seek advice if unsure about any aspect of the policy.

If you’re considering withdrawing from your course of study, you’re advised to contact the Student Records team by email to confirm the amended fee you'll be charged for your studies based on your own individual circumstances at student.records@sunderland.ac.uk.

For all Home students, the date of your voluntary withdrawal may affect the tuition fee charged, and the value of any maintenance payments from the SLC you're receiving. Please seek financial advice from Student Financial Guidance promptly if you're considering withdrawing from your course of study by emailing studentfinancialguidance@sunderland.ac.uk.

The official start date of your course of study can be found on your unconditional offer letter or can be provided by Admissions.

For Home undergraduate students where voluntary withdrawal happens, the fee payable is listed in the table:

Time period	Fees payable
Up to two weeks from the official start date of the course	No fees payable
Up to the last day of the first term	25% fees are payable
Up to the last day of the second term	50% fees are payable
From the first day of the third term	100% fees are payable

For Home Postgraduate taught students, no fees will be charged for a voluntary withdrawal within two weeks from the official start date of your course of study.

For voluntary withdrawals after the first two weeks, full fees will be charged for each stage commenced. There'll be no charge for any stages which were due to run outside of the period currently studying within.

For Undergraduate and Postgraduate taught students, if you're invoiced on a per module price, no fees will be charged for voluntary withdrawal within two weeks from the official start date of your course of study. This date can be found on your unconditional offer or can be provided by Admissions.

For withdrawals after the agreed period, you'll be charged in full for each module completed or commenced. If you've selected to undertake a module which was due to run outside of the period currently studying within, this will be credited in full and refunded if already paid.

For Home Postgraduate Research students, fees will be charged at one twelfth for each calendar month (or part thereof) of study for a voluntary withdrawal. This charge won't exceed the total annual fee.

For International students, full course fees will still be due and all payments for your course fees made to the University are non-refundable. If you start a course of study on campus when in the process of applying for your visa or on a visa which expires before the end of your course and fail to obtain a new visa to allow you to complete, you'll be withdrawn from your course and no refund will be due.

For all Home students, any overpayment of tuition fees calculated with regard to the above formulae will either result in a reduction of any SLC tuition fee loan, a refund to the official sponsor, or a refund to the payer if self-funded, whichever is applicable.

For all Home students, if you withdraw from your course after returning to study following a leave of absence, the appropriate value will be charged as per the Voluntary Withdrawal Policy.

For Enhanced Learning Credits (ELCAS) funded students, if you're required to make a personal contribution towards your tuition fees (for example, 20% of the total fee), this amount will also be prorated according to the applicable refund calculation for your level of study. You must also contact ELCAS directly to request an updated Claim Authorisation Note (CAN) that reflects your new prorated tuition amount.

Withdrawal due to academic failure or non-attendance

If you're required to withdraw from your course by the University due to academic failure or due to non-attendance, the fee due will be in line with those outlined in 'Voluntary withdrawal refund policy'.

Withdrawal due to debt or disciplinary action

If you're required to withdraw from your course by the University due to disciplinary actions/exclusion decision against you, or are withdrawn (revoked) from your course of study for non-payment of your fees, your full course fee will still be due, regardless of how much of the course you've studied.

Leave of absence (LOAB) adjustments

In exceptional circumstances, you may request a leave of absence from the University during a period of study. A leave of absence can only be agreed with your programme leader, or for Postgraduate Research students, the Director of Studies, and in compliance with the University of Sunderland's Leave of Absence policy (login required).

If you decide to request a leave of absence from your studies before completion, it's important to complete a LOAB Form (login required) immediately. Submit the completed form via Compass (login required). You must receive acknowledgement of this form being received from Academic Registry.

This form is the University’s evidence of your leave of absence date. Failure to do so may mean you remain responsible for the full tuition fee.

For Home Undergraduate students, if you're granted a leave of absence after completing enrolment and after the official start date of the course the following tuition fee charge will apply:

Time period	Fees payable
Up to the last day of the first term	25% fees are payable
Up to the last day of the second term	50% fees are payable
From the first day of the third term	100% fees are payable

For Home Postgraduate taught students, if you're granted a leave of absence after completing enrolment and after the official start date of the course, full fees will be charged for each stage commenced.

There'll be no charge for any stages which were due to run outside of the period you're currently studying within.

For Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught students, if you're granted a leave of absence after completing enrolment and are invoiced on a per module price, you'll be charged in full for each module completed or commenced.

If you've selected to undertake a module which was due to run outside of the period currently studying within, this will be credited in full.

For Home Postgraduate Research students, if you're granted a leave of absence after completing enrolment and after the official start date of the course, you'll be charged one twelfth for each calendar month (or part thereof) of study.

For International students, if you're granted a leave of absence after completing enrolment and after the official start date of the course, full course fees will still be due.

For all students, if you're granted a leave of absence after completing enrolment but before the official start date of the course, no fees will be charged.

For all students, if you're granted a leave of absence prior to completing your enrolment, no fees will be charged.

For all students who are placed on a University enforced leave of absence, no fee will be charged for the corresponding period.

Return from LOAB

For all students, the fee you'll be charged upon return of study will be at the price for the academic year in which you're returning.

If you change your mode of attendance or transfer courses upon return to study from a leave of absence, for example from full-time to part-time, the invoice raised will be in accordance with the policy.

If you withdraw from the course after returning to study following a LOAB, the appropriate value of the pro-rated fee will be charged as per the Voluntary Withdrawal Policy.

Intercalating students

If you're approved to complete an intercalating year at another university, no fees will be charged for the period studying elsewhere.

If you're approved to complete an intercalating year at this university, you'll be required to make an application for the new course and be processed through the Admissions system. If accepted, no fees will be charged for the original course you're intercalating from, and all fees charged for the new course.

Fees following course transfer within the University

If you wish to transfer to another course within the University, to another campus, or change your mode of attendance, you must follow the process outlined in Academic Quality Enhancement and Assurance.

For all non-postgraduate research courses, if you're granted a transfer of course, mode, or campus, the appropriate new course fee will be charged. The original fee invoice for that academic year for the course you're transferring from will be credited.

For Postgraduate Research courses, if you're granted a transfer of course, mode, or campus, you'll be charged one twelfth for each calendar month (or part thereof) of study of your original course and the remaining calendar months for the course you're transferring to.

If you're granted a transfer of course, mode, or campus upon return to study from a leave of absence the invoice raised will be in accordance with the policy.

If you're enrolled on a course where one study year spans two academic years and you're granted a transfer of course within the second part (non-standard period), the invoicing will remain on the original course.

All students who are granted a seasonal intake transfer will be charged the prorated fee for the original course prior to the change, and also the full fee for the new course academic year which you transfer to.

If your sponsor has provided a sponsor letter or purchase order that specifies course or module details, you must contact your sponsor directly after your transfer has been approved and processed. You'll need to obtain an updated sponsor letter or purchase order that reflects your new course information. Until the updated documentation is received and processed by the University, you'll remain personally liable for all associated fees.

Fee adjustments following submission of postgraduate research thesis

For all students, if you submit your thesis part way through an academic year, the fee will be charged at one twelfth for each calendar month (or part thereof) of study up to and including the date of your thesis submission.

Fee waiver adjustments

If your course fees are amended due to course withdrawal, leave of absence, or if you transfer your course, campus, or change your mode of attendance, this may affect any fee waiver awarded to you. Any fee waivers that have been awarded to you will be reassessed by Student Records using the same basis for the recalculation of your tuition fees due.

If you change your course, including changes to mode of attendance and campus, any fee waivers that have been awarded to you will be reassessed by Student Records at the point of adjusting the tuition fee for your course to ensure that you're still eligible for the same fee waiver in line with any changes made to your course, mode of attendance, and campus (as the fee waiver may not apply to your new course or mode of attendance). If still eligible, the correct fee waiver value will be calculated and applied to your fees due, and any changes in the eligibility or value notified to you by Student Records.

If the calculation of your fees results in an overpayment of fees by you to the University, this will be refunded in line with 'Payment of refunds due'.

For ELCAS funded students, if the gross tuition stated on your CAN letter is incorrect, you'll be required to obtain a new sponsor letter or purchase order. The gross tuition fee must reflect the amount after any applicable fee waiver adjustments have been deducted. Until the updated CAN letter is received and processed by the University, you'll remain personally liable for all associated fees.

Fees for fail and repeat (picking up modules)

If you're studying a full-time course and have failed module(s) to complete (on a part-time picking up modules mode), you'll be charged for these modules pro rota to the full-time equivalent fee.

Payment of refunds due

If you're due a refund from the University, for either an overpayment of fees or due to a change to your billing, any refund due will always be made back to the original payer and by the same method of the original payment. The University won't be liable for any foreign exchange variances or associated processing fees between the time of making the payment and the refund being processed. The University aims to process refunds within six weeks of the request being made to the Income and Collections team.

Notification of death

Tuition fees will be calculated using the applicable withdrawal refund policy using the notification date to prorate the fees.

Any remaining balance, regardless of responsibility, will be written off.

Tuition Fee and Refund Policy 2026/27 Sunderland Online Learners+

Introduction

The University of Sunderland reviews its fees and its fee policy annually.

Fees will be reviewed annually and may increase by a small percentage each academic year for continuing students. If you choose to pay for each module separately, this could cost you more than paying in full at the start of your course. The University’s academic year runs from 1 August to 31 July.

This policy is written for students who are considering or are already undertaking a relevant course of study at the University of Sunderland. All references to 'you' and 'your' within this policy relate directly to the student.

Your liability for payment of tuition fees, and the agreement between you and the University in relation to the payment of all fees due will remain in place, so long as the University has delivered the academic provision. Please note that the University reserves the right to alter the timing and/or content of the academic provision but will advise you of any changes.

It's important when considering any changes to study, transferring of courses, or changing mode of study, voluntary withdrawal, leave of absence, or study break, to contact the Student Financial Guidance Team at studentfinancialguidance@sunderland.ac.uk in the first instance, to discuss the implications on fees and funding.

Liability for payment

As a student choosing to study an online learning course, you're liable to pay for each module in advance of the start of that module. You're always responsible for any fees or amounts outstanding to the University.

As a student, you'll be personally liable for any professional membership fees associated with your course.

All fees due must be fully discharged before completion of your award or qualification. The University won't award a degree, diploma, certificate, or other qualification to any student who's in tuition fee arrears. If tuition fee debt is subsequently cleared, the University will award the qualification.

Paying your tuition fees (module fee)

When you apply to the University for your online course, you'll be issued with a login to your online account where you'll choose and pay for at least one module from your course in order to enrol for your study. Payment for modules chosen can only be made online by debit or credit card, as part of the module choice process.

You only need to pay for the module you're about to study, but you can choose and pay for more than one module at a time if you wish. You can only register for each module when you've paid the applicable fee for that module.

Payment deadlines are outlined in the table:

Start date of module	Payment deadline
1 September 2026	1 September 2026
27 October 2026	27 October 2026
5 January 2027	5 January 2027
2 March 2027	2 March 2027
27 April 2027	27 April 2027
22 June 2027	22 June 2027

Student Finance/Student Loans Company (SLC) funding for UK and EU students

You may be eligible to apply for funding through the Student Loans Company (SLC) for your chosen course of study. Applications for funding need to be made directly to Student Finance and a new application must be made for each academic year of your course of study. You'll also need to re-enrol onto each year of study in order for your funding to be confirmed.

If Student Finance agrees to fund your studies, they'll notify the SLC who'll then confirm the funding to you. This Tuition Fee loan will be paid directly to you for your postgraduate study. It's your responsibility to ensure you use this Tuition Fee loan to pay for your module choices before you can enrol on each module. You'll still be required to pay for your modules when you choose and register on them.

Financially sponsored students

If you're being financially sponsored, a sponsor letter is required for each academic year. A valid sponsor letter must meet the following criteria:

Be presented on the official sponsor's letterhead
Clearly state the student's name and student number
Clearly state the sponsorship amount
Clearly state the financial contact details of the sponsor, including email address, which is required to send fees invoice and other correspondence on to
Purchase order number where required
Confirmation if you're an employee of the company/sponsor.

Valid sponsor letters should be submitted by email to enrolments@online.sunderland.ac.uk (applicants) or studentsuccess@online.sunderland.ac.uk (continuing students).

Please note, if relatives or personal friends are paying your fees, they aren't official sponsors and you'll be treated as a self-funded student and will be liable to pay all fees due.

Students who are funded through the Enhanced Learning Credits (ELCAS) scheme will be required to pay for their initial module(s) in full prior to enrolment/re-enrolment.

Payment methods

Online payment enables your fee to reach us quickly and safely and you'll receive automatic confirmation of your payment. All payments must be made by credit or debit card through the e:Vision platform. The University doesn't accept cheque or cash payments for fees.

Your right to cancel (cooling off period)

You have a statutory right to cancel your application with the University under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. If you wish to cancel your application, you must do so within 14 days of your acceptance of your offer from the University. The acceptance of your offer for online courses is deemed as the registration deadline date for your course of study.

Your statutory right of cancellation is in addition to the University’s Voluntary Withdrawal Policy.

Voluntary withdrawal refund policy

If you've completed the online enrolment process and you decide you no longer wish to continue on your course, you must officially withdraw from your course of study. This applies even if you haven't actually started your course yet.

The policies governing student voluntary withdrawals can be found in our Student Handbook.

If you've completed online enrolment and started your course or the start date of your course has already passed (shown on your offer letter), you'll need to refer to the Voluntary Withdrawal Policy (After Enrolment and After Start Date of Course). You'll need to complete the withdrawal form (login required) and return this to your Student Success Coordinator.

If you've completed online enrolment but haven't yet started your course, and the start date of your course hasn't yet passed (shown on your offer letter), please refer to the Voluntary Withdrawal Policy (After Enrolment but Prior to Start Date of Course). You'll need to complete the withdrawal form and return this to your Student Success Coordinator.

For ELCAS funded students, if you're required to make a personal contribution towards your tuition fees (for example, 20% of the total fee), this amount will also be prorated according to the applicable refund calculation for your level of study. You must also contact ELCAS directly to request an updated Claim Authorisation Note (CAN) that reflects your new prorated tuition amount.

It's important that you read the relevant policy carefully and seek advice if unsure about any aspect of the Policy. If you're considering withdrawing from your course of study, you're advised to contact your Student Success Coordinator by email, who'll confirm if a refund is due: studentsuccess@online.sunderland.ac.uk.

If you do decide to terminate your studies, you should refer to the University’s Voluntary Withdrawal Policies. You should also contact your Student Success Coordinator by email for further advice: studentsuccess@online.sunderland.ac.uk.

Refund of fees paid following withdrawal will be made in full if you withdraw from a module within 14 days of the module start date and for any modules paid for but not yet commenced. Refund deadlines are shown in the table:

Start date of module	Refund deadline
1 September 2026	14 September 2026
27 October 2026	10 November 2026
5 January 2027	19 January 2027
2 March 2027	16 March 2027
27 April 2027	11 May 2027
22 June 2027	6 July 2027

Study break

You can choose to take a break from your study by withdrawing from the module you're currently studying within 14 days of the module start date, or by deferring (e.g. not registering for) your next module.

Your study break will affect the length of your course overall. You'll have to wait for the next occurrence of the module you've missed on the course carousel. As modules usually only run once per academic year, this could extend your course by up to or more than a year.

Your student loan payment schedule (if applicable) may be affected as the University is obliged to advise your student finance provider that you've paused your studies. This will likely affect any payments due in the short term and could lead to a delay in restarting your payments when you resume your study. Please contact your student finance provider for more details on your personal payment schedule..

Only two study breaks may be taken consecutively.

When returning from a study break, you need to ensure that you make payment no later than the payment deadline and complete registration by the deadline for your module, otherwise you'll automatically be placed onto a second study break.

Leave of absence (LOAB) refund policy

In exceptional circumstances, you may request a leave of absence from the University during your period of study. A leave of absence can only be agreed with your programme leader and in compliance with the University of Sunderland’s Leave of Absence policy (login required).

If you decide to request a leave of absence from your studies before completion, it's important to contact your Student Success Coordinator in the first instance, who'll advise you on how to complete a LOAB request: studentsuccess@online.sunderland.ac.uk.

If you're granted a leave of absence, your future module dates will be deferred until you return to study. If you've paid fees and applied these to modules which run during your period of absence, including any that have already started, you'll be withdrawn from these modules and the payments retained for future modules once you return to study.

Refund of fees

Any refund due will always be paid back to the original payer and by the same method of the original payment which will be by credit or debit card. The University won't be liable for any foreign exchange variances between the time of making the payment and the refund being processed. The University aims to process refunds within six weeks of the request being made to the Income and Collections team.

Tuition Fee and Refund Policy 2026/27 Independent Learners+

Introduction

The University of Sunderland reviews its fees and its fee policy annually.

Liability for payment

As a student, you're liable to pay the relevant tuition fees for your course of study. You're always responsible for any fees or amounts outstanding to the University. If you're in receipt of student support through the Student Loans Company (SLC), Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS), or Islands Governments (Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man), and the University doesn't receive your financial assessment, you could be held liable for paying the full fee.

The University accepts Sponsorship by UK/EU/EEA Registered Companies and International Government Embassies and will confirm validity of all sponsorship. Where sponsorship is confirmed, fees are payable in full at the start of the course upon receipt of invoice and in line with the University terms of payment (30 days from invoice date). The failure of your sponsor to pay fees doesn't negate your responsibility at all times for any fees or amounts outstanding to the University.

Part-time courses are either charged by the modules studied in the academic year, or as a course price. Where modules are studied throughout the year, invoices will be created as and when these are chosen via the module choice selection and added to your record via Programme Administration.

All fees due must be fully discharged before completion of your award or qualification.

The University won't award a degree, diploma, certificate, or other qualification to any student who's in tuition fee arrears. If tuition fee debt is subsequently cleared, the University will award the qualification.

Paying your tuition fees

Student Finance/Student Loans Company (SLC) funded students

If you intend to apply to Student Finance to pay your fees either in full or in part, you must inform the University at the time of enrolment. Applications for funding need to be made directly to Student Finance and a new application must be made for each academic year of your course of study.

If Student Finance agrees to fund your studies, they'll notify the SLC, who'll then confirm the funding to the University.

Tuition fees from the SLC will be paid directly to the University for undergraduate study as termly instalments – 25%, 25%, and 50% of your total tuition fee loan. For those students who've applied through Student Finance Northern Ireland, the payments will be made using the undergraduate payment process.

For postgraduate study, a loan will be paid directly to you from SLC using the same termly instalments. It's then your responsibility to ensure the applicable amount is paid to the University, with the exception of those students who've applied through Student Finance Northern Ireland, to cover the full amount of your outstanding tuition fee. If you've requested instalments from the University for your fees, you must pay these when they fall due.

If you're required to withdraw from your course by the University due to disciplinary actions/exclusion decision against you, or are withdrawn (revoked) from your course of study for non-payment of your fees, your full course/module fee will still be due, regardless of how much of the course/module you've studied.

Financially sponsored students

If you're financially sponsored, a sponsor letter is required for each academic year. A valid sponsor letter requires the following:

Be presented on the official sponsor's letterhead
Clearly state the student name and student number
Clearly state the sponsorship amount
Cleary state the financial contact details of the sponsor, including email address to be used for sending fees invoice and other correspondence on to
Purchase order number stated where required
Confirmation if you're an employee of this company/sponsor
If you're an employee of the University, this should also state the cost centre code.

Valid sponsor letters should be submitted to the International Office (TNE) by email two weeks prior to the start date of the course. Send to the relevant email address:

For Postgraduate Research and students studying PGCE Primary Education, your valid sponsor letters should be submitted by email to Student Records at student.records@sunderland.ac.uk.

If relatives or personal friends are paying your fees, they're not official sponsors, and you’ll be treated as a self-funded student and will be liable to pay all fees due.

Self-funded students

If you’re required to make a deposit payment to the University prior to enrolment, once the enrolment has taken place, this deposit becomes non-refundable, with the exception of Postgraduate Research and students studying PGCE Primary Education.

Your tuition fee is due in full upon completion of enrolment.

Alternatively, you can pay your fees in either a three or seven month payment instalment plan. You’ll only be eligible for seven instalments if you request this option by emailing incomecollection@sunderland.ac.uk within 60 days of the start of your course.

For courses lasting a full academic year or more (excluding TESOL courses), please see the table of instalments dates. The first instalment date is based on the official start date of your course of study.

Official start date of course	First instalment	Second instalment	Third instalment
September	1 November	1 February	1 May
October	1 December	1 March	1 June
November	1 January	1 April	1 July
December	1 February	1 May	1 August
January	1 March	1 June	1 September
February	1 April	1 July	1 October
March	1 May	1 August	1 November
April	1 June	1 September	1 December
May	1 July	1 October	1 January
June	1 August	1 November	1 February
July	1 September	1 December	1 March
August	1 October	1 January	1 April

If you choose to take seven instalments, your first and last instalment will be as above, with an instalment due on the first of each month in between. Please note that these instalment dates are subject to change and seven instalments may not be available for your course depending on your intake. Request confirmation of this from the relevant email contact.

For TESOL courses only, the full course will be invoiced in full upon enrolment, with instalments due as follows (please adjust in line with the table for course starts other than October):

Official start date of course	First instalment	Second instalment	Third instalment
October 2026 Stage 1	1 February 2027
March 2027 Stage 2		1 June 2027
July 2027 Stage 3			1 October 2027

If seven instalments are requested for TESOL, they'll be split into seven equal instalments due on the first of each month with the first instalment due 1 February 2027 and the final instalment due 1 October 2027.

For TESOL course repeat modules only, you'll be charged on a pro-rata basis of the full course fee.

For distance learning (DL) master's courses, the invoice is in full at the commencement of the course. Fees aren't charged on a modular basis and will be raised in accordance with the formal course duration outlined in your offer letter. If you subsequentially are agreed to an extension of your period of study by your faculty, the original fee due dates will remain unchanged unless the extension results from unforeseen circumstances that necessitate an approved leave of absence.

Online payment enables your fee to reach us quickly, safely, and you'll receive an automatic confirmation of your payment.

Payment by credit/debit card, bank transfer, or local currency transfers via our online pay portal
Payment by credit/debit card, bank transfer, or local currency transfers online via Convera. Seven days prior to your tuition fee instalment becoming due, you'll be sent an email to your chosen email account containing the value of tuition fees due and a 'pay now' button which will guide you to the Convera payment page.

The University doesn't accept cheques or cash for fees.

Payment of refunds due

If you're due a refund from the University, for either an overpayment of fees or due to a change to your billing, any refund due will always be made back to the original payer and by the same method of the original payment. The University won't be liable for any foreign exchange variances between the time of making the payment and the refund being processed.

All fees paid, less the application fee, will be refunded if the course is withdrawn or not offered. On premature cessation of the course, all fees and charges that have been collected in respect of any part of the course not conducted on or after the date of the cessation will be refunded within one month of the premature cessation.

Your right to cancel (cooling off period)

Your statutory right of cancellation is in addition to the University's Voluntary Withdrawal Policy.

Claims for refunds must be made within three months of the official start date of the course.

Voluntary withdrawal refund policy (after enrolment)

If you've completed your enrolment and started your course, or the start date of your course has already passed (shown on your offer letter), you'll need to refer to the Voluntary Withdrawal Policy (After Enrolment and After Start Date of Course).

You must submit a request to withdraw via eVision.

If you've completed your enrolment but haven't yet started your course, and the start date of your course hasn't yet passed (shown on your offer letter), please refer to the Voluntary Withdrawal Policy (After Enrolment but Prior to Start Date of Course).

You'll need to complete the withdrawal form (login required) and return this to Student Records at studentrecords@sunderland.ac.uk.

If you're considering withdrawing from your course of study, you're advised to contact the relevant Registry team by email to confirm the amended fee you'll be charged based on your own individual circumstances:

fes.pgceosadmin@sunderland.ac.uk – for PGCE Education and PGCE Early Years Teaching
fes.education@sunderland.ac.uk – for other Education courses.

Registry team enquiries opening hours are 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, and 9am to 4:45pm Friday.

The date of your withdrawal may affect the tuition fee charged and the value of your maintenance payments from the SLC. Please seek financial advice promptly if you're considering withdrawing from your course of study.

If you're required to pay a deposit prior to enrolment, once the enrolment has taken place, the deposit becomes non-refundable, with the exception of Postgraduate Research and students studying PGCE Primary Education. The payment made will be allocated to the first instalment(s).

Fees following a voluntary withdrawal are calculated as follows:

Prior to enrolling, no fees are due and your deposit will be refunded
After completing enrolment, the deposit will be retained
After four weeks from the official start date of your course and up to the end of semester 1, 50% of fees are due
Enrolled first day of semester 2, 70% of fees are due
After four weeks of semester 2, 100% of fees are due.

Any overpayment of tuition fees calculated with regard to the above formulae will either result in a reduction of any SLC tuition fee loan, a refund to the official sponsor, or a refund to the payer if self-funded, whichever is applicable.

For TESOL voluntary withdrawals after the first four weeks, full fees will be charged for each stage completed or commenced. There'll be no fees charged for any stages which were due to run outside of the period you're currently studying within.

For Postgraduate Research and students studying PGCE Primary Education, any adjustments will be made using the full-time/part-time Sunderland Campus Policies.

Withdrawal due to academic failure or non-attendance

If you're required to withdraw from your course by the University due to academic failure or due to non-attendance, this will be covered under Voluntary Withdrawal Refund Policy (after enrolment).

Withdrawal due to debt or disciplinary action

Leave of absence (LOAB) refund policy

In exceptional circumstances, you may request a leave of absence from the University during your period of study. A leave of absence can only be agreed with your programme leader, or for Postgraduate Research students, the Director of Studies, and in compliance with the University of Sunderland’s Leave of Absence policy (login required).

If you decide to request a leave of absence from your studies before completion, it's important to complete a LOAB Form (login required) immediately and return it to the relevant Registry Team. You must receive acknowledgement of this form being received from the Registry team:

fes.pgceosadmin@sunderland.ac.uk – for PGCE Education and PGCE Early Years Teaching
fes.education@sunderland.ac.uk – for other Education courses.

This form is the University's evidence of your leave of absence date. Failure to do so may mean you remain responsible for the full tuition fee.

Registry team enquiries opening hours are 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, and 9am to 4:45pm Friday.

If you're granted a LOAB, your future due dates will be deferred until you return to study. All outstanding due dates up to the point of your LOAB won't be deferred and will need to be paid prior to your LOAB. If you don't return from your LOAB, your last date of attendance (pre-LOAB) will be used to calculate any withdrawal fees due.

This means that where you've paid a full tuition fee invoice for the enrolment year in which your absence started, you won't need to repay these fees, but may be charged only the appropriate rate of fee inflation

For all Postgraduate Research students and students studying PGCE Primary Education, any adjustments will be made using the main Tuition Fee and Refund Policy 2026/7.

Course transfer within the University

If you're wishing to transfer to another course within the University to another campus, or change your mode of attendance, you must complete a Transfer Form, which must be approved and authorised by the programme leader of the course you're leaving and the programme leader of the new course you're joining. Forms are available from the relevant Registry team:

fes.pgceosadmin@sunderland.ac.uk – for PGCE Education and PGCE Early Years Teaching
fes.education@sunderland.ac.uk – for other Education courses.

Registry team enquiries opening hours are 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, and 9am to 4:45pm Friday.

For all Postgraduate Research and students studying PGCE Primary Education, any adjustments will be made using the main Tuition Fee and Refund Policy 2026/7.

Financial guidance

It's important when considering any changes to study, transferring of courses, or changing mode of study, including progressing from your first year of an extended course or integrated foundation year course, withdrawal or leave of absence, to contact the University of Sunderland Financial Guidance Team in the first instance to discuss the implications on fees and funding. You can contact the team by phoning 0191 515 2284 or emailing studentfinancialguidance@sunderland.ac.uk.

Non-payment of fees

If you're unable to pay your tuition fees by the date they fall due, you must contact Income and Collections immediately at incomecollection@sunderland.ac.uk to discuss your account further.

In the event of non-payment of tuition fees, you'll be subject to the University’s debt collection process, which may include the following:

Removal of access to all your classes or study materials
Removal of access to all University IT systems
Unable to have any of your work marked
Unable to attend any examinations for your course
Withholding payment of any bursaries due to you.

When you have an outstanding debt owed to the University, you'll be unable to re-register for the following year of study, enrol for a new course of study, or if in your final year, be unable to attend your graduation ceremony or receive your certificate.

Should payment still not be received, this may result in your withdrawal (revoked) from the University, and subsequently reported to the SLC or UKVI (if applicable).

Once withdrawn (revoked) from the University, the debt will be referred to an external collection agency to recover on behalf of the University, which may include legal action against you to pursue payment.

Fee adjustments following a change of intake or withdrawal

If you transfer from one distance learning cohort to another, the tuition fees from your original year of entry will be honoured.

If you withdraw from your course of study, your account will be reviewed and any outstanding fees recalculated based on the semester dates of your current intake at the point of withdrawal.

If after a withdrawal you subsequently return to your studies, any outstanding fees will be calculated on a prorate basis. This will be based on the total course fee applicable at the time of re-entry.

Fee adjustments following submission of Postgraduate Research thesis

Any adjustments will be made using the main Tuition Fee and Refund Policy 2026/7.

Fee waiver adjustments

If you receive a fee waiver, discount, or incentive (for example, a progression discount or an Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) fee waiver), this will be applied to reduce the tuition fees you're required to pay. These adjustments are recorded separately from your tuition fee charge for administrative purposes.

If you withdraw from your course and are eligible for a tuition fee refund or credit under this policy, the calculation will be based only on the tuition fees you're personally liable to pay. Any fee waivers, discounts, or incentives that were applied to your account won't normally be refunded or paid to you, as these represent reductions to your fees rather than payments made by you.

Fee waivers and discounts are granted at the University's discretion and can't be exchanged for cash or refunded to you.

For Enhanced Learning Credits (ELCAS) funded students, if the gross tuition stated on your CAN letter is incorrect, you'll be required to obtain a new sponsor letter or purchase order. The gross tuition fee must reflect the amount after any applicable fee waiver adjustments have been deducted. Until the updated CAN letter is received and processed by the University, you'll remain personally liable for all associated fees.

Fees for fail and repeat (picking up modules)

Students who don't pass a module at the first attempt will normally be offered an automatic resit opportunity. No additional fee is charged for the first resit attempt.

If a student is required to undertake a third attempt at a module, a prorate module fee will be charged. This fee will cover the third attempt and, if required, a fourth and final resit attempt.

Payment of refunds due

Notification of death

Tuition fees will be calculated using the applicable withdrawal refund policy using the notification date to prorate the fees.

Any remaining balance, regardless of responsibility, will be written off.

Tuition Fee and Refund Policy 2025/26+

Introduction

The University of Sunderland reviews its fees and its fee policy annually.

This policy is applicable to students who are considering or are already undertaking a relevant course of study at The University of Sunderland. All references to ‘you’ and ‘your’ within this policy relate directly to the student.

Your liability for payment of tuition fees, and the agreement between you and the University in relation to the payment of all fees due will remain in place, so long as, the University has delivered the academic provision. Please note that the University reserves the right to alter the timing and/or location and or/content of the academic provision but will advise you of any changes.

If you are an International Student, you may also want to seek support from International Student Support to understand any visa implications.

Liability for payment

As a student, you're liable to pay the relevant tuition fees for your course of study. You're always responsible for any fees or amounts outstanding to the University.

If you're in receipt of student support through the Student Loans Company (SLC), Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS), or Islands Governments (Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man), and the University does not receive your financial assessment, you could be held liable for paying the full fee.

The University accepts sponsorship by UK/EU/EEA Registered Companies and International Government Embassies and will confirm validity of all sponsorship. Where sponsorship is confirmed, fees are payable in full at the start of the course upon receipt of invoice and in line with the University terms of payment (30 days from invoice date). The failure of your sponsor to pay fees does not negate your responsibility at all times for any fees or amounts outstanding to the University.

Where relevant to your course of study, you'll be personally liable for any professional membership fees associated with your course, unless they are specified as included within your course fee detailed in your offer letter.

All fees due must be fully discharged before completion of your award or qualification.

The University will not award a degree, diploma, certificate or other qualification to any student who is in tuition fee arrears. If tuition fee debt is subsequently cleared the University will award the qualification.

Paying your tuition fees

Student Finance/Student Loan Company (SLC) funded students

If you're intending to apply to Student Finance to pay your fees either in full or in part, you must inform the University at the time of enrolment. Applications for funding need to be made direct to Student Finance and a new application must be made for each academic year of your course of study if applying for support using an undergraduate application process.

If Student Finance agrees to fund your studies, they will notify the SLC who will then confirm the funding to the University. Tuition fees will be paid directly to the University for Undergraduate study as termly instalments – 25%, 25% and 50% of your total tuition fee loan. For Postgraduate study the loan will be paid directly to you using the same termly instalments. Those students who have applied through Student Finance Northern Ireland the payments will be made using the Undergraduate payment process.

For Postgraduate study it's then your responsibility to ensure the applicable amount is paid to the University, with the exception of those students who have applied through Student Finance Northern Ireland, to cover the full amount of your outstanding tuition fee. If you've requested instalments from the University for your fees you must pay these when they fall due.

Until the SLC confirms your tuition fee payment to the University, you'll remain liable for any fees due. If the SLC is funding less than the full amount of your tuition fee, it is then your personal responsibility to settle the outstanding amount.

Financially sponsored students

If you're being financially sponsored, a sponsor letter is required for each academic year. A valid sponsor letter requires the following:

Be presented on the official sponsor’s letterhead
Clearly state the student name and student number
Clearly state the sponsorship amount
Clearly state the financial contact details of the sponsor including email address to be used for sending fees invoice and other correspondence on to
Purchase order number stated where required
Confirmation if you're an employee of this company/sponsor
If you're an employee of the University this should also state the cost centre code

Valid sponsor letters should be submitted to Student Records: student.records@sunderland.ac.uk.

Please note, if relatives or personal friends are paying your fees, they are not official sponsors, and you'll be treated as a self-funded student and will be liable to pay all fees due.

Home self-funded students

The University offers options for full payment on enrolment, or you may select from either a three or seven instalment plan.

3 month instalment plan

For courses lasting a full academic year or more, please see the table of instalments dates. The first instalment date is based on the official start date of your course of study.

Official start date of course	First instalment	Second instalment	Third instalment
September	1 November	1 February	1 May
October	1 December	1 March	1 June
November	1 January	1 April	1 July
December	1 February	1 May	1 August
January	1 March	1 June	1 September
February	1 April	1 July	1 October
March	1 May	1 August	1 November
April	1 June	1 September	1 December
May	1 July	1 October	1 January
June	1 August	1 November	1 February
July	1 September	1 December	1 March
August	1 October	1 January	1 April

If you choose to take the seven instalment option, your first and last instalment will be as above, with an instalment due on the first of each month in between.

International self-funded students

All international students are required to make a payment to the University of a deposit in order to receive a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies letter (CAS). This deposit is non-refundable and the University will not make any refund of this deposit except in the circumstances outlined in 'Circumstances where you may be due a refund' and 'Voluntary withdrawal refund policy'.

All international students are required to pay 50% of their overall tuition fees for the academic year before enrolment. You will then be entitled to make payment over five instalments to pay the remaining 50% of tuition fees.

If you're financially sponsored and your sponsor does not cover the full value of your tuition you're still required to pay 50% of the remaining balance.

For courses lasting a full academic year or more, the instalment deadlines are outlined in the table below. The first instalment is based on the official start date of your course of study.

Official start date of course	First instalment	Second instalment	Third instalment	Fourth instalment	Fifth instalment
August	1 October	1 November	1 December	1 January	1 February
September	1 November	1 December	1 January	1 February	1 March
October	1 December	1 January	1 February	1 March	1 April
November	1 January	1 February	1 March	1 April	1 May
December	1 February	1 March	1 April	1 May	1 June
January	1 March	1 April	1 May	1 June	1 July
February	1 April	1 May	1 June	1 July	1 August
March	1 May	1 June	1 July	1 August	1 September
April	1 June	1 July	1 August	1 September	1 October
May	1 July	1 August	1 September	1 October	1 November
June	1 August	1 September	1 October	1 November	1 December
July	1 September	1 October	1 November	1 December	1 January

Payment methods

Online payment enables your fee to reach us quickly, safely and you'll receive automatic confirmation of your payment.

You need your student registration number and your date of birth to access the University secure online payment site where you'll have access to make direct payment to the University by using one of our approved methods of payment:

Payment by credit/debit card, Bank Transfer, or local currency transfers via our online pay portal
Recurring card payment by credit/debit card via our online pay portal
Payment by credit/debit card, Bank Transfer, or local currency transfers online via Convera. Seven days prior to your tuition fee instalment becoming due, you'll be sent an email to your chosen email account containing the value of tuition fees due and a 'pay now' button which will guide you to the Convera payment page

The University does not accept cash for fees.

Your right to cancel (cooling off period)

If the University finds fraudulent documents have been used by you to obtain an offer from the University, the University will immediately withdraw the offer and you will not be entitled to a refund of your deposit, nor will you be able to apply for another course of study, now or in the future.

Your statutory right of cancellation is in addition to the University’s Voluntary Withdrawal Policy.

Non-payment of fees

If you're unable to pay your tuition fees by the date they fall due, you need to immediately contact Credit Control at credit.control@sunderland.ac.uk to discuss your account further.

In the event of non-payment of tuition fees, you'll be subject to the University’s debt collection process, which may include the following:

Removal of access to all classes or study material
Removal of access to IT University systems
Unable to have any of your work marked
Unable to attend any examinations for your course
Withholding payment of any bursaries due to you
Removal of UKVI sponsorship

The University will not award a degree, diploma, certificate, or other qualification to any student who is in tuition fee arrears. Following clearance of any tuition fee debt, the University will award the qualification. Until the tuition fee debt is cleared, you'll not be able to apply for another course of study, now or in the future.

Should payment still not be received, this may result in your withdrawal (revoked) from your course and from the University, and subsequently reported to the relevant authority.

Once withdrawn (revoked) from the University the full debt including any fees still due for your course will be referred to an external collection agency to recover on behalf of the University, which may include legal actions against you to pursue payment.

Circumstances where you may be due a refund

For International students the circumstances where the University will consider making a refund include but are not limited to:

If you fail to obtain a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) unless the University finds fraudulent documents have been used by you to obtain an offer from the University
If you fail to obtain a visa to enter the UK to start a course of study unless the University finds fraudulent documents that have been used by you to obtain an offer from the University
If you're applying from within the UK and fail to obtain a visa to enable you to start your main course of study unless the University finds fraudulent documents have been used by you to obtain an offer from the University
If the University withdraws the place offered to you on your chosen course of study unless the University finds fraudulent documents that have been used by you to obtain an offer from the University
If you do not fall into one of the above categories but withdraw your application to the University and have not yet applied for your student visa
If you give written notice declining your offer for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course at least 10 days before the course start date. This is in addition to your statutory right to cancel

This written notification must be emailed directly to Admissions at internationaladmissions@sunderland.ac.uk and must be received at least 10 days before the start date of the course.

Claims for refunds must be made within 3 months of the official start date of the course. Requests should be sent to internationaladmissions@sunderland.ac.uk and must include all evidence in support of your request.

Voluntary withdrawal refund policy (after enrolment)

The Policies governing student voluntary withdrawals can be found in our Student Handbook. It's important that you read the relevant policy carefully and seek advice if unsure about any aspect of the policy.

If you’re considering withdrawing from your course of study, you’re advised to contact the Student Records team by email to confirm the amended fee you will be charged for your studies based on your own individual circumstances at student.records@sunderland.ac.uk.

For all Home students, the date of your voluntary withdrawal may affect the tuition fee charged, and the value of any maintenance payments from the SLC you are receiving. Please seek financial advice from Student Financial Guidance promptly if you are considering withdrawing from your course of study: studentfinancialguidance@sunderland.ac.uk.

The official start date of your course of study can be found on your unconditional offer letter or can be provided by Admissions.

For Home Undergraduate students where voluntary withdrawal happens the fee payable is listed as follows:

Time period	Fees payable
Up to 2 weeks from the official start date of the course	No fees payable
Up to the last day of the first term	25% fees are payable
Up to the last day of the second term	50% fees are payable
From the first day of the third term	100% fees are payable

For Home Postgraduate taught students, no fees will be charged for a voluntary withdrawal within two weeks from the official start date of your course of study.

For voluntary withdrawals after the first two weeks, full fees will be charged for each stage commenced. There will be no charge for any stages which were due to run outside of the period currently studying within.

For Undergraduate and Postgraduate taught students, if you are invoiced on a per module price no fees will be charged for voluntary withdrawal within two weeks from the official start date of your course of study. This date can be found on your unconditional offer or can be provided by Admissions.

For Home Postgraduate Research students, fees will be charged at one twelfth for each calendar month (or part thereof) of study for a voluntary withdrawal. This charge will not exceed the total annual fee.

for International Students full course fees will still be due and all payments for your course fees made to the University are non-refundable. If you start a course of study on campus when in the process of applying for your visa or on a visa which expires before the end of your course and fail to obtain a new visa to allow you to complete, you'll be withdrawn from your course and no refund will be due.

For all Home students, any overpayment of tuition fees calculated with regard to the above formulae will either result in a reduction of any SLC tuition fee loan, a refund to the official sponsor or a refund to the payer if self- funded, whichever is applicable.

For all Home students, If you withdraw from your program after returning to study following a leave of absence, the appropriate value will be charged as per the Voluntary Withdrawal Policy.

Withdrawal due to academic failure or non-attendance

If you're required to withdraw from your course by the University due to academic failure or due to non- attendance, the fee due will be in line with those outlined in 'Voluntary withdrawal refund policy'.

Withdrawal due to debt or disciplinary action

Leave of absence (LOAB) adjustments

In exceptional circumstances, you may request a leave of absence from the University during your period of study. A leave of absence can only be agreed with your programme leader or the Director of Studies and in compliance with the University of Sunderland’s Leave of Absence policy (login required).

If you decide to request a leave of absence from your studies before completion, it is important to complete a LOAB Form (login required) immediately and return it to relevant Registry Team. You must receive acknowledgement of this form being received from Academic Registry.

This form is the University’s evidence of your leave of absence date. Failure to do so may mean you remain responsible for the full tuition fee.

For Home Undergraduate students, if you are granted a leave of absence after completing enrolment and after the official start date of the course the following tuition fee charge will apply:

Time period	Fees payable
Up to the last day of the first term	25% fees are payable
Up to the last day of the second term	50% fees are payable
From the first day of the third term	100% fees are payable

For Home Postgraduate taught students, if you're granted a leave of absence after completing enrolment and after the official start date of the course full fees will be charged for each stage commenced.

There will be no charge for any stages which were due to run outside of the period you are currently studying within.

For Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught students, if you are granted a leave of absence after completing enrolment and are invoiced on a per module price you'll be charged in full for each module completed or commenced.

If you've selected to undertake a module which was due to run outside of the period currently studying within, this will be credited in full.

For Home Postgraduate Research students, if you're granted a leave of absence after completing enrolment and after the official start date of the course you'll be charged one twelfth for each calendar month (or part thereof) of study.

For International students, if you're granted a leave of absence after completing enrolment and after the official start date of the course full course fees will still be due.

For all students, if you're granted a leave of absence after completing enrolment but before the official start date of the course no fees will be charged.

For all students, if you're granted a leave of absence prior to completing your enrolment no fees will be charged.

For all students who are placed on a University enforced leave of absence no fee will be charged for the corresponding period.

Return from LOAB

For all students, the fee you'll be charged upon return of study will be at the price for the academic year in which you are returning.

If you withdraw from the course after returning to study following a LOAB the appropriate value of the pro-rated fee will be charged as per the Voluntary Withdrawal Policy.

Intercalating students

If you're approved to complete an intercalating year at another university, no fees will be charged for the period studying elsewhere.

If you're approved to complete an intercalating year at the University, you'll be required to make an application for the new course and be processed through the Admissions system. If accepted, no fees will be charged for the original course you're intercalating from and all fees charged for the new course.

Course transfer within the University

If you wish to transfer to another course within the University, to another campus, or change your mode of attendance, you must follow the process outlined in the Programme Regulations and Assessment section of the Academic Quality Handbook.

If you're granted a transfer of course, mode, or campus upon return to study from a leave of absence the invoice raised will be in accordance with the policy.

If you're enrolled on a course where one study year spans two academic years and you're granted a transfer of course within the second part (non- standard period), the invoicing will remain on the original course.

All students who are granted a seasonal intake transfer will be charged the prorated fee for the original course prior to the change and also the full fee for the new course academic year which you transfer to.

Fees adjustment following submission of postgraduate research thesis

If you submit your thesis part way through an academic year, the fee will be charged at one twelfth for each calendar month (or part thereof) of study up to and including the date of your thesis submission.

Fee waiver adjustments

If your course fees are amended due to course withdrawal, leave of absence, or if you transfer your course, campus, or change your mode of attendance, this may affect any fee waiver awarded to you. Any fee waivers that have been awarded to you will be re-assessed by Student Records using the same basis for the recalculation of your tuition fees due.

If you change your course, including changes to mode of attendance and campus, any fee waivers that have been awarded to you will be re-assessed by Student Records at the point of adjusting the tuition fee for your course to ensure that you are still eligible for the same fee waiver in line with any changes made to your course, mode of attendance and campus (as the fee waiver may not apply to your new course or mode of attendance). If still eligible, the correct fee waiver value will be calculated and applied to your fees due and any changes in the eligibility or value notified to you by Student Records.

If the calculation of your fees results in an overpayment of fees by you to the University, this will be refunded in line with 'Fees for fail and repeat (picking up modules)'.

Fees for fail and repeat (picking up modules)

If you're studying a full-time course and have failed module(s) to complete (on a part-time picking up modules mode), you'll be charged for these modules pro rota to the full-time equivalent fee.

Payment of refunds due

If you're due a refund from the University, for either an overpayment of fees or due to a change to your billing, any refund due will always be made back to the original payer and by the same method of the original payment. The University will not be liable for any foreign exchange variances or associated processing fees between the time of making the payment and the refund being processed. The University aims to process refunds within six weeks of the request being made to the Finance department.

Notification of death

Tuition fees will be calculated using the applicable withdrawal refund policy using the notification date to prorate the fees.

Any remaining balance, regardless of responsibility, will be written off.

Tuition Fee and Refund Policy 2025/26 Sunderland Online Learners+

Introduction

The University of Sunderland reviews its fees and its fee policy annually.

This policy is written for students who are considering or are already undertaking a relevant course of study at The University of Sunderland. All references to ‘you’ and ‘your’ within this policy relate directly to the student.

The liability of ‘you’ the student for payment of tuition fees, and the agreement between you the student and the University in relation to the payment of all fees due will remain in place, so long as, the University has delivered the academic provision. Please note that the University reserves the right to alter the timing and/or content of the academic provision but will advise you of any changes.

Liability for payment

As a student choosing to study an online learning programme, you're liable to pay for each module in advance of the start of that module.

You may be eligible to apply for funding through the Student Loans Company (SFE) for your chosen course of study. Applications for funding need to be made direct to Student Finance and a new application must be made for each academic year of your course of study. You'll also need to re-enrol onto each year of study in order for your funding to be confirmed.

As a student, you will be personally liable for any professional membership fees associated with your course.

Paying your tuition fees (module fee)

You only need to pay for the module you're about to study, but you can choose and pay for more than one module at a time if you wish. You can only register for each module when you have paid the applicable fee for that module.

Student Finance/Student Loan Company (SLC) funding for UK and EU students

If you're intending to apply to Student Finance to pay your module fees either in full or in part, you'll still be required to pay for your modules when you choose them.

Applications for funding need to be made direct to Student Finance.

If Student Finance agrees to fund your studies, they will notify the SLC who will then confirm the funding to you. Tuition fees will be paid directly to the University for Undergraduate study as termly instalments and for those Postgraduate students who have applied through Student Finance Northern Ireland. This Tuition Fee loan will be paid directly to you for your Postgraduate study. It's your responsibility to ensure you use this Tuition fee loan to pay for your module choices before you can enrol on each module.

Financially sponsored students

If you're being financially sponsored, you'll need to pay for your own module choice fees and reclaim this back from your sponsor.

It may be possible to invoice your sponsor for your module choices. Please contact the University directly to discuss this further: enrolments@online.sunderland.ac.uk.

Your right to cancel (cooling off period)

Your statutory right of cancellation is in addition to the University’s Voluntary Withdrawal Policy.

Voluntary withdrawal refund policy (full course withdrawal)

The Policies governing student voluntary withdrawals can be found on the Student Policies page.

If you've completed online enrolment and started your course, or the start date of your course has already passed (shown on your offer letter), you'll need to refer to the Voluntary Withdrawal Policy (After Enrolment and After Start Date of Course).

If you've completed online enrolment but have not yet started your course and the start date of your course has not yet passed (shown on your offer letter), please refer to the Voluntary Withdrawal Policy (After Enrolment but Prior to Start Date of Course). You'll need to complete the withdrawal form (login required) and return this to your Student Success Coordinator.

It's important that you read the relevant policy carefully and seek advice if unsure about any aspect of the Policy. If you're considering withdrawing from your course of study, you're advised to contact your Student Success Coordinator by email to confirm your withdrawal from the course, who will confirm if a refund is due: studentsuccess@online.sunderland.ac.uk.

If you do decide to terminate your studies you should refer to the University’s Voluntary Withdrawal Policies, which can be found on the Student Policies page. You should also contact your Student Success Coordinator by email for further advice.

Refund of fees paid following withdrawal will be made in full if you withdraw from a module within 14 days of the module start date and for any modules paid for but not yet commenced.

Study break

You can choose to take a break from your study by withdrawing from the module you are currently studying within 14 days of the module start date, or by deferring your next module.

Your study break will affect the length of your course overall. If you do not take the next module at this point in the course schedule, you'll have to wait for the next occurrence of this module on the course carousel, and this could extend your course by up to or more than a year.

Your student loan payment schedule (if applicable) may be affected as the University is obliged to advise your student finance provider that you have paused your studies. This will likely affect any payments due in the short term and could lead to a delay in restarting your payments when you resume your study. Please contact your student finance provider for more details on your personal payment schedule..

Only two study breaks may be taken consecutively.

When returning from a study break, you need to ensure that you make payment no later than the payment deadline and complete registration by the deadline for your module otherwise you'll automatically be placed onto a second study break.

Leave of absence (LOAB) refund policy

In exceptional circumstances, you may request a leave of absence from the University during your period of study. A leave of absence can only be agreed with the Director of Studies and in compliance with the University of Sunderland’s Leave of Absence policy (login required).

If you decide to request a leave of absence from your studies before completion, it is important to contact your Student Success Coordinator in the first instance who will advise you on how to complete a LOAB request: studentsuccess@online.sunderland.ac.uk.

If you're granted a leave of absence, your future module dates will be deferred until you return to study. If you have paid fees and applied these to modules which run during your period of absence, including any that have already started, you'll be withdrawn from these modules and the payments retained for future modules once you return to study.

Refund of fees

Any refund due will always be paid back to the original payer and by the same method of the original payment which will be by credit or debit card. The University will not be liable for any foreign exchange variances between the time of making the payment and the refund being processed.

Financial guidance

It's important when considering any changes to study, study breaks, withdrawal or leave of absence, to contact Student Financial Guidance in the first instance to discuss the implications on fees and funding: studentfinancialguidance@sunderland.ac.uk.

Tuition Fee and Refund Policy 2025/26 Independent Learners+

Introduction

The University of Sunderland reviews its fees and its fee policy annually.

The liability of ‘you’ the student for payment of tuition fees, and the agreement between you the student and the University in relation to the payment of all fees due will remain in place, so long as, the University has delivered the academic provision. Please note that the University reserves the right to alter the timing and/or location and or/content of the academic provision but will advise you of any changes.

Liability for payment

As a student, you are liable to pay the relevant tuition fees for your course of study. You're responsible at all times for any fees or amounts outstanding to the University. If you're in receipt of student support through the Student Loans Company (SLC), Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS), or Islands Governments (Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man), and the University does not receive your financial assessment, you could be held liable for paying the full fee.

The University accepts Sponsorship by UK/EU/EEA Registered Companies and International Government Embassies (The University will confirm the validity of all Sponsorship). For sponsored courses, fees are payable in full at the start of the course upon receipt of invoice. University terms are 30 days’ net. You're responsible at all times for any fees or amounts outstanding to the University. The failure of your sponsor to pay fees does not negate this liability.

If you're a postgraduate student, you'll be personally liable for any professional membership fees associated with your course.

All fees due must be fully discharged before completion of your award or qualification.

The University will not award a degree, diploma, certificate or other qualification to any student who is in tuition fee arrears. Following clearance of any tuition fee debt, the University will award the qualification.

Paying your tuition fees

The University has a range of payment methods available to pay your fees.

Online is our preferred payment option to reach us quickly and safely and you'll receive an automatic confirmation of your payment. You only need your student registration number and your date of birth to access our secure online payment site. You should always pay direct to the University by using one of our approved methods of payment:

Single payment by credit/debit card or PayPal via our online pay portal
Recurring card payment by credit/debit card via our online pay portal

The payment arrangements the University can offer

Student Finance/Student Loan Company (SLC) funded students

If you're required to withdraw from your course by the University due to disciplinary actions/exclusion decision against you, or are withdrawn (revoked) from your course of study for non-payment of your fees. Your full course/module fee will still be due, regardless of how much of the course/module you have studied.

Financially sponsored students

If you're being financially sponsored, a sponsor letter is required for each academic year. A valid sponsor letter requires the following:

Be presented on the official sponsor’s letterhead
Clearly state the student name and student number
Clearly state the sponsorship amount
Cleary state the financial contact details of the sponsor including email address to be used for sending fees invoice and other correspondence on to
Purchase order number stated where required
Confirmation if you're an employee of this company/sponsor
If you're an employee of the University this should also state the cost centre code

Valid sponsor letters should be submitted to the International Office (TNE) by email two weeks prior to the start date of the course. Send to the relevant email address:

For all Postgraduate Research students and students studying PGCE Primary Education or English for Academic Purposes your valid sponsor letters should be submitted by email to Admissions at admissions@sunderland.ac.uk.

Please note if relatives or personal friends are paying your fees, they are not official sponsors, and you’ll be treated as a self-funded student.

Self-funded students

If you’re required to make a deposit payment to the University prior to enrolment, once the enrolment has taken place this deposit becomes non-refundable.

Your tuition fee is due in full upon completion of enrolment.

Alternatively, you can pay your fees in either a three or seven payment instalment plan. You’ll only be eligible for seven instalments if you request this option by emailing finance.revenues@sunderland.ac.uk within 60 days of the start of your course.

For courses lasting a full academic year or more (excluding TESOL courses), please see the table of instalments dates below. The first instalment date is based on the official start date of your course of study.

Official start date of course	First instalment	Second instalment	Third instalment
September	1 November	1 February	1 May
October	1 December	1 March	1 June
November	1 January	1 April	1 July
December	1 February	1 May	1 August
January	1 March	1 June	1 September
February	1 April	1 July	1 October
March	1 May	1 August	1 November
April	1 June	1 September	1 December
May	1 July	1 October	1 January
June	1 August	1 November	1 February
July	1 September	1 December	1 March
August	1 October	1 January	1 April

For TESOL courses only, the full course will be invoiced in full upon enrolment, with instalments due as follows (please adjust in line with below for course starts other than October):

Official start date of course	First instalment	Second instalment	Third instalment
October Stage 1	1 February
March Stage 2		1 June
July Stage 3			1 October

If seven instalments are requested for TESOL they will be split into seven equal instalments due on the first of each month with the first instalment due 1 February with the final instalment due 1 October.

For TESOL course repeat modules only, you will be charged on a pro-rata basis of the full course fee.

Payment of refunds due

If you're due a refund from the University, for either an overpayment of fees or due to a change to your billing, any refund due will always be made back to the original payer and by the same method of the original payment. The University will not be liable for any foreign exchange variances between the time of making the payment and the refund being processed.

Your right to cancel (cooling off period)

Your statutory right of cancellation is in addition to the University’s Voluntary Withdrawal Policy.

Voluntary withdrawal refund policy (after enrolment)

The Policies governing student voluntary withdrawals can be found on the Student Policies page. It's important that you read the relevant policy carefully and seek advice if unsure about any aspect of the policy.

You must submit a request to withdraw via eVision.

If you've completed your enrolment but have not yet started your course and the start date of your course has not yet passed (shown on your offer letter), please refer to the Voluntary Withdrawal Policy (After Enrolment but Prior to Start Date of Course).

You'll need to complete the withdrawal form (login required) and return this to Student Records at studentrecords@sunderland.ac.uk.

Fes.pgceosadmin@sunderland.ac.uk – for PGCE Education and PGCE Early Years
Fes.education@sunderland.ac.uk – for other Education courses

Registry team enquiries opening hours are 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, and 9am to 4:45pm Friday.

The date of your withdrawal may affect the tuition fee charged, and the value of your maintenance payments from the SLC, please seek financial advice promptly if you are considering withdrawing from your course of study.

If you're required to pay a deposit prior to enrolment, once the enrolment has taken place the deposit becomes non-refundable The payment made will be allocated to the first instalment(s).

Fees following a voluntary withdrawal are calculated as follows:

Prior to enrolling no fees are due and your deposit will be refunded
After completing enrolment the deposit will be retained
After 4 weeks from the official start date of your course and up to the end of semester 1, 50% of fees due
Enrolled first day of semester 2, 70% fees due
After four weeks of semester 2, 100% fees due

Any overpayment of tuition fees calculated with regard to the above formulae will either result in a reduction of any SLC tuition fee loan, a refund to the official sponsor or a refund to the payer if self-funded, whichever is applicable.

TESOL voluntary withdrawals after the first four weeks, full fees will be charged for each stage completed or commenced. There will be no fees charged for any stages which were due to run outside of the period you are currently studying within.

For all Postgraduate Research students and students studying PGCE Primary Education or English for Academic Purposes courses any adjustments will be made using the main Tuition Fee and Refund Policy 2025/6.

Withdrawal due to academic failure or non-attendance

If you're required to withdraw from your course by the University due to academic failure or due to non-attendance. This will be covered under section 7 Voluntary Withdrawal Refund Policy (after enrolment).

Withdrawal due to debt or disciplinary action

Leave of absence (LOAB) refund policy

Fes.pgceosadmin@sunderland.ac.uk – for PGCE Education and PGCE Early Years
Fes.education@sunderland.ac.uk – for other Education courses

This form is the University’s evidence of your leave of absence date. Failure to do so may mean you remain responsible for the full tuition fee.

Registry team enquiries opening hours are 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, and 9am to 4:45pm Friday.

If you're granted a LOAB, your future due dates will be deferred until you return to study. All outstanding due dates up to the point of your leave of absence (LOAB) will not be deferred and will need to be paid prior to your LOAB. If you do not return from your leave of absence (LOAB) your last date of attendance (pre-LOAB) will be used to calculate any withdrawal fees due.

This means that where you have paid a full tuition fee invoice for the enrolment year in which your absence started, you will not need to re-pay these fees, but may be charged only the appropriate rate of fee inflation

For all Postgraduate Research students and students studying PGCE Primary Education or English for Academic Purposes courses, any adjustments will be made using the main Tuition Fee and Refund Policy 2025/6.

Course transfer within the University

If you're wishing to transfer to another course within the University, to another campus or change your mode of attendance, you must complete a Transfer Form which must be approved and authorised by the programme leader of the course you're leaving and the programme leader of the new course you are joining. Forms are available from the relevant Registry team:

Fes.pgceosadmin@sunderland.ac.uk – for PGCE Education and PGCE Early Years
Fes.education@sunderland.ac.uk – for other Education courses

Registry team enquiries opening hours are 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, and 9am to 4:45pm Friday.

Financial guidance

It's important when considering any changes to study, transferring of courses, or changing mode of study, including progressing from your first year of an extended course or integrated foundation year course, withdrawal or leave of absence, to contact the University of Sunderland Financial Guidance Team in the first instance to discuss the implications on fees and funding: studentfinancialguidance@sunderland.ac.uk.

Non-payment of fees

If you're unable to pay your tuition fees by the date they fall due, you need to immediately contact Credit Control at credit.control@sunderland.ac.uk to discuss your account further.

In the event of non-payment of tuition fees, you'll be subject to the University’s debt collection process, which may include the following:

Removal of access to all classes or study material
Removal of access to IT University systems
Unable to have any of your work marked
Unable to attend any examinations for your course
Withholding payment of any bursaries due to you

When you have an outstanding debt owed to the University, you'll be unable to re-register for the following year of study, enrol for a new course of study, or if in your final year be unable to attend your graduation ceremony or receive your certificate.

Should payment still not be received, this may result in your withdrawal (revoked) from the University, and subsequently reported to the SLC or UKVI (if applicable).

Once withdrawn (revoked) from the University the debt will be referred to an external collection agency to recover on behalf of the University, which may include legal action against you to pursue payment.

Postgraduate Research thesis submission

Any adjustments will be made using the main Tuition Fee and Refund Policy 2025/6.