Cancellation Policy
Cancellations and Refunds Policy (updated on 1st May)
This applies to all BLC courses for the academic year 2020-2021.
Applications to be registered on any BLC course can only be submitted through the BLC web site and the relevant cancellation period will commence from the date shown on the application recorded on the BLC web site.
A. Cancellation periods
1. Candidates submitting application forms prior to 17th July 2020:
Such candidates are entitled to cancel their application at any time up to and including 31st July, at which time the BLC course fees will become due. No payments should be made prior to 31st July but anyone who has paid (in full or in part) for the course prior to 31st July (and no earlier than 14 days after the date of submission of their BLC application form) shall be deemed to have waived their right to cancel their application and shall not be eligible for any refund of the fees paid.
2. Candidates submitting application forms between 18th July and 30th September 2020
Such candidates are entitled to cancel their application within 14-days from the date on which their application was submitted. No payment can be made until this 14-day period has expired.
3. Candidates submitting application forms less than 14 days prior to commencement of the course:
Such candidates are entitled to cancel their application within 14 days from the date on which their application was submitted. If candidates join the course before the expiration of this 14-day cancellation period but, then subsequently choose to cancel their application having already attended any BLC course module or having accessed/received course materials, they shall be required to pay a fee proportionate to the annual course fees, such fee reflects the extent of annual BLC services they received during the period prior to their cancellation. Anyone attending (or accessing/receiving materials) related to any individual course module as a result will be treated as having attended that entire module for the purpose of calculating the relevant amount of fees payable in such circumstances.
B. Fees
1. Time of Payment
a) No fees should be paid prior to the expiry of the relevant cancellation period (described in the section above).
b) Some BLC centre courses require a minimum number of applicants to start a course in any given academic year as detailed in the related BLC centre information. Applicants to such centres will both receive a confirmatory notice of this pre-condition following submission of their application form and be kept informed by e-mail of any changes to their centre status. No fee payments will be due until the minimum recruitment limit for that centre has been achieved.
c) In all other centres, once the 14 day cancellation has expired the applicant will be sent fee payment instructions. Annual course fees for the year 2020-2021 (i.e. 50% of the amount stated as the “total fees” for any 2-year course and 100% of the amount stated as the “total fees” for any 1-year course) are payable in full prior to the commencement of all centre courses. However, where an application was made at a time when the course had already commenced, or was due to commence in fewer than 14 days, payment should only be made after the 14-day cancellation period has expired. If a student in the latter situation then cancels their application, having already attended (or accessed/received materials related to) any individual course module, they will be required to pay the proportionate fees discussed in section A.3 above.
2. Instalment payments of annual fees
a) In the case of mitigating circumstances, students may apply to pay their annual course fee in two equal instalments. If an instalment request is granted the student will be required to sign a separate agreement
(i) setting out the terms of the instalment payments; and
(ii) re-affirming their responsibility to pay the BLC annual fee in full.
b) Any request for instalment payments or related fees request shall be made in writing to the Course Director/Deputy Director, details of which will be provided upon submission of the application form. Separate Payment Details or Instructions shall form an integral part of the BLC’s Course Regulations.
draft BLC Instalment agreement
3. Course Fee Increases
a) The total course fees payable for the BLC Certificate course of one-year duration and Diploma course of two-year’s duration are made available before students register for each course.
b) No additional fee will be payable by any students that successfully completes the course within the standard completion period( one academic year for the Certificate and two consecutive academic years for the Diploma) i
c) In the event however that a student suspends his/her participation on the relevant BLC course (for whatever reason) or fails to complete the course within the standard completion period, when they resume their course studies, then the annual course fee payable will be the course fee applicable for all other students in that year ( ie if the fees for the year when the student resumes his/her studies is has been increased by 50 euros then this increased fee will be payable)
d) If a student changes his/ her status from a student to a graduate before the commencement of any given academic year, then they will be due to pay a graduate fee in that year ( i.e. if a student starts in 2020-2021 as a student, but in 2020-2021 he/she will be a graduate, he/she will pay a student fee in 2020-2021 and a graduate fee in 2021-2022)
Since all applicants have been advised of the scope of any potential fee increases prior to applying for the BLC programme, this rule constitutes an integral element of all applicants’ contract with the BLC, to which the applicant is deemed to have irrevocably consented.
4. Returners’ Fees
A returner’s fee is payable by any person who, having failed to complete the Diploma course within 2 years of study (excluding any break taken in accordance with the BLC’s course Regulations) or the Certificate course within 1 year, wishes to return to complete the course in a further year of study. The level of Returners’ fees is set annually and is subject to review. For the purpose of demonstration only, the fee level during 2016-2017 is €350.
5. Special cases
a) Fees payable by those who withdraw within the cancellation periods set out in paragraph A above having attended the course or accessed/received course materials shall remain liable to pay a fee proportionate* to the annual course fees which reflects the extent of annual BLC services they received during the period prior to their cancellation. In particular anyone attending (or accessing/receiving materials) related to any individual course module will be treated as having attended that entire module for the purpose of calculating the relevant amount of fees payable in such circumstances.
*Note: Proportionate fees represent a genuine assessment of the actual costs incurred by the BLC for each of the stated activities. They also reflect the fact that the BLC’s recruitment policy means that other students may be refused a place on the course which is considered to be full, and courses at some centres may not have taken place at all in the absence of a sufficient number of applicants. All applications acknowledge and accept that these costs will be payable (or non-refundable) if they decide to withdraw from a course after the expiry of the relevant cancellation period stated above.
b) After expiry of the cancellation period and in all other cases of withdrawal, the BLC operates a no-refunds policy, although it is possible for individual students to apply to the BLC Course Director/ Deputy Director to seek a waiver in part of this policy when justified by their own individual circumstances. Any such mitigating applications should be accompanied by supporting evidence.
C. Cancellation Notices
Any applicant wishing to cancel their application during the cancellation period must send their cancellation notice in writing (e-mail will suffice) in the appropriate form. An example form is sent to all applicants following submission of their application form. A cancellation notice must clearly state your name, the centre to which you applied and that you wish to withdraw your application. To meet the cancellation deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning exercising the right to cancel before the cancellation period has expired. Once the cancellation period has expired, you will no longer have the right to cancel your contract with the BLC.
D. General
Any applicant who cancels their application in accordance with the rules below shall be removed from the list of BLC applicants and (subject to the exceptions stated above) shall not be required to pay any BLC course fees.
In all other cases applicants are deemed to affirm their participation on the BLC course and to be bound by all related BLC Terms and Conditions.