International Summer Programme and Pre-sessional Courses terms and conditions

International Summer Programme and Pre-sessional Courses terms and conditions

  1. Completed acceptance forms and payment of the tuition fees for the full period of study are required to reserve a place and for a CAS or confirmation letter for visa purposes to be issued (if required). A CAS can be requested by following this link. A confirmation letter can be requested by emailing ifcels@soas.ac.uk
  2. Presessional students requiring a visa to study on the programme will be issued with a CAS if they are going on to a degree at SOAS or another UK university immediately afterwards. CASs will only be assigned once an offer to study has been accepted and full fees have been paid. They can be requested by following this link.
  3. Students taking a Presessional as a stand-alone course will normally be required to obtain a Standard Visitor Visa. In most cases, this can be obtained at the UK border. However, students from some countries will need to apply for a Visitor Visa before they travel to the UK. In this case, they will need a confirmation letter from SOAS. A confirmation letter can be requested by emailing ifcels@soas.ac.uk. You can use this site to check what visa you require.
  4. IFCELS International Summer Programme students can complete their course or courses on a Standard Visitor Visa in most cases. Most students can obtain a Visitor Visa at the UK border but students from some countries will need to apply for a Visitor Visa before they travel to the UK. In this case, they will need a confirmation letter from SOAS. You can use this site to check what visa you require.

    In cases where a student is planning to continue to another programme at SOAS or other UK institution without returning to their home country a CAS should be requested. CASs will only be assigned once and offer to study has been accepted and full fees have been paid. They can be requested by following this link.
  5. SOAS reserves the right to ask for all relevant documentation or information to decide if a student is eligible for a CAS. If SOAS decides not to issue a CAS, any tuition fees already  paid will be refunded.
  6. The School is under no obligation to issue a second CAS if:

    (a)  the School is not responsible for the first application for a Student Visa being rejected by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).

    (b)  the student’s programme of study is due to begin shortly, and it is clear that there is not enough time for the new visa application to be processed in time for the student to arrive before the last agreed start date.
  7. It is the responsibility of “Non-visa nationals”  who can obtain their Visitor Visa on arrival in the UK to have the required documentation in their hand baggage when they travel to the UK and to ensure that the Entry Clearance Officer gives them the correct “Standard Visitor Visa” entry stamp. Students without the correct entry stamp will not be permitted to enrol on the programme and may be required to leave the UK and re-enter.  Information about applying for a Standard Visitor Visa can be found in this guide.
  8. Full fees are payable three weeks before the first day of the course the student has registered on. Students who have not paid fees in full will not be able to complete their enrolment or receive a timetable and will not be allowed to attend class until the fees are paid.
  9. Tuition fees are non-refundable except in cases where:

    (a) a visa is refused due to an error on the part of SOAS or where an unreasonable delay in the visa issuing process means that the student cannot  join the programme. The fees will not be refunded in cases where the student has provided incomplete or incorrect information on the visa application or where the application has been made too late to have a reasonable chance of being processed in time for the student to join the programme. Copies of the visa refusal letter need to be provided if a refund is requested. In the cases above a full refund will be made.

    (b) the student’s circumstances make it impossible for them to start their studies, for example due to serious ill health/Covid or accident, bereavement in the close family or major change in financial circumstances. The request should include evidence (eg medical certificate). In this case the request for a refund must be made before the day the student is due to start their studies and a full refund can be made.

    (c) (FOR PRESESSIONAL STUDENTS ONLY) the student pays for the Presessional and then retakes IELTS and achieves a score which reduces their Presessional requirement (eg from 8 week to 4 week) or achieves a score which means they are no longer required to take a Presessional Course. If IFCELS receives the improved score at least 4 weeks before the start of the course the student had paid for, a refund of the difference in fees will be made. If the improved score reaches IFCELS within 4 weeks of the original course start date, no refund can be made.
  10. No refunds will be made to students whose studies are terminated due to poor attendance or for other reasons. 
  11. Refunds of tuition fees must be requested in the same financial year (1st Aug - 31st July) as the start of the programme
  12. Accommodation is booked directly through the School’s halls of residence provider and SOAS does not take any responsibility for issues resulting from the booking and payment of accommodation.
  13. The School is not involved in accommodation payment refunds. Refunds of accommodation fee payments are subject to the agreement between the student and the accommodation provider.