Terms and Conditions

Source: https://usic.sheffield.ac.uk/terms-and-conditions Parent: https://usic.sheffield.ac.uk/programmes

Important

In these Terms and conditions, 'we' or 'us' means Study Group Limited, incorporated in England and Wales (Company number 02325576) with its registered office at 21 Station Street, Brighton, BN1 4DE ('Study Group'). References to the 'University' are to University of Sheffield.

Please ensure you read these Terms and Conditions carefully and understand them before signing your final acceptance of a place at the College. These Terms and Conditions, along with any offer letter received from us and the policies referred to below form part of a wider agreement between you and us which will become legally binding once you confirm your acceptance of our offer.

Please note that these Terms and Conditions assume that you are an international (non-UK) student. If you hold dual nationality, you will NOT be permitted to enrol at the College as an international student with the status of a UK student in order to take advantage of lower university tuition fees.

Your attention is also drawn to our Student Protection Plan at the following link that contains important information about how we will mitigate risks affecting your ability to study.

View the Student Protection Plan: https://assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com/95d47d95-36b6-00af-a24c-b886ecdfc4a2/5cff40fc-1a7f-45f5-9ce1-2d7649fe2da3/SG_Student_Protection_Plan_Nov_24.pdf

Please note: an updated version of our Student Protection Plan will be published shortly.

These Terms and Conditions were last updated on 5 January 2026.

Application and confirmation payment

If your application is accepted, a written offer of a place will be made. To accept this offer a confirmation payment is required comprising a non-refundable administration fee of £260 and £1,000 security deposit. Prior to enrolment (and before you apply for your Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (‘CAS’)) you will also need to pay a minimum of £6,000 in advance tuition fees. Please note that certain territories are deemed high risk by UKVI for the issuance of a visa. If your territory is considered high risk, you may be required to pay a higher amount in respect of advance fees. In addition, some courses may be subject to a higher non-refundable confirmation payment. Details will be set out in the individual payment plan attached to your offer letter. Non-payment by the fee deadline may put your place at risk and we reserve the right to not enrol you and withdraw your visa sponsorship if you have failed to make the appropriate payments in accordance with your payment plan. If you do not require a student visa you must pay this sum no later than 3 months before the start date of your programme. You will be required to pay the balance of your first semester’s fees along with accommodation fees (if applicable) no later than 28 days prior to your programme start date, unless otherwise stated in the individualised payment plan in your offer letter.

In the event of an official visa rejection, only one further CAS will be issued in support of a second and final visa application. Full fees for the year must be paid in advance for a second CAS to be issued, but will be refunded in the event of a second visa refusal (unless the visa is refused on account of fraud). We reserve the right not to issue a second CAS if we deem the risk of rejection too great. The issuance of a CAS is subject to meeting certain criteria including, but not limited to, your financial status and, in some cases, a satisfactory interview.

Blended learning and technology requirements

Please note that you will learn through a mixture of as many live teacher-led classes as possible, as well as interactive activities and resources delivered in a virtual learning environment (‘blended learning’).

To access course materials on a Learning Management System/Virtual Learning Environment or platform and undertake assessments, it is important that you come prepared with the appropriate technology. While it is possible to access and interact with most course content using tablets and smartphones such as iPads, iPhones and Android devices, these devices will NOT work for assessments. Therefore you must have a PC or Mac based computer available for use. Please note that Linux, Chromebooks and Windows 10S/11S Mode are not supported.

Minimum recommended specifications:

PC:

• A Microsoft windows-based PC with at least 4GB RAM and 200 MB available free disk space (laptop or desktop, preferably running Windows 10 or 11)
• Web browser: Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (Chromium version)

Mac:

• Mac OS/X 10.13 or a more recent version-based laptop or desktop with at least 4GB RAM and 200 MB available free disk space
• Web browser: Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (Chromium version)

Online teaching sessions will be recorded and you will be reminded of this at the beginning of your course and before each session until the last date of admission to a programme. You may at any time tell us that you do not wish to be recorded by notifying the relevant member of staff. Please note that if you do not consent to the recording of an assessment, this may adversely affect your right to appeal and/or the outcome of any later appeal.

Deferral, Cancellation and Refund Policy

You may defer your programme prior to commencing your study by using the following link:

https://www.studygroup.com/request-deferral

You have a right to cancel your place and receive a full refund of any amounts paid by informing us in writing within 14 days of the date you accept the offer. Please note, if you defer your initial offer of a place after the 14-day period has expired you will NOT be able to cancel your deferred place at a later date to take advantage of a full refund. You may wish to cancel using the following link:

https://www.studygroup.com/request-withdrawal

Our cancellation and refund policies can be accessed at the links below. Your attention is drawn in particular to the circumstances in which £6,000 (or such higher amount as you may have been required to pay) of your advance tuition fees will NOT be refunded:

• If you cancel after a CAS has been issued;
• If you cancel within 8 weeks of the programme start date; and
• If your visa is rejected due to student error or fraud.

Refunds will only be made to the same card/bank account of the individual from whom Study Group received the original payment. Refunds will be made within 90 days of the end of the relevant term.

If you have been issued a CAS and this has been used as part of a visa application for which you have obtained a visa, any applicable refund will only be made if you if you can provide sufficient evidence that may include, but not be limited to:

• Proof that you have not used your student visa to travel to the UK, such as a complete copy of your passport’s pages; or
• Proof that you have left the UK to return to your home country, such as copies of relevant boarding passes and passport copies showing the appropriate entry/exit stamps.

Refunds will be made after calculating any damages, disbursements due or any other incidental fees or charges.

Should you decide not to pursue your place on a programme for any reason after a CAS has been issued (regardless of whether you have yet obtained a visa), no monies will be refunded unless there are exceptional circumstances as set out in the refund policy below.

If you have not been issued a CAS or received a student visa, please refer to the full Pre-Visa Refund Policy below:

UK Pre-visa Refund Policy

For students who have not yet been issued a CAS or who have been issued a CAS but not yet received a student visa.

Notes:

• If you defer your initial offer of a place to a later programme start date after the 14-day cooling off period has expired (i.e. more than 14 days after accepting the offer) you will NOT be able to cancel your deferred place at a later date to take advantage of a full refund
• The unused portion of any Study Care Insurance payments will be fully refunded upon student cancellation – see “Personal Insurance” section below

Where a CAS or visa has been issued, please refer to the UK EU In-flight and Post Commencement Refund Policy below:

UK – EU In-flight and Post-Commencement Refund Policy

In-flight Refund Policy (applicable to students intending to study in the UK only)

• Students will be considered to be in-flight either:
• when they have been issued a student visa and are about to travel to the UK; or
• have travelled to the UK, but not yet commenced their Programme nor arrived at the College and attended any induction, registration, or teaching activities.
• Students who have travelled to their country of study by means of a student visa sponsored by Study Group but do not arrive at the College or commence their Programme will be considered to be Absent Without Leave (AWOL).
• Any student who has been issued a visa or a CAS that has been used as part of a visa application for which you have obtained a visa will not be provided any applicable refund until sufficient evidence has been provided. This may include, but is not limited to: -
• Proof of leaving the UK and returning in their home country (such as copies of boarding pass or passport pages showing the appropriate entry/exit stamps); or
• Proof of not having left their home country to travel to their chosen country of study, such as copies of all pages in their passport

IMPORTANT

Students who arrive in the UK on a student visa and claim asylum or apply to switch their immigration / visa  status will NOT be issued a refund of any amounts paid unless there are exceptional circumstances, assessed on case by case basis by Study Group.

Post-Commencement Refund Policy (Applicable to all UK/EU students)

• Students are considered to have commenced their Programme once they have arrived at the College and attended any induction, registration or teaching activities.

• In the event that Study Group is unable to complete the teaching of a paid for programme of study, Study Group will pay any reasonable and demonstrable incremental costs incurred by the student completing the same or a comparable programme of study within Study Group or its affiliates.
• In the event that Study Group is unable to complete the teaching of a paid for programme of study and no alternative arrangements are available to complete the same or a comparable programme of study within Study Group or its affiliates, Study Group will refund all tuition/accommodation/living fees/expenses paid for incomplete programmes of study.

IMPORTANT

Students who arrive in the UK on a student visa and claim asylum or apply to switch their immigration / visa  status will NOT be issued a refund of any amounts paid unless there are exceptional circumstances,  assessed on case by case basis by Study Group.

Notes:\ (1) £260/€260 Administration Fee is never refunded\ (2) For accommodation, refer to your tenancy agreement or accommodation refund policy\ (3) StudyCare Insurance will be charged by week up to the date of withdrawal, and the unused balance calculated from the date of cancellation will be refunded

Please read the refund policies carefully and note in particular the circumstances in which advance tuition fees will NOT be refunded.

Accommodation

Should you decide to book accommodation through Study Group, additional charges may also be made for such items as accommodation security deposits, bedding packs and accommodation-specific insurance. You will be advised of these charges under a separate accommodation agreement at the time of booking. Residential accommodation is subject to availability and early confirmation is advised. For more information on accommodation during your period of study, please contact: USIC.CSS@studygroup.com

Please note you must choose appropriate accommodation within the published commutable distance (60 minutes) from the College.

For accommodation cancellations and refunds, please refer to your individual tenancy agreement.

College Tuition fees

Admission to programmes and your continued enrolment at the College is dependent on all tuition fees having been paid by the required date.

You will be required to pay the balance of your first semester’s fees along with accommodation fees (if applicable) no later than 28 days prior to your programme start date.

After starting your programme, fees for the second semester (and any subsequent semesters) must be paid in full no later than two months before the start of the second semester.

Reasonable efforts are always made to keep fees to the minimum that is consistent with the provision of a modern and efficient teaching programme. However, fee increases may become necessary from time to time in order to maintain educational and location standards, updated research, in line with the Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) index, or following a change in law or regulation. You will be notified in advance of any increase, but we will not increase fees during the course of an academic year. Please refer to the Post Commencement Refund Policy should you choose the withdraw on the basis of fee increases.

If payments become overdue, we reserve the right to suspend or cancel tuition and to charge interest on the balance at the rate of 2% above the base rate of NatWest bank per month or part thereof. We also reserve the right to terminate your studies and withdraw sponsorship of your student visa. Please refer to the Post-Commencement Refund Policy for further details.

Provision of tuition

Pre-commencement

The College will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver all programmes described in our prospectus and other marketing materials. However circumstances may change due to factors beyond our reasonable control and it may be necessary to vary the content of a programme. We will use reasonable endeavours to ensure that any changes are kept to a minimum, but if we are required to make material changes to a programme before your arrival at the College we shall inform you as soon as possible. If you reasonably believe that the changes will affect you adversely, you may transfer to an alternative programme at the College for which you are qualified or withdraw your application without any liability for fees (including the enrolment fee).

If there are not sufficient applicants either to make a programme viable or to deliver a quality student experience, we may cancel or withdraw a programme. If you receive an offer for a programme and we discontinue or withdraw that programme prior to your registration at the College we will notify you as soon as possible and you will be given the opportunity to either change your programme of study or withdraw from the College. In such circumstances you will be eligible for a full refund of any fees paid to us. Please also be aware that certain programmes are extremely popular and have limited spaces available, therefore it is important that you confirm your place as soon as possible after receiving an offer. Failure to do so may result in your being unable to register on your chosen programme and you may be offered an alternative programme of study.

Programme commencement date

You must ensure that you arrive on campus and are ready to start by the programme start date. You will not be admitted to your programme if you arrive after the programme start date, unless there are exceptional circumstances that have been agreed with Study Group in advance. If you are unable to arrive by the programme start date or are unlikely to obtain a visa in time to travel to the College by the programme start date, you must contact our Admissions Team who will advise on the options available to you.

Academic criteria

Acceptance on a programme is subject to students meeting the defined entry requirements and the College’s criteria for English Language proficiency.

Students are accepted into the College on the strict understanding that progression through the programme is conditional upon satisfactory and required attendance and successful attainment of prescribed performance targets as outlined to you at the beginning of your programme. The assessment will take into consideration:

• Programme work assignments
• Internal examination results
• Attendance
• Commitment to study

Students who do not meet the attainment criteria will not be allowed to proceed with their original programme, but may be offered an alternative programme or invited to withdraw from the College.

Termination of studies

Your attention is drawn to the following non—exhaustive list of circumstances in which we may terminate your studies:

• Insufficient attendance in line with our Attendance Policy (in accordance with UKVI requirements)
• Failure to provide evidence of your eligibility to study in the UK (in line with UKVI requirements)
• Serious breach of required standards of conduct as further set out in our Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Policy
• Multiple chargebacks in respect of any attempted payment of fees or any attempt to pay fees by fraudulent means  (including, but not limited to, the use of a stolen credit or debit card)

Study plan changes

All students’ English and numeracy skills will be tested on arrival. If your results differ materially from those in your home country, for example as a result of not having been tested for a long time the College may discuss an alternative study plan more appropriate to your English and numeracy level. We would rather you succeed on an appropriate study programme than struggle on a programme beyond your levels of English and numeracy.

Personal insurance

Accident and Medical insurance

We recommend that all students have appropriate accident and medical insurance for the duration of their study in the UK. Depending on the policy, insurance may cover otherwise non-refundable programme fees in the event of cancellation. You may either take out our StudyCare Insurance policy or cover with an alternative provider. Further information about StudyCare Insurance Policy can be found at the following link: http://www.studygroup.com/land/studycare. Cover under the StudyCare Insurance policy will not commence until the insurance fees have been paid in full. Should you cancel your programme, you will also need to notify us at your ISC Central Student Support email address that you wish to cancel your insurance policy.

Personal belongings and contents insurance

While the College takes all reasonable precautions to ensure the safety and security of students at the University, we cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to students’ personal property. All students are, therefore, advised to take out a contents insurance policy.

Withdrawal from the Programme

Once you have commenced your programme, a minimum of one term’s notice in writing is required to withdraw from your programme, whether or not you continue to attend lessons. Please refer to our UK EU In-Flight and Post-Commencement Refund Policy above.

Notice of withdrawal must be given in writing or by email to the College Head and is effective from the date it is received. You may use the following link:

https://www.studygroup.com/request-withdrawal

Accounts procedures

Payments

Payment can be made to Study Group using a number of payment options via our payment platform. Access to this platform can be found at https://usic.sheffield.ac.uk/how-to-apply/fees/how-to-pay using your unique student access code.

Please note that we are NOT able to accept cash payments for fees. Cash payments may only be made to cover sundry charges that may arise during your programme.

If you choose to pay in your local currency a foreign exchange rate will apply. The applicable exchange rate can be viewed online as at the time and date of the payment. Bank charges and commission for both the sending and receiving banks should be paid by the sender of funds or they will be applied to the student’s account.

Accounts communications will be sent both to you and the person responsible for paying the fees unless written instructions are received to the contrary.

Other charges

No other incidental costs will be charged to your account unless you agree to them separately. These may include, for example, field trips, text books and vacation accommodation. Fees relating to sponsor reporting and additional support classes for sponsored students are included in the tuition fees set out in your personal statement and are not charged separately.

Data protection

For information on how Study Group processes your personal data, please refer to our Student Privacy Notice, a copy of which may be found at the following: https://www.studygroup.com/student-privacy-notice.

Please note that we reserve the right to update the Student Privacy Notice from time to time.

Variation

These Terms and Conditions will apply to you from the date on which you accept our offer of a place at the College and for the duration of your study there. No variation to these Terms and Conditions shall be made unless expressly provided in these Terms and Conditions or is with your consent.

UK government bodies

We are obliged to report, on request, visa status, attendance records and UK contact details to relevant UK government bodies. Study at the University is conditional upon you complying with all policies of UK government bodies at all times. If you wish to continue your studies in the UK after studying at the University, you may need to reapply for a visa from outside the UK. Please ensure you check UKVI policy guidance at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration for further information.

Complaints

It is recognised that students, their parents or their representatives may sometimes need to make a complaint about the services received during the application and admissions process. Study Group has a complaints service for this purpose. If you wish to make a complaint at any time, in the first instance you should refer the issue to Study Group admissions who will discuss the problem with you and attempt to resolve it. If we are not able to resolve an issue in this way, you should formally raise a complaint by email to: UKEUISCQUERIES@studygroup.com. Please include the following information in your email:

• State explicitly that you wish to make a formal complaint
• Include your name and student identification number or Admissions case number
• Give a general description of the complaint and the dates on which any events occurred
• Provide the names or positions of any members of staff or third parties directly relevant to the complaint
• We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 48 hours, and we aim to formally respond within 5 working days.

Post-registration Complaints and Appeals

The University seeks at all times to provide the highest possible level of service and quality of student experience. However, there may be occasions when a student feels that the level has not been good enough. For those, we have a Complaints and Appeals Policy that sets out how a student can formalise a complaint if it cannot be resolved less formally. The policy also sets out the procedures for making an academic appeal. This document makes clear the criteria against which an appeal can be lodged and what a student needs to do if she or he wishes to pursue an appeal.

Please refer to the Student Complaints & Appeals Policy for more information: https://assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com/95d47d95-36b6-00af-a24c-b886ecdfc4a2/921e0255-7553-4d73-be93-a8df14903a14/SG_policy_Student_Complaints_and_Appeals_v2.0_Aug_2025.pdf

Any dispute, claim or other matter arising will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the laws and courts in England and Wales.

Communication

Please provide us with personal e-mail addresses and mobile telephone numbers before beginning your studies so that we can communicate with you at all times (for example, to send you student reports). Please also advise your ISC Central Student Support of any changes to your contact details as soon as they occur.

Acceptance and Indemnity

Your acceptance (or acceptance by your parent or legal guardian if you are under 18 years of age) of a place to study at the University, indicates that you:

• Give consent to the administration of first aid and give permission for medical, dental or optical and emergency hospital treatment when required
• Have given full details of any learning difference, disability or health condition including any medicines currently being taken by you to manage any ongoing medical condition.
• Will support the University in ensuring the student meets attendance requirements, upholds expectations of behaviour and engages in any support plan; cooperating with the University
• should these not be met.
• Agree to the following indemnity: 'In consideration of the Head of College/College Director agreeing to make arrangements for and to authorise members of the staff of the College to take you from time to time on expeditions outside the Campus, you (or your parent or legal guardian as the case may be) hereby undertake to indemnify the Head of College/College Director and such members of the staff against:
• any claims, damages or costs which they or any of them may be or become liable to pay in consequence of any injury/damage or illness occurring during or as a result of any of the said expeditions;
• any claims by any third party which may be made against them or any of them in consequence of any act or default on your part during or as a result of any of the said expeditions.
• any other costs and expenses reasonably incurred by them or any of them your behalf during or as a result of any of the said expeditions.

Provided that the indemnity herein shall not extend to any claims, damages, costs or expenses in respect of and to the extent to which the College and member(s) of the staff or any of them shall be entitled to be indemnified under any policy of insurance or as may arise as a result of negligence causing injury or death.

Without this indemnity, you may not take part in any expedition organised by the College.

External Educational Oversight

Study Group’s International Study College network is registered in the UK by the Office for Students (OfS). UKPRN 10008098.

Important

These Terms and Conditions apply to all bookings commencing after 5 January 2026. For bookings made prior to that date, please contact your admissions co-ordinator or the College staff to obtain a copy of the relevant terms and conditions and refund policies which apply to your contract with us.

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