ETC International College
Welcoming international students since 1989
Airline policies regarding young travellers change often. Ensure you check the current rules and regulations that apply at the time of booking flights and other travel arrangements.
When a student arrives in the UK, he or she will be asked to show:
When a student’s enrolment is accepted, ETC will send the following items:
We can only send the Letter of Acceptance after we have received full fees or an indication from the ETO that they have received full fees.
Airline policies regarding young travellers change often. Ensure you check the current rules and regulations that apply at the time of booking flights and other travel arrangements.
When a student arrives in the UK, he or she will be asked to show:
We require there to be at least four students enrolled on a course in order to be able to run that course. If there are fewer than four students enrolled for a course, ETC will inform the contracting party in good time. If ETC is unable to offer another suitable language course, fees already paid will be refunded in full, thereby excluding any further liability on the part of ETC.
While ETC aims to maintain a balanced mix of student nationalities in each class, we cannot guarantee this.
ETC assesses each potential student wishing to embark on a course of study on an individual basis. This individual assessment also applies to those students with learning/language difficulties and/or disabilities.
Disclosure of medical conditions or educational needs that could affect a student’s course of study at ETC is a mandatory requirement and should be made during the enrolment process.
Any student arriving with a serious medical or psychological condition that has not previously been reported or which requires exceptional staff supervision may be sent home with no refund of fees.
Junior students will only be accepted on a course once we have received a signed Enrolment Form and Parental Consent Form wherein consent is given to ETC to act on the parent / guardian’s behalf in the case of a medical emergency.
Individuals
Groups
The minimum age for our Special Purpose courses is 18. They require an Intermediate level of English. Students wishing to take an English for Special Purposes, Examination Preparation course or Further Education course (e.g. Business Studies) will normally require an Intermediate level of English. Students wishing to take one of these courses will be required to take a test to ensure that their level is sufficient for their proposed course. Students may be required to take a course of English langage studies before beginning their English for Special Purposes, Examination Preparation or Further Education course if their level is not sufficient to enter their proposed course.
Fees published by ETC are subject to change without notice.
Full fees must be received by ETC at least 4 weeks before the course commences.
If registration is accepted fewer than four weeks before the start of the course, full payment should be made immediately.
Course fees are calculated in full weeks and any part of a week is considered a full week in terms of fees.
No compensation, fee reductions, refunds, credit, additional lessons or extension of the course can be given:
ETC reserves the right to make fee adjustments as a result of changes in exchange rates or statutory taxes.
All bank charges must be met by the student.
Students may be refused entry to classes if full payment has not been made. Deposits and fees are not transferable from person to person.
Clients should notify ETC of intended cancellation of their course(s) at least 21 days before their course is due to begin. Any refunds will be given at the sole discretion of the Director and any documents issued by ETC must be returned in order to obtain this refund.
If a student wishes to cancel an enrolment less than 21 days before the start of a course, a minimum of 2 weeks’ tuition and accommodation fees are payable to ETC.
A ‘cooling off’ period of 14 days after the booking has been made is in place, where clients may request a full refund.
No refund is payable once a student has started his or her course.
No refund is payable for national holidays during the course.
No refund is payable if a student is expelled.
If a student does not arrive to start their course on the arranged date, no refunds are payable and acceptance of the student onto the remainder of the course is at the discretion of the Director.
If you are unable to complete the course because of serious illness or family bereavement, documentary evidence may be requested. Such refunds shall still be at the discretion of the Director.
Refunds cannot be processed until ETC has been paid in full for all services booked.
When booking through an agency/commercial representative, the terms and conditions of that agency also apply and you must contact that agency if you would like to change your booking. The ETC Conditions of Enrolment as stated here remain applicable.
ETC expects each student to complete the course of study that he or she has booked. Visa nationals must leave the United Kingdom at the end of their studies. Students must notify ETC if they will be unable to start their course on the date stated in their confirmation letter. They should give a valid reason for the delay as ETC is obliged to report this information to the Home Office. Any unauthorised absences could result in expulsion from ETC. Students must notify ETC of any changes to their plans. These reporting rules only apply to students from outside the EU.
Students are advised to take out personal insurance against inability to attend or continue a course for medical or compassionate reasons, as no refunds can be given in such circumstances.
The client is accepted on the understanding that he or she will stay for the duration of the course.
ETC has the right to expel a student for misconduct or unsatisfactory work or attendance.
Holidays are granted on a case by case basis and at the discretion of the college. You MUST notify the college before taking a holiday. You are not permitted to take a holiday if you are a junior student (under 18 years old) unless you have parental permission which must be signed and approved by the college. If you fail to attend your course you will not be issued the ETC certificate at the end of your course if your attendance falls below the minimum level.
Students who are sponsored under the Student Route visa system cannot take holidays unless they were requested at the time of their booking (and are accepted by the Home Office).
Students who take un-arranged holidays will lose that part of their course affected, no refunds or extensions will be given and their absence from lessons will be shown on the class register.
Holidays may not be taken during fixed-term Examination Preparation or English for Special Purposes courses.
Students should aim to attend at least 80% of classes. In persistent cases of low attendance, students may be asked to leave ETC. The following procedure will be followed:
Students are issued with an ETC certificate on successful completion of their course. For misplaced or lost ETC or exam certificates, students can contact ETC for a replacement.
In the event of the student’s death or illness, ETC accepts no liability unless the cause is shown to be negligence by its staff.
ETC does not accept liability for the loss of a client’s property or for extra expenses incurred by circumstances beyond our control, including strikes, sickness, riots, war, etc.
ETC does not hold insurance to cover students against doctors’ fees, hospital or drug expenses or loss of baggage, loss of money or damage to property (including the property of a homestay) by students. Students are advised to take out full insurance to cover these risks and to ensure that they are repatriated in the event of serious accidents, illness or death. Students are strongly advised to take out full insurance in his or her own country as protection against losing money through leaving a course early due to illness or for personal reasons.
In signing the Enrolment Form, you agree to absolve ETC of all possible liabilities which may arise if you do not take out adequate insurance cover. A condition of the contract between the student (or their parent / guardian in the case of junior students) and ETC or its representative is that neither ETC nor its representative shall be held liable to the student, parent or guardian in the event of any service booked by them becoming impossible to supply by reason of industrial dispute, war, terrorism, natural disaster or any other cause outside of their control.
All junior students must abide and agree to ETC’s Online Safety documentation. Agreement to this policy is provided upon submitting an enrolment to ETC. To view this document again, please click here.
If a student’s visa application is turned down and the student cannot therefore attend a course at ETC as scheduled, any fees paid by the student will be refunded minus the enrolment fee, any fees already paid out to a third party and any bank transfer fees. Any refunds will be given at the sole discretion of the Director.
If a student is refused a visa for having presented forged or falsified documents as part of his or her application, no refunds will be made.
In order to obtain this refund, the student must return the:
The above documents must be sent by the student or their ETO and received by ETC within 6 months of the date of refusal.
ETC requires all students to pay the full fees before a visa letter / CAS is issued as a demonstration of the student’s intention to follow the course and no refunds are offered to students once a visa has been issued.
If a student is refused a visa for having presented forged or falsified documents as part of his or her application, no refunds will be made. Students who withdraw early from their courses, fail to arrive for their courses, fail to attend classes or otherwise do not meet their obligations under the terms of their visa will be reported to the Home Office according to the prevailing regulatory system.
Friends or relatives wishing to take a junior student out during the course should liaise with the Course Director or their delegate.
We can only secure accommodation once we have received full payment. Students may lose their room or may have to change accommodation if payment has not been received for their booking(s).
Homestay accommodation can only be booked firmly once ETC receives confirmation that the student has obtained a visa. Obtaining a visa may take several months so it is very important that the student applies for their visa well in advance.
Students extending their accommodation may be required to change room or accommodation if their room is no longer available.
ETC may make changes to room allocations during your stay to prioritise safeguarding and welfare arrangements
Homestays
ETC acts solely as an ETO in the provision of homestay accommodation for students, not as principal. Accommodation is normally arranged from midday on Sunday until midday on the following Sunday each week.
Homestays normally include bed, breakfast and an evening meal from Monday to Friday. Additionally, it includes lunches or packed lunches on Saturdays and Sundays. Students are responsible for keeping their rooms tidy and making their own beds.
Allocation of students to homestays: ETC will try to find the kind of family that the student has asked for on the Enrolment Form. We will do our best to meet all of the student’s preferences (subject to availability).
Students must pay for at least 1 week’s accommodation 4 weeks in advance; ETC does not arrange the accommodation until this is paid. If students do not stay in this accommodation, they lose a £100 cancellation fee, plus one week’s accommodation fee.
Length of stay: If the student is not sure how long he or she would like to stay in the homestay, he or she should give an estimated number of weeks and stay in the accommodation until then. It is usually possible to extend the stay after the student has arrived (subject to availability).
Arrival time: Students must inform their homestay of their expected arrival time at least 5 days before they travel. Please note that homestays may not accept students arriving after 12pm midnight.
Problems: If students have a problem with their accommodation, they should tell the Accommodation Officer.
Changing accommodation: If students want to change their accommodation for their own reasons, a week’s notice and a cancellation fee of £100 is required.
If students want to shorten their course at ETC, they must leave their homestay accommodation. They may not make a private arrangement with their homestay.
If students at ETC wish to arrange their own accommodation, they must give ETC their new address.
ETC is obliged by law to keep students’ accommodation details so that they can provide this information to authorities including the Home Office.
Where possible, extra nights’ accommodation at the start and finish of the course may be arranged according to the prices in our dates and fees document.
Residential accommodation:
A credit card authorisation of £200 is required on arrival to act as a deposit. If no credit card is available, an alternative will be requested. We require at least 1 week of accommodation to be paid at the time of booking. We can only secure accommodation for the period that has been paid for in full.
Students may lose their room or may have to change accommodation if payment has not been received for their booking(s).
Students extending their accommodation may be required to change room or accommodation if their room is no longer available.
No refunds are given after the student’s date of arrival. If a student leaves the residence early a credit will be placed on their account for them to redeem their residence booking at a later date (subject to availability), valid for up to a year from the date of issue.
ETC reserves the right to request that a student leaves the residence, with no refund payable, if he or she fails to respect the residence rules.
Please view the full Terms and Conditions for the ETC Residence.
If students are not satisfied with any part of our service, they should speak to reception or email us using the contact form. Our aim is to ensure that students are able to benefit from their time at ETC and we will do our best to resolve any problems.
The Conditions of Enrolment are valid from July 2015 until further notice and are subject to English law. The English language version of these conditions is legally binding in all cases and replaces all previous versions. In cases of dispute, English law applies.
