All students are required to pay their tuition fees in line with the published liability dates provided to you with your offer letter
What will happen if I have a tuition fee debt to the University?
If you have not paid the applicable instalment of your tuition fees within 28 days of the liability date, or has not made alternative arrangements which are acceptable to the University, the University may do one or more of the following:-
- withdraw the facilities of StudyNet and Canvas, which will prevent the student from accessing study materials, submitting assignments or registering for award ceremonies
- withdraw you from your course. If you are an international student this means we will withdraw you visa sponsorship which means you will have to leave the country.
- prevent you from registering to study in future years
- prevent you from attending your graduation ceremony
- refuse to provide results or confer a University award (for international students this means you will not be able to apply for the Graduate Route).
- not examine research students and require them to leave the research programme
- decline to arrange, supervise, or validate placements
The University may also take more formal steps to recover any unpaid tuition fees, such as engaging a debt collection agency and/or commencing legal proceedings. If it does so, the University reserves the right to require the student to pay in addition any costs and expenses (including legal costs) reasonably incurred by the University in recovering the unpaid sums.
The University will withhold examination results but may issue such results in non-standard format to enable you to undertake any referred/deferred assessment. The University will not normally bar you from attending resit examinations, provided that arrangements have been made with Student Finance to pay the fee or other debt.
If you have withdrawn or applied to suspend your studies you will still be contacted to pay any outstanding debt. You will not be entitled to resume your studies or register to study a new course until all outstanding debt has been cleared in full.
If you are an international student please note that once visa sponsorship has been withdrawn it may not be reinstated even if you pay your fees and are permitted to return to study.
Paying outstanding debts
The easiest way to make a payment is online. Alternative ways to make payment can be found on our website.
**If you are blocked from Studynet and Canvas due to debt in Semester A 2023/2024**:
If you are blocked from Studynet and Canvas due to debt in Semester A 2023/2024:
- you should make every effort to make payment as soon as possible and the Studynet block will be subsequently lifted within a 48 hour maximum period.
- you should attend classes
- you should attend any in person assessments and/or examinations
- you will not be able to access learning materials from Canvas and you must not contact staff to get access to these (this is part of the sanction associated with being in debt)
- you will not be able to submit assignments via canvas or take part in online tests. You must not email assignments to staff
- you will not be able to see your results for assessments/examinations as these are released via Canvas and you should not ask staff to let you know your results (this is part of the sanction associated with being in debt)
- when you have paid your debt, the Studynet block will be lifted and you should complete any upcoming assessments
- If you feel strongly that you cannot submit your assessment due to not being able to access learning materials during your block, then do not submit the assessment. A deferral opportunity will be given to you and you can submit next semester. You will see this as a DEF grade on your student profile following the semester A Exam Boards.
- You will not be able to apply for an extension to the assessment deadline on the grounds of the Studynet block so you will need to decide whether to submit by the deadline or accept the automatic deferral opportunity.
It is advisable for you to submit the assessment as taking the deferral will mean extra work next semester on top of your other modules.
Submitting assessments and passing modules at the earliest opportunity is the best situation as potential failure of deferred work may push you beyond the length of your current Visa if you are an International student. Should this happen, this may result in the need to apply for a new student visa or affect the ability to apply for the Graduate Route. Please note there is no guarantee you will be eligible for a new CAS.
Support and Guidance
The University encourages any student unable to pay their tuition fees to contact the University’s Student Finance team, tuition-finance@herts.ac.uk to discuss alternative sources of funding.
If you would like impartial guidance, get in touch with Hertfordshire Students’ Union Advice & Support Centre. Hertfordshire Students’ Union is independent to the University and can provide free and confidential advice for many matters. Contact the Advice & Support Team by telephone: 01707 285022, or e-mail: advice@hertfordshire.su.
If you require emotional support, you may make contact with the University’s Counselling Service in Student Wellbeing on telephone 01707 284453 or email studentwellbeing@herts.ac.uk