Guidelines for the management of tuition fees paid by students liable for tuition fees for study programmes and courses at KTH

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1 Guidelines for the management of tuition fees paid by students liable for tuition fees for study programmes and courses at KTH Background The Parliament has decided that registration fees and tuition fees for students from countries outside the EU/EEA region (third-country students) shall be introduced. Provisions concerning this have been issued in the Ordinance concerning application fees and tuition fees at higher education institutions (2010:543). As a result of this, in the future the University will have both students who are exempt from tuition fees and students who are liable for tuition fees who attend the course/programme. As support for this change, the guidelines below have been established. 1. The scope of tuition fee liability 1.1 Citizens from countries outside the EU/EES Citizens in countries outside the EEA region and Switzerland shall pay tuition fees for studies at KTH which they have applied for and been admitted to and which are planned to be conducted after In cases where KTH has commissioned the Swedish Agency for Higher Education Services (VHS) to administer admission, VHS investigates whether there is a liability for individual students to pay tuition fees. The decision of VHS applies as KTH's decision. When local admission takes place, the decision on liability to pay tuition fees is taken by KTH (the head of admissions and degrees upon delegation by the President) Exceptions Under certain circumstances, students can be exempted from the liability to pay registration and tuition fees. These exemptions are specified in the Ordinance concerning application fees and tuition fees at higher education institutions (2010:543). A student liable for tuition fees may complete a course or a study programme without paying tuition fees if the course or training programme started before 1 July However, if the studies have not been completed by 31 December 2018, the fees shall be paid for the period thereafter. A student liable for tuition fees may be admitted to a course and complete it without paying registration or tuition fees if the course commenced after 1 June 2011 but is completed by 31 August The legal relationship of students liable for tuition fees with KTH Irrespective of the fact that students pay tuition fees for studies at KTH, there is no civil contract between students and the institute of higher education. This means that no contract shall be signed or deemed to be concluded with the student and the rights and obligations of KTH and students comply with the same public-law regulations which govern KTH's operations in general. This means, inter alia, that the rules of the Administrative Procedure Act, Higher Education Act, Higher Education Ordinance and Personal Data Act apply to KTH's relationship with students liable for 1

2 tuition fees. Furthermore, KTH should take into account that many of its decisions that impact students constitute an exercise of public authority and can often be appealed. KTH must apply the principle of equal treatment in all its operations, which in terms of students liable for tuition fees means that they shall be treated in the same manner as all other students at KTH for all study situations. Students liable for tuition fees at KTH are covered by KTH's internal regulations in the same manner as other students (see 3. Fees at KTH 3.1 Determination of fees The President determines the amount of tuition fees. Tuition fees shall be calculated so that full cost coverage is attained for all operations funded by tuition fees. For each round of admissions, the President shall annually determine the applicable tuition fees. The tuition fees for each round of admissions will be published on the university's website 4. The rights of students who pay tuition fees 4.1 Access to KTH's resources Payment of tuition fees entitles students to teaching and examination within the framework of the study which the person concerned has been admitted to and paid for. For additional information see The right to complete studies In accordance with KTH's current regulations, students have the right to complete the started studies for which tuition fees have been paid, see p 2 in this decision. KTH's current regulations apply for transfer to the next semester/academic year, see It is not possible to change the study programme after tuition fees has been paid. Instead, a new application for admission must be submitted. 4.4 Information concerning amendments etc. Amendments or compensation may be relevant if a student who pays tuition fees believes that KTH is inadequate in terms of conducting of the studies, that the studies do not live up to the promised quality or quantity, that the University has provided misleading information, and/or that the student has been treated incorrectly etc. Based on the fact that the payment of tuition fees by students does not mean that KTH has entered into any contractual relationship with the students, no claim for compensation can be filed against KTH on such grounds. A student's perspective on the quality of 2

3 KTH's studies is handled in the same manner, regardless of whether the student has paid tuition fees. During the assessment of such issues, public law regulations are applied, primarily the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, Higher Education Act and Higher Education Ordinance. Issues concerning possible compensation for damage by KTH are examined by the Office of the Chancellor of Justice following a report by an individual. 5. Information concerning the payment of tuition fees 5.1 The scope of the payment liability In order to be admitted to a study programme, the student shall pay tuition fees equivalent to the first 30 credits of the programme by the deadline determined by KTH. In order to be admitted to an independent course, students pay for the course they have applied for, i.e. the number of applied credits, in accordance with the determined tuition fees and by the deadline determined by KTH. Students who receive a scholarship covering tuition fees from KTH pay the tuition fees for the current semester, following deductions for the scholarship, irrespective of the share of tuition covered by the scholarship, in accordance with the determined tuition fees. Students who complete all their study commitments in less time than the estimated number of semesters are not entitled to reimbursement of tuition fees. Students who as a part of their studies at KTH conduct a part of their studies abroad as exchange students shall pay tuition fees to KTH for that period. 5.2 Liability to pay tuition fees for approved leave from studies and non-completion Students who intend to apply for approved leave from studies shall, in order to avoid liability to pay tuition fees, submit an application for an approved leave from studies to the student counsellor no later than the deadline for payment of tuition fees. The same applies for students who intend to not complete their studies. 5.3 Payment procedures Tuition fees shall be paid for each semester at one occasion before each semester. It is not possible to make partial or full-year payments. Payment of tuition fees shall be made, following notification, via Internet with MasterCard/Visa or alternatively to KTH's postal giro in accordance with information on the invoice. 5.4 Payment deadlines Admitted students Invoicing of tuition fees takes place as soon as possible following selection two. 3

4 The first term's tuition fees shall be received by KTH no later than 31 May for studies starting during the autumn semester and no later than 1 December for studies starting during the spring term. The applicant is informed about the payment deadline for tuition fees and the consequence of nonpayment by the customer's invoice, which is sent to the admitted student via Active students Active students on study programmes shall pay tuition fees one month prior to the start of the autumn/spring semester, i.e. 1 August and 15 December, following notification by KTH. 5.5 The consequence of non-payment If payment of tuition fees is not made within the stipulated time period, a payment reminder will be sent immediately following the due date and will include a payment deadline of one week. No latepayment fine will be issued. The payment reminder shall always contain a notification that suspension will occur if the payment of tuition fees is not made within the stipulated time period. If payment has not been received within one week after the payment reminder has been sent, the student is considered as not fulfilling his/her liability to pay tuition fees. A student who has been admitted to a study programme or course at KTH who does not fulfil his/her liability to pay the first tuition fees within the stipulated time period loses his/her place in the programme. A student who does not pay the tuition fees within one week following the payment reminder is suspended from further education. The decision on suspension is taken by the principal administrative officer. The decision on suspension of a student who has not paid tuition fees enters into force immediately and applies until full payment is made. Suspension due to a late payment does not constitute an entitlement to reduced fees. The decision on suspension due to non-payment shall be accompanied by instructions on how to appeal and may be appealed to the Higher Education Appeals Board (ÖHN). 6. Information concerning the reimbursement of tuition fees It is not possible to reimburse tuition fees for a semester which has already started; however, exceptions apply in certain cases in accordance with the following. 6.1 Rejection of residence permit Students who have paid tuition fees but are not granted a residence permit for Sweden and for whom the admission process is terminated are entitled to reimbursement of the entire tuition fees, excluding transaction fees. 6.2 Cancellation If students provide a notice of cancellation before 1 August of the the first semester's start, half of the paid tuition fees excluding transaction fees will be reimbursed. 6.3 Special reasons 4

5 It is possible to apply for reimbursement of the tuition fees for the ongoing semester in the event of a serious illness or death of the student, the student's partner or immediate family member. The application for reimbursement of tuition fees, including the attached documentation, shall be submitted in writing to the student counsellor for processing. The decision is taken by the principal administrative officer. Reimbursement can be made for the amount which is equivalent to the nonutilised share of paid tuition fees for the current semester. 6.4 Courses with credit transfer Students in study programmes who have been granted credit transfer for courses from another institute of higher education as a part of their studies at KTH are entitled to repayment of tuition fees to the extent corresponding to the courses with credit transfer. 6.5 Cancelled study programme or course Students are entitled to repayment of the entire tuition fees if KTH cancels the study programme or course which students have applied for before the start of the studies. 7. Suspension of students in accordance with Chapter 10 of the Higher Education Ordinance Disciplinary action may be taken against students in accordance with Chapter 10 of the Higher Education Ordinance. Such cases are processed and decided by the University's Disciplinary Board. No distinction is made between students who are liable for tuition fees and students exempt from tuition fees. The Disciplinary Board's decision can be appealed to the Administrative Court. Suspension from studies following a decision by KTH's Disciplinary Board does not constitute an entitlement to reimbursement of tuition fees. 8. Expulsion of students A student may be expelled from the study programme if the student suffers from a mental disturbance, alcohol or drug abuse or has been guilty of a serious crime and, as a result of any of these conditions, there is a real risk that the student may harm another person or damage valuable property during the course of the education. Such cases are processed and decided by the Higher Education Expulsions Board (HAN) following a report from the University. A decision on expulsion from studies does not constitute an entitlement to reimbursement of tuition fees. 5