Agent Handbook January 2014

Transcription

1 Agent Handbook January

2 Agents of the University of Cumbria We are very pleased to welcome you to our network of agents of the University of Cumbria. The University expects all of its agents to demonstrate compatibility with the University s mission and values, and to contribute to strengthening its international reputation. It expects agents to adhere to a number of overarching principles, as follows: 1. To undertake their business ethically and responsibly, and without discrimination: Acting in the best interests of the University and the student at all times Acting professionally and honestly at all times Being transparent in declaring fees, deposits and commissions in relation to both the agent s business and the University Forming clear and unambiguous written agreements with clients Carrying out all financial transactions honestly and transparently Providing clear avenues for student complaints Complying with relevant laws and regulations, including the Bribery Act To provide full, accurate, current and honest information that enables a student to make informed choices: Representing the University faithfully, never omitting or exaggerating any aspect to secure a registration Using the University s official and approved publicity materials and website to inform students and parents Being clear with students about their obligations under the terms of their student visa and the serious consequences of non-compliance 3. Where applicable, to protect the interests of minors: Ensuring that prospective students under the age of 18 have adequate representation and support from a parent, teacher or guardian during consultations Ensuring that the client has legal capacity to enter into any agreement 4. To act professionally adopting best practice in all dealings on behalf of the University: 2

3 Participating in training courses and professional development Becoming part of professional associations and networks to support best practice in recruitment. Keeping abreast of UK Home Office regulations and best practice within the sector. Keeping abreast of developments within, and provision of, the University, paying periodic visits to the University for training. The Agent Contract Your agent contract has been awarded for a period of 3 years, although a review is conducted annually in October, following the main registration period. The annual review of agents takes account of the following: Number of students recruited, against agreed target Visa refusal rate Non-arrival / drop-out rate Feedback from students Where performance does not meet the standards expected by the University, any matters for concern will be discussed with the agent and the contract will be allowed to continue under certain conditions, or the contract may be terminated. Promotion of the University The University will provide you with information and materials to assist in your promotion of the University and to provide accurate information for students. The design, text and any data of any publicity being undertaken by the agent must be approved in advance by the University s Marketing Department. No use may be made of the University logo without written authority from the University. Specifically, agents may not use the logo on business cards, office stationery, and signage or on signature blocks within s. Recruitment Requirements The UK Home Office requires us to provide them with a list of our agents. Poor recruitment practices reflect badly on the University and equally on the agent. It is therefore in your interests and ours to recruit only the best students, who we are confident, will complete their programme and return home. 3

4 The University requires that its agents will recruit only genuine students who have a strong motivation and the financial means to complete the chosen course of study. In addition, agents must be fully satisfied that students have both the academic and language skills to complete the course of study. The agent must also interrogate the prospective student s immigration history to identify previous study within the UK and any immigration transgressions e.g. overstaying, failure to attend. Under no circumstances should the agent recruit any students whose prime motivation is to work in the UK. This implies that the agent or an experienced member of staff conducts an indepth interview with each prospective student, and follow-up interviews, as required. Where doubts exist, the agent must discuss these with the University so that a joint decision can be made on the applicant. If any matters of concern arise following submission of an application, these must be referred to the University immediately. Information for Students The University adopts best practice in the recruitment of international students as laid out by the Quality Assurance Agency. A check list of the minimum information we expect you to provide to prospective students is at Appendix 1. Applications and the Application Process Agents are encouraged to assist students in completing their applications forms accurately, truthfully and completely. However, under no circumstances should an agent complete the form on the student s behalf or prepare a personal statement on behalf of the student. Applications that appear not to have been completed by the student will be rejected and a warning will be issued to the agent. Agents are expected to check references to ensure they relate to the individual applicant and are not standard institutional testimonials. Before submission of the application form, we ask our agents to check the following: That the student has the motivation to undertake the chosen course of study. That the student is committed to living within a short distance of the University and has seriously researched and considered accommodation options. That the student has the financial means to complete the full course of study. That the student is committed and able to paying 75% minimum of the tuition fee at registration. 4

5 That the form has been fully completed. (It may appear long, but all of the information is required before we can process the application.) That the application is supported by notarised copies of certificates. The student s immigration history to ensure there have been no visa refusals previously, no immigration transgressions e.g. overstaying, and that any student who has previously studied in the UK has sufficient allowable time to complete the programme s/he has applied for. Please do not submit applications that are incomplete or lack supporting documentation. Incomplete or unsupported applications will not be processed. Once a completed application has been received, we aim to provide a decision to the student, copied to the agent, within 48 hours for the majority of our programmes. There are exceptions to this target, i.e. where we require the Faculty teaching staff to review portfolios, where interviews are required etc. Fees and Early-payment Discount Current tuition fees can be found on the International Fees page on our website. Tuition fees are due on or before the first day of Welcome Week. Students must pay the minimum instalment of 3500 on their first day; if you have any doubts about a student s ability or willingness to pay this minimum instalment, the student should be advised not to apply. If a self-funding student decides to pay the full annual tuition fee on the first day of Welcome Week, we will offer a discount of This discount is not available to students in receipt of a scholarship or who are funded by an external organisation or employer. Please advise applicants that, if they arrive late, it will not be possible to take advantage of the discount; however, they can still take advantage of the discount if they pay the full fee in advance, in one of the following ways: By bank transfer directly into the University s bank account: Bank Name Barclays Bank Address Leicester, Leicestershire LE87 2BB Bank Account Sort Code SWIFT Code BARCGB22 IBAN GB93BARC By Debit or Credit Card by calling the University Finance team on one of the following numbers:

6 Fee Deposit Policy Who pays a deposit? All new international students applying for a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate programme are required to pay a fee deposit before receiving an unconditional offer or Confirmation of Acceptance for Study (CAS). Amount of Deposit New international students will pay a deposit of 3500 minimum. How Students Should Pay Deposits must be paid in pounds sterling. following ways: Applicants can pay in one of the By banker s draft made out to The University of Cumbria and sent directly to the University or via its approved agent. Applicants should be advised to write their full name, student number and course on the back of the banker s draft. The draft should be forwarded by courier to: International Admissions University of Cumbria Fusehill Street Carlisle CA1 2HH By bank transfer directly into the University s bank account: Bank Name Barclays Bank Address Leicester, Leicestershire LE87 2BB Bank Account Sort Code SWIFT Code BARCGB22 IBAN GB93BARC By Debit or Credit Card by calling the University Finance team on one of the following numbers: Pre-sessional Courses and Deposits If students are required to attend a pre-sessional course, they will need to pay the full fee for the pre-sessional course in addition to the deposit that forms part payment of the main programme fee. The University will not issue the 6

7 unconditional offer or CAS until both the deposit & full pre-sessional fees are paid. If a student on the 11-week pre-sessional fails to progress on academic grounds, the full deposit for the substantive programme will be repaid. If a student on either the 5-week or 11-week pre-sessional fails to progress as a result of non-attendance, poor attendance or lack of effort, the deposit for the substantive programme will NOT be repaid. The University will inform the UK Home Office within the required timescale where there is evidence that a student has paid the deposit, travelled to the UK but not attended registration. Refund of Deposits A refund of the deposits will be considered ONLY where a student has been refused a visa. Students may apply for a refund by sending copies of the official visa refusal notification from the British Embassy or High Commission, together with passport details. The University reserves the right to verify details with the Embassy or High Commission. Where the University decides to make a refund of the deposit, this will be refunded in pounds Sterling to the person who originally made the payment. The University will transfer the deposit in the most cost-effective way but will not be liable for any bank charges involved in the money transfer. Refunds will NOT be made if the student decides to withdraw his/her application, where refusal is on the grounds of fraudulent activity by the student or failure to disclose full details in the application. No refund will be made if the student fails to attend at the start of the programme or withdraws after the start of the programme. Administrative Fee If the University decides there is good reason to return a deposit, the refund will be subject to an administrative fee of 500. The administrative fee will not be charged if: The University has made an error that results in visa refusal; The University withdraws the CAS before the visa is issued, e.g. if it is considered there is insufficient time for a student to obtain a visa and arrive for the start of the course. The University withdraws the programme of study that the student is planning to join. 7

8 If the UK Home Office has made an error in its decision to award a visa, an administrative review must be requested. In this case, the University will consider a request for a refund but reserves the right to deny a refund based on the outcome of the review. Deferral of a Place on the course Students who defer their study to the next intake and do NOT enter the UK will be permitted to defer their registration until the next intake on to the course and retain their full deposit. Students, who gain a visa, travel to the UK and then request a deferral to the next available intake, will not be eligible to retain their deposit unless they can provide evidence to prove extenuating and unforeseen circumstances for the deferral e.g. serious long-term illness supported by a doctor s certificate. Without proof of extenuating circumstances, the student will need to apply again for the later programme and pay a further deposit and the full fees for that programme. The University reserves the right to make judgements on whether the student s circumstances warrant forfeit of the deposit. The UK Home Office will be informed that the student is not studying at the University and the reason for non-registration. Living at the University of Cumbria It is an expectation of the University of Cumbria that its students live on campus or within the city. It is not realistic for students to commute from other cities. Programmes of study include both classroom teaching sessions and group work outside the classroom sessions. Learning therefore takes place over a 5-day week and students are expected to undertake additional library work and independent study at weekends. To secure the best possible experience for our international students, we expect them to live within a short distance of their campus. The University of Cumbria is very clear that students committed to living with friends or family in other cities should seek admission to a University closer to where they wish to live. Agents are not to proceed with any applications where the student is not committed to living on or close to the campus. Payment of Commission Commission is based on the full tuition fee charged to the individual student in the first year of his or her course. If students choose to benefit from the early payment discount, this will not affect the commission paid. 8

9 In accordance with the representation agreement, we request that agents send a list of students for whom commission is due. The University will check that all students on the list are fully registered and advise the agent to submit the invoice. Your invoice, on company paper with company bank account details quoted, should state the student name/registration number and the amount claimed. Invoices will be processed immediately on receipt, and payment will be made by bank transfer at the end of the month following the month that the invoice was processed. For example, if the invoice is received on 20 May, it will be processed on 21 st May and payment will be effected on 30 June. Please submit invoices promptly, especially around the end of a month. Conclusion The University of Cumbria is committed to working with you to recruit quality students to its programmes. We welcome feedback from you in helping to improve our processes and to ensure that only genuine students apply. 9

10 APPENDIX 1 To satisfy themselves that applicants are genuine and are in the best position to complete their studies successfully, agents are asked to check the following: 1. Does the applicant have the financial means to complete the course? 2. Does the applicant have the motivation to complete the course of study? 3. Does the applicant have the necessary entry requirements? 4. Are the certificates and supporting documents genuine? 5. Does the applicant appear to have sufficient English Language skills to undertake an academic programme? 6. Has the applicant previously studied in the UK? Has s/he sufficient time to complete his/her chosen course of study at Cumbria within UKBA regulations? 7. Has the applicant any adverse immigration history for any country? 8. Does the applicant have genuine reasons for choosing the University of Cumbria? 9. Is the applicant committed to living on campus or in the town/city where the campus is located? 10. Is the applicant aware of the University fee payment requirements? 11. Is the candidate aware of the deposit refund policy? 12. Is the candidate committed to paying minimum 75% of fees at registration? Should you have any concerns on these points, please discuss them with International Admissions or International Officers. 10