Refund and Cancellation Policy

This Refund and Cancellation Policy applies to payments made to the Metropolitan School of Business and Management ("MSBM") and should be read together with the applicable Study Contract, Offer Letter, Invoice, Payment Page and programme-specific terms.

All refund requests must be made in writing and will be considered in accordance with this Policy.

Nothing in this Policy affects any statutory rights which cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.

Non-Refundable Fees

Except where statutory cancellation or refund rights apply, applications for a Tuition Fee refund made less than thirty (30) days before the commencement date of a Course or Programme will not ordinarily be eligible for a refund.

By this stage, MSBM may have reserved a place for the student, commenced administrative or academic preparations, activated services, or incurred costs and commitments in connection with the student's enrolment.

Where a refund is required by law, or where MSBM agrees to consider a refund in exceptional circumstances, MSBM may deduct any amounts which it is lawfully entitled to retain, including the cost of services already provided, non-recoverable third-party costs and reasonable losses arising from the cancellation.

Students should also read the applicable Study Contract with MSBM.

Statutory Cancellation Rights

Students purchasing programmes online or otherwise entering into a distance contract as consumers may have a statutory right to cancel within fourteen (14) days of entering into the contract.

Where a student requests immediate access to a Course, Programme, digital content or other service during this cancellation period, MSBM may commence delivery once the necessary consent or request has been received.

Where the student has expressly requested immediate supply of digital content and has provided the acknowledgements required by applicable law, the statutory right to cancel may be lost once supply of that digital content begins.

Where services have commenced at the student's request but a statutory cancellation right remains, any refund will be calculated in accordance with applicable law.

Administrative Charges

Where a contractual or discretionary refund is approved, an administrative charge may apply.

Any applicable administrative charge will be stated on the student's Invoice, Payment Page, Study Contract or other relevant payment information.

Administrative charges may reflect reasonable costs associated with processing the student's enrolment, payment, cancellation or refund.

An administrative charge will not be deducted where applicable law requires a refund to be made without such a deduction.

Method of Refund

Where a refund is approved, MSBM will ordinarily process the refund:

• through the same payment method used for the original payment;
• to the same card, bank account or other payment source from which the original payment was received; and
• in the same transaction currency, where reasonably practicable.

MSBM will not normally make a refund to a different person or unrelated bank account.

Where the original payment method is no longer available, MSBM may request additional information before approving an alternative payment method.

Evidence of payment, proof of identity, bank statements or other reasonable documentation may be requested where necessary to verify the payment source or comply with financial, fraud-prevention, anti-money-laundering or other regulatory requirements.

Where currency conversion is involved, MSBM is not responsible for any difference resulting from exchange-rate movements or fees imposed by banks, card issuers or payment providers.

Payments and Disbursements to Third Parties

MSBM may incur costs or make payments to third parties in connection with a student's application, enrolment or participation in a Programme.

These may include, but are not limited to:

• awarding or accrediting body registration fees;
• university registration or progression fees;
• courier charges;
• examination or assessment fees;
• visa-processing charges;
• accommodation;
• flights;
• event-related charges; and
• other third-party services requested or required in connection with the student's Programme.

Once MSBM has paid, committed or become liable to pay such amounts to a third party, any amount which is non-recoverable by MSBM will also be non-refundable to the student.

Third-party payments are non-transferable unless the applicable third party permits a transfer.

Where MSBM is able to recover all or part of a third-party payment, any amount recovered will be taken into consideration when determining any refund otherwise due to the student.

Refund Policy: Executive Education and CPD Courses

Once payment has been received, cleared and access to the MSBM Online Study Portal has been activated for the student, the Course Fee is non-refundable.

Access to the MSBM Online Study Portal will ordinarily be activated only after the required payment has been received and cleared. Any exception to this arrangement must be expressly agreed by Metropolitan School of Business and Management (MSBM).

Students are therefore advised to carefully review the Course details and ensure that they have selected the correct Course before making payment.

This does not affect any statutory rights which cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.

Assessments

Assessment for the Special Executive Master Programmes is assignment-based.

Assessment for Professional Certificate and Advanced Professional Certificate Courses is quiz-based and consists of multiple-choice questions.

Students are permitted a maximum of three (3) attempts for each applicable quiz, provided that all required payments have been received and cleared.

Where the required pass mark of 80% is not achieved within the three permitted attempts, MSBM may, in exceptional circumstances and at its discretion, reactivate access to the quiz.

Any such reactivation is discretionary and does not create an entitlement to a refund, whether or not the student subsequently completes or passes the assessment.

Refund Policy: Executive Management Programme (Classroom-based)

Registration

A Registration Fee may be required when submitting an application for an Classroom-based Executive Management Programme.

Processing of the student's Conditional Offer Letter will ordinarily commence after the applicable Registration Fee has been received.

Once MSBM has commenced or completed the application and registration service, the Registration Fee is non-refundable, subject to any applicable statutory rights.

Tuition Fees

Following the issuance of a Conditional Offer Letter, the student is required to pay the applicable Tuition Fee in accordance with the payment terms stated by MSBM.

Unless otherwise expressly agreed by MSBM in writing, all required payments must be received and cleared before the commencement of the Programme in order to confirm the student's place and eligibility to participate.

Where MSBM permits payment by instalments, each instalment paid forms part of the Tuition Fee for the Programme and is non-refundable once paid, subject to any statutory rights which cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.

Students who have not satisfied the applicable payment requirements may not be admitted to, or permitted to continue on, the Programme.

The Tuition Fee covers only those items expressly stated by MSBM as being included in the Programme Fee.

Any costs not expressly included in the Programme Fee remain the responsibility of the student. These may include, where applicable, personal expenses, travel, accommodation, visas, immigration requirements, insurance, transportation and other related costs, unless MSBM has expressly agreed in writing to provide or cover a specific item.

Travel and Other External Arrangements

Unless expressly included within the Programme Fee, MSBM is not responsible for costs or losses arising from matters including:

• health or medical certificates required for travel;
• passports;
• visas or transit visas;
• travel insurance;
• lost or delayed baggage;
• missed flights;
• missed connecting flights;
• refusal of entry at a destination or transit country;
• cancelled or delayed flights;
• transportation arrangements; or
• other matters outside MSBM's reasonable control.

Students are strongly encouraged to obtain appropriate travel insurance and ensure that all travel requirements have been satisfied before making non-refundable travel arrangements.

Nothing in this provision excludes liability arising from MSBM's own breach of contract or any liability which cannot lawfully be excluded.

Flights and Accommodation Included in Programme Fees

Where a Programme Fee includes flights, accommodation or other third-party bookings, the corresponding part of the Programme Fee becomes non-refundable once MSBM has made the booking or incurred a non-recoverable liability to the relevant third party.

Where MSBM is able to recover all or part of the amount from the third-party provider, the amount recovered will be taken into consideration.

Where a student is unable to attend the Programme after such arrangements have been made, MSBM may permit the student to transfer to another available session, subject to availability, any applicable fare or accommodation difference, and an administrative or change fee.

Programme Rescheduling

A student who is unable to attend a Classroom-based Programme or an event may request to be transferred to another available session within MSBM's training calendar.

A student may ordinarily reschedule a Programme up to three (3) times at the tuition-fee rate applicable to the original booking, subject to:

• availability;
• any non-recoverable third-party costs;
• any difference in travel or accommodation costs; and
• the applicable administrative or change fee.

Where a student requests a fourth rescheduling, the student will be required to pay any difference between the original Tuition Fee and the Tuition Fee applicable to the new Programme, together with any applicable administrative, travel or other charges.

Rescheduling is subject to MSBM's published training calendar and availability.

Visa and Immigration Requirements

Every student is responsible for ensuring that they possess all passports, visas, transit visas, immigration permissions and other documentation required to travel to and attend the Programme.

Where MSBM offers a visa-application or visa-support service, MSBM's responsibility is limited to providing the specific service expressly agreed with the student.

The decision to grant or refuse a visa rests entirely with the relevant immigration authority. MSBM cannot guarantee the outcome of any visa application.

A visa refusal does not, by itself, create an entitlement to a refund.

Where a student is unable to attend because of a visa refusal, any refund, credit or rescheduling request will be considered in accordance with this Policy, taking into account services already provided and costs or commitments already incurred.

Fees and third-party costs which have already been incurred and are non-recoverable remain non-refundable.

MSBM may decline a discretionary refund where the visa refusal resulted from inaccurate or incomplete information supplied by the student, failure to satisfy applicable immigration requirements, late submission of documents, or another matter within the student's reasonable control.

This does not affect your statutory rights.

Cancellation by the Student

Cancellation requests must be submitted in writing.

Except where statutory rights apply, students should submit cancellation requests at least four (4) weeks before the commencement date of the Programme.

Where cancellation occurs after MSBM has incurred costs, made bookings, commenced services or otherwise committed resources specifically in connection with the student's attendance, those amounts may be retained from any refund otherwise payable.

Where cancellation occurs less than four (4) weeks before the Programme commencement date, Tuition Fees will ordinarily be non-refundable where MSBM has already committed resources, incurred corresponding costs or cannot reasonably reallocate the student's place.

MSBM may, at its discretion, offer a transfer, credit or rescheduling option instead of a refund.

Cancellation by MSBM

Where MSBM cancels a Programme and is unable to deliver it or provide a reasonably equivalent rescheduled session, students will be entitled to an appropriate refund of fees paid for services which MSBM will not provide.

Where a Programme is rescheduled, students may elect to attend the rescheduled Programme subject to the applicable terms.

Nothing in this section limits any statutory remedy available to the student.

Refund Policy: Degree and Qualification Programmes

Students should ensure that they have selected the correct Programme before making payment.

Once payment has been received and access to the relevant Programme on the MSBM Online Study Portal has been activated, delivery of the Programme is regarded as having commenced.

Subject to applicable statutory cancellation rights, Tuition Fees are non-refundable once Programme access has been activated and delivery has commenced.

Where access is requested during an applicable statutory cancellation period, MSBM may require the student to expressly request early commencement and provide any consent or acknowledgement required by law.

Where payment is made by instalments, activation of Programme access does not remove the student's obligation to pay any remaining amounts which have become contractually due, subject to applicable law and the Study Contract.

This does not affect your statutory rights.

Refund Policy: Top-Up Degrees and University Progression

Top-Up Degrees and university progression programmes may be delivered and awarded by independent universities or third-party education providers.

Unless expressly stated otherwise:

• Top-Up Degree tuition fees are determined by the applicable University and may be subject to change;
• final certificates and awards are issued by the awarding University;
• Top-Up Degrees may be delivered by the University or another approved education provider;
• MSBM does not deliver the academic content of the Top-Up Degree unless expressly stated otherwise; and
• MSBM is responsible only for those services which MSBM expressly agrees to provide.

The applicable University or provider may have its own admissions, tuition, withdrawal and refund policies, which may also apply to the student.

University and Progression Fees

Where MSBM collects a fee for onward payment to a University or third-party provider, the total amount payable by the student may include an MSBM administration, placement or processing charge where this has been disclosed to the student before payment.

Once MSBM has successfully completed the relevant placement or administrative service, the applicable administration or placement fee is non-refundable, subject to statutory rights.

Once a Tuition Fee, Registration Fee, Progression Fee or other payment has been remitted or irrevocably committed to a University or third-party provider, any amount which is non-recoverable by MSBM is also non-refundable to the student.

Where the University or provider refunds all or part of an amount previously remitted by MSBM, the amount recovered will be taken into consideration when determining any refund due to the student.

This does not affect your statutory rights.

Refund Policy: Corporate and Business Accounts

This section applies to Corporate and Business Accounts established by organisations purchasing MSBM Programmes or services for business purposes.

Once payment has been received in full, cleared into the MSBM bank account and credited to the relevant Corporate or Business Account Wallet, the Wallet funds are non-refundable except where otherwise agreed in writing or required by law.

Funds held within the Corporate or Business Account Wallet do not expire.

The organisation's authorised Account Administrator is responsible for selecting the Programmes or Courses which are to be activated and assigned to employees or other authorised learners.

Additional Programmes or Courses may be activated on a Corporate or Business Account following a written request from the authorised Administrator and acceptance by MSBM.

The Administrator must ensure that the correct Programme or Course has been selected before allocating Wallet funds.

Once Wallet funds have been applied to a Programme and the Programme has been activated or assigned to a learner, the allocation cannot ordinarily be reversed or refunded to the Wallet.

Unused funds remaining in the Corporate or Business Account Wallet may continue to be allocated to eligible Programmes or Courses available on the MSBM Online Study Portal.

Nothing in this section excludes any right or remedy which cannot lawfully be excluded.

Refund Policy: MSBM Events

This section applies to MSBM Events, including Graduation Ceremonies, conferences, networking events and other School-organised activities.

Once payment has been received and MSBM has commenced arrangements or incurred costs in preparation for your attendance at an event, the applicable event fees are non-refundable.

MSBM Events may be organised in collaboration with third-party service providers. Accordingly, fees paid or committed to third parties on your behalf, including but not limited to graduation gown hire or purchase, venue-related charges, catering, visa-related services or other event-related services, are non-refundable and non-transferable once such arrangements have been confirmed or costs incurred.

Students and attendees are therefore advised to ensure that they are able to attend the event before making payment.

Where MSBM cancels an event and does not provide the relevant service or a reasonably equivalent replacement, any refund entitlement will be determined in accordance with the applicable contract and statutory rights.

Nothing in this Policy affects your statutory rights.

Exceptional Circumstances

MSBM recognises that exceptional circumstances may occasionally prevent a student from commencing or continuing a Programme.

Where a student does not otherwise have a contractual or statutory right to a refund, MSBM may, at its sole discretion, consider a request for:

• a partial refund;
• Programme credit;
• deferral;
• transfer to another Programme; or
• rescheduling.

Examples may include serious illness, bereavement or other substantial circumstances outside the student's reasonable control.

MSBM may require reasonable supporting evidence before considering such a request.

Approval under this section is discretionary and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Previous decisions do not create an entitlement or precedent for future applications.

General

MSBM reserves the right to request reasonable documentation necessary to process or verify a cancellation, refund, transfer or rescheduling request.

Any refund or cancellation will be considered in accordance with:

• this Refund and Cancellation Policy;
• the student's Study Contract;
• the applicable Offer Letter;
• any Programme-specific terms;
• the terms of any relevant third-party provider; and
• applicable law.

Where there is a conflict between this Policy and a statutory right which cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted, the statutory right will prevail.

Nothing in this Refund and Cancellation Policy is intended to exclude, restrict or limit any statutory rights available to a student or customer under applicable UK law.