FINANCE INFORMATION 2016/2017 ACCOMMODATION SERVICES BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY

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1 FINANCE INFORMATION 2016/2017 ACCOMMODATION SERVICES BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY General information about paying your Residence Fees This document is designed to give you all the financial information you need for your stay in: University Locks City North Student Village (Oscott Gardens and The Coppice) City South Campus Please read thoroughly and contact a member of the Finance Team if you have any queries. Finance Team Contact details +44 (0) (0) Or by accommodationfinance@bcu.ac.uk This information does not apply to the accommodation provided by the University Partners: Unite Students The Heights, Jennens Court, Curzon Gateway and My Student Village Birmingham (formerly clv Birmingham). Students who are allocated a room with a University Partner, will have a contract with that provider and therefore all financial issues will be dealt directly with them. It should be noted that these providers may request a substantial payment prior to arrival in the accommodation, as well as a damage deposit or advance payment, therefore once allocated a room you must read through the contract and take note of the payment terms. Please take this into consideration when choosing your accommodation preferences. All transactions for accepting an offer of University owned accommodation, payment of the advance payment and payment of residence fees will be completed online for the 2016/2017 accommodation/academic year. Accommodation Financial Liability Students are fully liable financially, for the duration of the Accommodation Licence, as per clause 5 of the Licence Agreement 2016/2017. Charges for accommodation The residence fees are calculated annually as part of the University budget process, which is managed by the Vice-Chancellor and approved by the Board of Governors. Charges for accommodation are determined by the policy that halls of residence should break even and that the charges should reflect all costs (including borrowing) and that sufficient funds for the estate should be maintained at a reasonable level. Advance payment When the University makes an offer of accommodation to University Locks, City North Student Village (Oscott Gardens and The Coppice) and City South Campus, part of the acceptance procedure requires an advance payment of 350 by credit/debit card. You will be asked for your card details during the acceptance process. Failure to provide this payment will result in the accommodation being withdrawn. 1

2 Please note that you do not need to use the same bank account details for payment of the residence fees as you use for the advance payment. The advance payment or residence fees, or both may be paid by a third party (parent or guardian); in this case they would need to enter their card/bank account details as applicable during the online acceptance process. The advance payment is used towards your first instalment of rent. However, this payment is not refundable if you cancel your accommodation unless your cancellation is made under the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 see your Licence Agreement. If you do not have a credit/debit card then contact a member of the Finance Team. Please be aware that this will delay your acceptance significantly. How to pay your residence fees Payment of residence fees for 39 / 40 / 41 week licences is in full by credit/debit card, or by direct debit from a UK bank account in either three or nine instalments. Payment of residence fees for University Locks 51 week licence is in full by credit/debit card, or by direct debit from a UK bank account in either four or eleven instalments. When you accept your offer of accommodation you will be asked to provide details of your UK bank account if you choose to pay by Direct Debit. The residence fees may be paid by a third party (parent or guardian). In this case they would need to enter their bank account details as applicable during the online acceptance process. Please ensure direct debit payments are permitted on the account, if unsure; please check with your bank. Please read the section What happens if I fail to pay at the end of this document for how failure to pay your residence fees may affect you. Three instalments The total amount for the duration of your Licence Agreement (minimum 39 weeks) is divided into three instalments and the advance payment of 350 will be deducted from the first instalment. Payment by direct debit for the three instalments will be debited from accounts on the following dates: 30 September January April 2017 Four instalments University Locks only The total amount for the duration of your Licence Agreement (51 weeks) is divided into four instalments and the advance payment of 350 will be deducted from the first instalment. Payment by direct debit for the four instalments will be debited from accounts on the following dates: 30 September January April July 2017 Nine monthly instalments The total amount for the duration of your Licence Agreement (39 / 40 / 41weeks) is divided into nine instalments and the advance payment of 350 will be deducted from the first instalment. The first instalment may be higher than the remaining instalments, prior to the deduction of the 350 advance payment. Please note that these monthly instalments will not equal four 2

3 times the weekly rate. The nine instalments only apply to a minimum 39 week licence (September - June). For licence agreements that are less than 39 weeks the number of monthly instalments may be different. Payment by direct debit for these instalments will be debited from accounts at the end of each month, but we cannot guarantee the same date each month. Depending on how you will be funding your residence fees, please ensure you choose the correct method of payment when you accept your offer of accommodation. A nine instalment payment schedule is suitable for those students receiving a monthly bursary; students receiving their funding on a termly basis would normally choose to pay in three instalments. Please note depending on your method of payment some students will see that the payments for each instalment may be different to other students, however this will not affect or increase your overall cost of accommodation for the term of your Licence Agreement. Eleven monthly instalments University Locks only The total amount for the duration of your Licence Agreement is divided into eleven instalments and the advance payment of 350 will be deducted from the first instalment. The first instalment may be higher than the remaining instalments, prior to the deduction of the 350 advance payment. Please note that these monthly instalments will not equal four times the weekly rate. The eleven instalments only apply to a 51 week licence (September 2016 September 2017). Payment by direct debit for these instalments will be debited from accounts at the end of each month, but we cannot guarantee the same date each month. What happens next when paying by Direct Debit? In order to comply with direct debit guidelines, the University will register the account holder s bank/building society details within three months from date of receipt. A letter is sent to the account holder to confirm details of the amounts due and the payment dates. If a letter is not received by the week prior to the due date of the first instalment, please contact a member of the Accommodation Services Finance Team. When you pay by direct debit, the residence fees will be deducted from your current bank/building society account automatically, as long as there are sufficient funds available. Your bank may charge you if there are insufficient funds to meet the scheduled payment. Please note that you do not need to use the same account details for payment of the residence fees as you use for the advance payment. Accommodation staff are not advised of when student loans are credited to students accounts. Payment by direct debit will still be requested from your bank even if you have not received your loan. It is your responsibility to ensure there are sufficient funds in your account on the date the direct debit is due to be paid. Sufficient funds You must ensure that there are sufficient funds in your account up until you are certain that the money has been debited from the account. If for any reason you find you do not have the funds to cover the full value of the payment, please inform a member of the Accommodation Services Finance Team before the payment due date. The first few weeks at University can be expensive, particularly if you are moving away from home. Besides paying for your residence fees there will be other expenses such as books, 3

4 stationery, food and travel as well as entertainment. It is essential that you budget carefully so that you can live comfortably and without worry during your first few weeks. What happens if a direct debit payment fails? If, for whatever reason, the direct debit payment fails the University will write to the account holder (with a copy to the student if they are not the account holder) requesting payment by an alternative method. You may be asked to pay a fee of 20 to cover the cost of requesting and processing the alternative payment. If it is the bank s fault that the direct debit failed, you are still liable to pay the 20 charge to the University, but may then try to recover this sum from the bank. Should this payment remain unsettled, the direct debit will be cancelled and an official Birmingham City University invoice issued. If you are paying monthly instalments the invoiced amount will be for the total amount due for the term, not just for the unpaid instalment. The University does not re-present failed direct debits. Late offers If you receive a late offer (after 24 September 2016), you will miss the direct debit deadline for the first termly/monthly instalment. However, you can pay the first instalment by an alternative method (bank draft, credit/debit card or bank/building society cheque) and set up a direct debit for the remaining instalments. Important direct debit information Direct debits can only be processed through UK current accounts from banks or building societies. Direct debits are accepted from accounts other than students (such as parents or guardians). A Birmingham City University receipt will not be sent when paying by direct debit. Evidence of payment will be on your current bank/building society account statement. To meet the deadline date, all amendments to a direct debit instruction must be received by the Accommodation Services Finance Team more than 14 days prior to the date of payment. This is to avoid payment being processed to the wrong account, possibly resulting in a charge from the bank/building society. The cancellation of a direct debit must be notified to Accommodation Services Finance Team more than five working days prior to the date of payment to avoid the payment being requested from the bank. Even if you have not received your loan it is your responsibility to ensure there are sufficient funds in your account on the date the direct debit is due to be paid. If your licence agreement is Erasmus or Semester 1 or 2 After deducting the 350 advance payment, the total amount due for the duration of your Licence Agreement is payable at the start of the term. Payment must be in GBP sterling. The following methods of payment are acceptable: cash, personal cheque/bank draft, credit/debit card or bank transfer. 4

5 If you are an EU student If you do not have a UK bank or building society account, payment is to be made by cheque, bank transfer, bank draft or credit/debit card for the first instalment. Future instalments can be paid by direct debit once you have opened a UK bank or building society account. If you are an international student If you do not have a UK bank or building society account, payment is to be made by cheque, bank transfer, bank draft or credit card for the first instalment. Future instalments can be paid by direct debit once you have opened a UK bank or building society account. Due to UK Border Agency rules, the University is only allowed to accept money for accommodation for University owned property (this excludes the University Partners: Unite Students The Heights and Jennens Court, Curzon Gateway, My Student Village Birmingham (formerly clv Birmingham) and all other private sector apartments and houses). You should therefore not send any money for accommodation to the University until you have been offered accommodation. If you are offered accommodation with one of the University Partners, money will need to be sent directly to them. In the event money is received for accommodation not owned by the University this money will be refunded back to the original payer and will be processed via the original source and you will have to make the payment again to the University Partner. Other payment methods For any student unable to pay by direct debit, payments of residence fees are due on the following dates: For 39-week licences: 19 September January April 2017 For 40-week licences: 12 September January April 2017 For 41-week licences: 05 September January April 2017 Payment must be in GBP sterling and the following methods are acceptable: credit/debit card, bank transfer, bank draft or cash (for personal safety reasons, the University would advise you not to carry large amounts of cash). Discount for payment in full A 2.5 per cent discount is available for payment in full at the start of the year. To qualify for the discount you must pay residence fees in full on or before the day of arrival. The amount to be discounted will be refunded, please refer to the section below which provides more information about the refund process. This discount only applies to 39 / 40 / 41 or 51 week accommodation Licence Agreements. In the event of early departure from halls of residence, the discount will be reversed and a charge for that amount re-applied to your student accommodation account. 5

6 When paying by bank transfer Set up the transfer with your bank to pay direct to the University s bank account. Remember to ask your bank to quote Accommodation Fees, your student ID number and your full name on the transfer. All payments to the University must be in GBP sterling. Payment of all bank charges is the responsibility of the student. Please be aware it can take two to three weeks for the University to allocate your payment once it has been transferred to the University s account. If you are paying your accommodation advance payment together with tuition fees, please ensure the two payments are clearly itemised separately on the bank transfer form. After you have made your payment, you must a copy of the bank transfer remittance to Accommodation Services at accommodationfinance@bcu.ac.uk and to the University s Finance Department at Cash.Management@bcu.ac.uk All transfers must be made payable to: Account name: Birmingham City University Account number: Sort/branch code: IBAN number: GB36NWBK Swift number: NWB KGB2L Bank Name: NatWest Bank Address: 1 St Philip s Place, Birmingham, B3 2PP Receipts Payments you make for accommodation fees by cash, cheque, bank draft or credit/debit card will be receipted and you are advised to keep the receipt for the duration of your stay in the accommodation. Payments made by direct debit are not receipted. Student loans If you have not already submitted an application, you must contact your Local Education Authority (LEA) immediately. Even if you think that you will have to pay the full tuition fee, you should still apply to your LEA so that you can be assessed for a student loan. If your loan is delayed, it is your responsibility to keep in weekly contact with the Accommodation Services staff and to provide evidence of your delay in writing from the loans company. Failure to provide evidence or keep in contact will result in Accommodation Services taking further action. Other miscellaneous charges You will be contacted by Accommodation staff if you are to pay for any other miscellaneous charges (such as damages, cleaning or replacement keys). You will be given a deadline date by which payment must be made. In the event of non-payment an official Birmingham City University invoice will be raised to cover the charge plus a surcharge of 20. Any dispute must be raised prior to this official University invoice being raised. Refunds If during your stay in accommodation you are due a refund of monies, you must apply to the Accommodation Services Finance Team. If the refund is agreed, an application will be completed by Accommodation Services and sent to the University s Finance Department. It may take 4-6 weeks to process a refund. Refunds will be processed back to the original source of payment (excluding cash transactions) where possible. Please refer to the University s Refund Policy for further details: 6

7 Extenuating circumstances Any requests for claims, or cases where extenuating circumstances may apply, or where there are relevant factors or influences that may require additional consideration or deviation from this policy, or if there are scenarios not specifically covered or included in this policy, should be referred to the Account Receivable Manager for consideration with supporting documentation by the authorised budget holder or approved nominee of the service provided. Where to go for financial assistance The University will make every effort to assist students who face financial difficulties and who have unpaid overdue fees. If you are facing severe financial difficulties, you can contact ASK: the Student Enquiry Service by telephoning +44 (0) or ing iask.bcu.ac.uk to request advice about any other sources of finance that may be available to you. ASK Enquiry Desks are based on the first floor of The Curzon Building (City Centre Campus) and the first floor of Baker Building (City North Campus, Perry Barr). The Advice Centre, Students Union The Advice Centre offers a full debt counselling service as well as support and guidance to students, no matter how big or small the problem. Emergency appointments are available on the day or contact Student Union in advance to book an appointment by telephoning +44 (0) What happens if I fail to pay? Students who remain in default of the payment terms specified in the Licence Agreement, the Terms and Conditions and the fee payment policy after all recovery attempts have failed to produce a payment will result in the University taking further action. The University will issue a termination of contract. This means you will be expected to vacate the accommodation with full liability for the residence fees, in line with the Accommodation Licence Agreement. The debt will be referred to an external debt collection agent authorised to instigate legal proceedings on behalf of the University. This may have serious consequences on your ability to obtain credit in the future and may result in additional costs being incurred in addition to the amount already overdue. If you are having problems paying your residence fees because you have not yet received your loan or bursary, it is important that you tell us as we may be able to delay the payment until your funds are available. Please contact the Accommodation Services Finance Team to discuss the best payment option for you. We hope that you do not fall behind in your rental payments and would urge you to contact us immediately if you think this might happen to you. However, if you fail to pay your rent, the University can take a number of actions and withhold certain services from you. These include: Removal of visitor privileges. This means you are not allowed to have any visitors stay overnight in your flat; 7

8 Referral of the debt to a debt-collection agency. Such action may have a negative impact on your credit score rating; Notice to Quit Eviction Refusal to provide an accommodation reference. This means that if you apply to move into other accommodation (whether University or privatelyowned) and you need a reference from us, we can refuse to provide that reference until your outstanding debt is cleared. Keep in touch If you are experiencing financial problems and are having difficulty paying your residence fees, please keep the Accommodation Services Finance Team informed of your financial situation. Keeping Accommodation Services informed on a regular basis enables us to offer you the assistance you require. The Accommodation Services Finance Team can be contacted on the following telephone numbers: +44 (0) (0) Or by accommodationfinance@bcu.ac.uk 8