My education story in the UK, share your opinion with me!!

Tinge

I am an international student from China. I am studying my English course at South Chelsea international college.

The college promoted a discount rate course to me last year by sending me direct e-mail, and it had been agreed in writing (e-mail). I pay 6 months English course fee and get 10 months course to study. They send me the invoice, and ask me to pay full to be able to get the acceptance letter from them. So I did, then they send me the acceptance letter signed by their principal Charies Heil. They confirm my course is from 5 January to 9 October 2015, and I paid in full. All the documents they provided me that I had presented to the British Embassy in China, in order to gain the Student/Visitor Visa.

I was so happy to resign my job and come to London to improve my English. After one month of my study, the college told me that I need to pay extra money to be able to study with them, otherwise they only allow me to study until June. In the past three months, my relatives help me to talk to them, and it leads to nowhere.

It close to the end of June, I am so scared. To be honey with you, I was living under hugh stress everyday. I don’t know why they do it to me, I just want to happily study English in an English speak country, so hopefully it can improve quickly. But all I get it is disappointment and stress.

The living expenses in London are extremely expensive, and I honestly cannot afford any more financially. By the way, the college at Brixton and I am living in my sister’s place near Seven Sister, I thought I saved money by choosing their discounted course.

In my opinion, The South Chelsea International College offered me a place to study English Language in their college, based on the course fee, how many hours per week and for how long. And I accepted the offer. I think that this is a very straightforward contractual agreement. (I had to pay the full course fee before they would email and send me the Acceptance Letter.) Certainly, I had paid the course fee in full for the duration of 10 months.


I did not negotiate the course fee with any colleges. Their college or any other colleges provide the course fee of certain English language course and the duration of it to us, then, it is our decision to take it or leave it. The course fees, commuting costs and living costs are taken into account for our decision-making. Therefore, I choose this college according to the information that they are giving me.

Furthermore, all the official documents providing by the college, such as the Acceptance Letter, Invoice showing the full amount was paid for the agreed duration, have been submitted to the British Embassy for the appropriate Visa application. All the Visa application has been gone through properly with the documents and I has started the course from this January.

Suddenly, they want me to pay more than the course fee that we agreed before. From my point of view, it is not acceptable. If I were told that their course fee was more than the one we agreed, I simply would not choose this college to study.

Their explanation is that they made mistake. I truly feel that this South Chelsea International College is running some kind of scam and is trying to use some unacceptable excuses to get more money from foreign students after they arrive.

Could anyone please give me some advice/information on which government department that I should seek for help on my situation. I feel like I have been cheated into a dishonest college in the UK. I have been really upset and worry for so long.

:(:(

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Update:
As the college stop me go to college anymore, and no organizations can help me with my issue. I decided to bring the college to Small claims court. As the website suggests that I have to give the college a notice before go to court. I use the sample letter in the “moneysavingexpert” website write a final letter to the college.

After they saw the final letter, they are now offering me 13 weeks free course at no additional cost instead of 16 weeks free course (even they agreed at the beginning for 16 weeks)

Should I take the offer?

teddysmum

You say that you paid 6 months' fee for a 10 month course. January to June covers the 6 months, so the last 4 months appear to be needing payment.


Had you assumed that the last 4 months would be free ?

wealdroam

teddysmum wrote: »

You say that you paid 6 months' fee for a 10 month course. January to June covers the 6 months, so the last 4 months appear to be needing payment.


Had you assumed that the last 4 months would be free ?

In the original post we are told:

Tinge wrote: »

...they send me the acceptance letter signed by their principal Charies Heil. They confirm my course is from 5 January to 9 October 2015, and I paid in full.

I think it is reasonable for the OP to expect to get tuition from 5 January to 9 October (which by my reckoning is nine months) when he has confirmation he has paid in full.

photome

teddysmum wrote: »

You say that you paid 6 months' fee for a 10 month course. January to June covers the 6 months, so the last 4 months appear to be needing payment.


Had you assumed that the last 4 months would be free ?

Going by the OPs post I would assume the whole course was covered by the initial payment

daytona0

photome wrote: »

Going by the OPs post I would assume the whole course was covered by the initial payment

Quick look on the website (if correct) shows that they may charge "per week" as opposed to "per course" for English lessons. So me thinks OP got an email which had a possible "buy 6 and get 4 months free" offer. That would seem a bit "too good to be true" to me, so it may boil down to either OP error or company error.

Tinge

According the college:"Please find attached a new quote for 24 SEMI INTENSIVE weeks (there're 4 free months included in the total price so your will attend 10 months in total but we just charge her just for 6 month)",they explained so well in e-mail. so I paid what they asked.

Tinge

yes,i get their direct email about this offer, and when i apply, they were on the home office REGISTER OF SPONSORS (Tier 4) list. They were on the list until March when I checked last time.But not on the list now. I did not expect that there is a scam from a college that on the government list

agrinnall

I think the college would come under the responsibility of the Department of Education. Although it's really aimed at schools and academies I would imagine that the advice they give about complaining would also apply to your college.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education/about/complaints-procedure#complain-about-a-school-or-an-academy

Tinge

thank you, i did e-mail them, they said this college is out of their control.

susancs

Tinge wrote: »

yes,i get their direct email about this offer, and when i apply, they were on the home office REGISTER OF SPONSORS (Tier 4) list. They were on the list until March when I checked last time.But not on the list now. I did not expect that there is a scam from a college that on the government list

I wonder if the college has had their visa sponsorship licence suspended or revoked? I did read that the Home Office was putting extra quality checks in place to ensure that the language courses offered to international students were quality educational courses, not a low level course with a visa sponsorship.

Although this is an older article, about the Tier4 visa sponsorship it does provide some telephone numbers that may be of use, if your college is no longer a visa sponsor.
http://www.nus.org.uk/en/take-action...colleges/#This action is limited to:

susancs

The overseeing body for the college seems to be the QAA. Their last report seems to be ok but it does not mention the English courses, just the Business studies.
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews-and-reports/provider?UKPRN=32966

They do not however seem to deal issues surrounding tuition fees it says under their reporting concerns section. If you belong to a Student Union it may help to contact them for advice.