Distance learning fees, help if possible advice

aestackle

Hi. I'll try to brief.

In march 2025 I started an entry level administration distance learning coarse, advertised as free. I completed, submitted and passed 2 units while looking for work as I was made redundant at the beginning of the month.

On may 29th I started a new job abruptly and happily. I informed the coarse provider and at the point I was informed of possible fees but none the less told good luck. I applied for the course through a sort of online portal agent and ended up with a provider in Birmingham. At no point in the process did I see read or become aware of non completion fees for the lvl I was doing (lvl 1 or 2) I have now become aware of a threat of action for fees of £750. I have made an offer of payment for my tutors time in marking 2 assessments even though I believe an ai agent or app was used. 

Im lost, stressing out, with a wedding coming up in march I want to fight, but I also just want to curl up and hide.......

powerful_Rogue

What do the T&C's of the course state?

No-one can really advise without knowing which company this is.

aestackle

powerful_Rogue said:

What do the T&C's of the course state?

No-one can really advise without knowing which company this is.

The college is Walsall college, I've only been made aware today of this feeling in there terms, but I my contact with them apart from starting was minimal the majority of my contact was via the online distance learning or free coarse website which escapes me right now 

Okell

Who is the course provider?

What is the course?

What is this online portal you used to find the course?

There is no reason not to give the above information.  It won't make your situation any worse and will help others to help you

MyRealNameToo

aestackle said:

Hi. I'll try to brief.

In march 2025 I started an entry level administration distance learning coarse, advertised as free. I completed, submitted and passed 2 units while looking for work as I was made redundant at the beginning of the month.

On may 29th I started a new job abruptly and happily. I informed the coarse provider and at the point I was informed of possible fees but none the less told good luck. I applied for the course through a sort of online portal agent and ended up with a provider in Birmingham. At no point in the process did I see read or become aware of non completion fees for the lvl I was doing (lvl 1 or 2) I have now become aware of a threat of action for fees of £750. I have made an offer of payment for my tutors time in marking 2 assessments even though I believe an ai agent or app was used. 

Im lost, stressing out, with a wedding coming up in march I want to fight, but I also just want to curl up and hide.......

I would be surprised if you were able to sign up to a course without agreeing to the T&Cs, it may have just been a tickbox next to a link to the terms or a button saying "I agee" and no doubt 99% of people won't read what they are agreeing to but thankfully the Supreme Court recently overturned the weird decision of the court of appeal and reinstate the legal norm that if you agree without reading thats your lookout not the firms. 

Have you now read the terms? What do they say? 

If the fee is only for not completing the course and given its online could you not still finish the course and avoid the fees?

sheramber

https://www.walsallcollege.ac.uk/freeadultcourses/

Explore the possibility of studying many of our courses for FREE, subject to your personal circumstances, and take advantage of available funding options. For any inquiries about financial support, feel free to reach out — we're here to assist you every step of the way. Call 01922 657000 or email enrolment@walsallcollege.ac.uk

Okell

sheramber said:

https://www.walsallcollege.ac.uk/freeadultcourses/

Explore the possibility of studying many of our courses for FREE, subject to your personal circumstances, and take advantage of available funding options. For any inquiries about financial support, feel free to reach out — we're here to assist you every step of the way. Call 01922 657000 or email enrolment@walsallcollege.ac.uk

Ah.

If you go to that link you will find a banner saying 

"Discover FREE* or subsidised courses!"

To me the phrase FREE* means that there will be a * at the bottom of the page explaining how the word "Free" is qualified, but there is no * at the bottom of that page.

However, if I go to a random course like a level 2 certificate in equality and diversity  (Course | Walsall College) then under £Fee it says:

"FREE*. The fee is *£724 if the course is not completed. Speak to our student finance team on 01922 657000.

Adults may be eligible for FREE tuition, find out more here"

Assuming the OP's position is something similar to this, I think I'd find that condition difficult not to deem unfair.  It costs nothing if you complete the course, but if you don't, we'll charge you £724!

pinkshoes

aestackle said:

Hi. I'll try to brief.

In march 2025 I started an entry level administration distance learning coarse, advertised as free. I completed, submitted and passed 2 units while looking for work as I was made redundant at the beginning of the month.

On may 29th I started a new job abruptly and happily. I informed the coarse provider and at the point I was informed of possible fees but none the less told good luck. I applied for the course through a sort of online portal agent and ended up with a provider in Birmingham. At no point in the process did I see read or become aware of non completion fees for the lvl I was doing (lvl 1 or 2) I have now become aware of a threat of action for fees of £750. I have made an offer of payment for my tutors time in marking 2 assessments even though I believe an ai agent or app was used. 

Im lost, stressing out, with a wedding coming up in march I want to fight, but I also just want to curl up and hide.......

You will have ticked a box at the beginning of the course with some terms and conditions about finishing the course and having to pay the fees if you don't finish. 

Have a look at your initial email you received. If you can't find it then i suggest you ask them to send a copy of the T&Cs you agreed to.

Can you not just continue whilst working?

Okell

pinkshoes said:

aestackle said:

Hi. I'll try to brief.

In march 2025 I started an entry level administration distance learning coarse, advertised as free. I completed, submitted and passed 2 units while looking for work as I was made redundant at the beginning of the month.

On may 29th I started a new job abruptly and happily. I informed the coarse provider and at the point I was informed of possible fees but none the less told good luck. I applied for the course through a sort of online portal agent and ended up with a provider in Birmingham. At no point in the process did I see read or become aware of non completion fees for the lvl I was doing (lvl 1 or 2) I have now become aware of a threat of action for fees of £750. I have made an offer of payment for my tutors time in marking 2 assessments even though I believe an ai agent or app was used. 

Im lost, stressing out, with a wedding coming up in march I want to fight, but I also just want to curl up and hide.......

You will have ticked a box at the beginning of the course with some terms and conditions about finishing the course and having to pay the fees if you don't finish. 

Have a look at your initial email you received. If you can't find it then i suggest you ask them to send a copy of the T&Cs you agreed to.

Can you not just continue whilst working?

I don't know the answer to this, but is a term that makes an otherwise free course one that you have to pay for if you don't complete the course, an "Unfair" - and therefore unenforceable - term under the Consumer Rights Act 2015?

It sounds unfair to me...

Alderbank

Thanks for that link @sheramber.

I think the page that has escaped the OP is Certificate in the Principles of Business Administration
https://www.walsallcollege.ac.uk/Course/?CourseTitle=Certificate-in-the-Principles-of-Business-Administration&coursetoken=dfbdcd1f-c84a-4b5c-b35b-0bdc2b79ce36

This page says
£Fee: FREE*. The fee is *£724 if the course is not completed. Speak to our student finance team on 01922 657000.

The college's resources are not unlimited and quite reasonably they do not want students taking up course places without making a commitment to complete the course. Very often, a course's performance and future funding is judged on the proportion of students who start the course but do not pass the final assessments.

@aestackle, you have successfully completed two of the seven course units.
The course requirements are described as 'flexible, to suit the needs of the student, suitable for people who are currently working in a business environment.'
Why not just complete it?

MyRealNameToo

Okell said:

sheramber said:

https://www.walsallcollege.ac.uk/freeadultcourses/

Explore the possibility of studying many of our courses for FREE, subject to your personal circumstances, and take advantage of available funding options. For any inquiries about financial support, feel free to reach out — we're here to assist you every step of the way. Call 01922 657000 or email enrolment@walsallcollege.ac.uk

Ah.

If you go to that link you will find a banner saying 

Discover FREE* or subsidised courses!

To me the phrase FREE* means that there will be a * at the bottom of the page explaining how the word "Free" is qualified, but there is no * at the bottom of that page.

However, if I go to a random course like a level 2 certificate in equality and diversity, then under Fee it says:

"FREE*. The fee is *£724 if the course is not completed. Speak to our student finance team on 01922 657000.

Adults may be eligible for FREE tuition, find out more here"

Assuming the OP's position is something similar to this, I think I'd find that condition difficult not to deem unfair.  It costs nothing if you complete the course, but if you don't, we'll charge you £724!

Almost certainly it's because of a condition of the funding... the college is only paid for each student that completes the course not each one that signs up. Presumably done to ensure people dont set up terrible courses with the intent of getting 100 sign ups but no one bothers with it past week 3 


When you apply for the course it states:

All awards are made subject to satisfactory attendance, good progress, behaviour and may be reduced or withheld if standards are not met.

Obviously the OP is proposing not continuing to attend or progress and so would trigger the fact that the award may be withdrawn.

I think they will struggle to claim it's an unfair term, especially if they applied online.