Student Debtor Policy

UNDERGRADUATES

1. Undergraduates eligible for HEA Free Fees Initiative (FFI):

The HEA Free Fees Initiative (FFI) covers the Tuition Fee and the student is liable for the Student Contribution Fee of €3,000 and the Capitation Fee of €138. 

Students eligible for the HEA Free Fee’s Initiative and who have SUSI Funding pay €138 capitation fee during online registration, as SUSI funding does not cover this fee. 

Students eligible for the HEA Free Fee’s Initiative and who do not have SUSI Funding pay fees in full of €3,138 during online registration or can pay in two instalments first €1,638 at registration and the balance of €1,500 to be paid by 31 January each year. 

Students experiencing financial difficulties may avail of a payment plan.

 

2. Undergraduates paying EU rate of Tuition Fees:

Students not eligible for FFI (as outlined in point 1) but that are eligible for EU rate of Tuition Fee, are liable for the Student Contribution Fee of €3,000, Capitation Fee of €138 and the relevant Tuition Fee. These students can be:

• Students repeating a year of study
• Students who have previous third level attendance
• Students who have a previous degree
• Students assessed for EU rate of fees on entry to UCC 

All students in this category can avail of the following payment options:

• Student can pay fees in full during online registration.
• Student can pay fees in two instalments. Minimum first instalment 50% of total fee due, with the balance due by 31 January each year.

 Students experiencing financial difficulties may avail of a payment plan.

 

3. Payment Plans:

A payment plan facilitates payments over a pre-approved time, details of which can be found here.

 

4. Undergraduates paying Non EU rate of Tuition Fees:

Where a student is not eligible for the EU rate of Fee then the Non-EU fees rate applies.

First year Non-EU students are allowed to pay their fees in two instalments. 50% of fees must be paid prior to registration and the balance is due by 31 January each year.  Where 50% of the amount due is not paid by registration, the students will be contacted advising them that the fee is due and the implications of non-payment.

All non-first year students can pay fees in full during online registration or pay in 2 instalments. 50% of total fee to be paid online at registration and the balance must be paid before January 31 each year.

Non EU Students may be from outside the EU/EEA/Swiss States, details of which can be found here

 

5. Undergraduates Late Payment Charges and denial of Access to Services (Relevant for all Undergraduate students):

• Where the minimum amount due is not paid at registration, students are advised that they may lose access to Canvas and their student ID card may be deactivated/withheld until correct payment has been received by the Fees Office. Cards will be enabled and access to Canvas will be restored once the Fees Office have received payment or agreed a repayment plan with the students involved. Please note that it may take up to 36 hours to restore access to Canvas.
• Instalments received after 31 January each year and on or before 28 February each year will be subject to a late payment charge of €200. Instalments received after 28 February each year shall incur an additional late payment charge of €150, bringing the total late payment charge to €350. The maximum late payment charge will be €350 in any one academic year. These charges are not applicable where there is an agreed payment plan in place and where the terms of that payment plan have been fully adhered to.
• Students will be allowed access to their examination results even if their fees are not paid in full. This is to facilitate the student’s ability to register for repeat exams and pay the appropriate fee.
• Any student returning for their next year of study will not be permitted to register until the balance of fees are cleared.
• Ultimately the student will not be permitted to graduate until all fees due to UCC have been paid in full.
• Students should refer to the our website for details of the University Fee Refund Policy.
• All students must make their relevant payment of fees online when completing Online Registration at the beginning of each new academic year.

 

POSTGRADUATES

6. Postgraduate Taught/Research Students paying EU Rate of Tuition Fee including students registered with UCC Adult and Continuing Education (ACE):

Students have the option of paying full fees online at registraion or in two instalments. September/October start students paying in 2 instalments, must pay 50% of total fees online at registration and the remainder to be paid on or before January 31 each year (see table point 11).

 

7. Postgraduate Students with all or partial Fee Funding including students registered with UCC Adult and Continuing Education (ACE):

All funding – Non SUSI

• Students should indicate the relevant funding when asked to do so during online registration and will be prompted to submit these details.
• Research and Department Funded students please ensure that you upload the relevant F1 Form at each year of registration.
• ACE students who are being partially/fully funded will be required to submit a Sponsorship Form, if you do not receive a sponsorship form on application please email acefinance@ucc.ie
• For two year programmes, invoices for the second year will need to be applied for by emailing acefinance@ucc.ie
• Failure to provide details of funding may delay billing.
• It is the student’s responsibility to inform the University of any funding that applies to their fee.
• If a sponsor fails to pay the agreed fee the unpaid fee will be transferred to the student.

 

SUSI Funding – If the student has applied for funding from SUSI, the student must input their SUSI reference number during online registration.

• SUSI ‘contribution to tuition fee’ award €3,500 - Pay half your tuition fee less half of the SUSI contribution (50% of €3,500) when completing your registration online. The balance is to be paid by 31 January each year. Where SUSI subsequently does not award €3,500 contribution, the student is liable for the full fee and must pay all the remaining fee balance before 31 January each year. Payments after 31 January see ‘postgraduate late payment charges and denial of access to services” at point 10.
• SUSI ‘full award up to a maximum of €6270’- student should indicate the relevant funding when asked to do so during online registration. Where the student is awarded the full grant from SUSI, but the cost of the tuition fee is higher than the approved grant, the student is liable for the shortfall.

The shortfall can be paid in two instalments:

• 50% of the shortfall fee is payable during online registration.
• The balance is to be paid by 31 January each year.

Details on liability and payment for all first years can be found here First Year Postgraduate-SUSI

Details of liability and payment for on-going postgraduate students can be found here On-going Postgraduate Students-SUSI

 

8. Postgraduate Taught/Research students in 6 and 7 above experiencing financial difficulties may avail of a payment plan:

A payment plan facilitates payments over a pre-approved time, details of which can be found here.

If you are an ACE student, please contact acefinance@ucc.ie directly.

 

9. Postgraduate Taught/Research students paying Non-EU Rate of tuition fee:

Where a student is not eligible for EU rate of fee then Non-EU international rate applies.

First year international postgraduate students are allowed to pay their fees in two instalments. 50% of fees must be paid prior to registration and the balance is due by 31 January each year. Where 50% of the amount due is not paid by registration, the students will be contacted advising them that the fee is due and the implications of non-payment. 

All non-first year students can pay fees in full during online registration or pay in 2 instalments 50% of total fee to be paid online at registration, balance must be paid before January 31 each year.

 

10. Postgraduate/Adult & Continuing Education Late Payment Charges and denial of Access to Services: 

• If you are registered for your CPD with ACE and the fee for your course is less than €1000, the full fee must be paid at application stage.
• Where the minimum amount due is not paid at registration, access to Canvas will be removed and the services attached to ID cards eg. access to the Mardyke Arena and book borrowing services within the Boole Library may be disabled. The students will be contacted via email to their UCC umail account or by SMS text message to their personal mobile phone number advising them that the fee is due and the implications of non-payment. Cards will be enabled and access to the services will be restored once the Fees Office have received payment or agreed a repayment plan with the students involved. Please note that it may take up to 36 hours to restore access to Canvas. If a student does not pay the balance of fees within the required time frame, late payment charges will apply.
• Students will be allowed access their examination results even if their fees are not paid in full. This is to facilitate students ability to register for repeat exams and pay the appropriate fee. Students will not be permitted to register for the following year until all fees are paid in full.
• Ultimately the student will not be permitted to graduate until all fees due to UCC have been paid in full.
• Students should refer to the our website for details of the University Fee Refund policy.
• All students must make their relevant payment of fees online when completing Online Registration and where subsequent payments apply these should be made via Student IT Services Online Payment UCC.

 

11. Payment terms and late charges for Postgraduate Research students including ACE students:

1. Please note the following payment terms and relevant late charges:  

Start Date	Registration	Balance Due by:	1st Late Payment Charge of €200 Applicable on:	2nd Late Payment Charge of €150 by Applicable on:
April	50% Fees Due	31 July	1 August	1 September
July	50% Fees Due	31 October	1 November	1 December
October	50% Fees Due	31 January	1 February	1 March
January	50% Fees Due	30 April	1 May	1 June

 

2. Calendar Year Programmes (e.g. MBA)

Students can pay fees in full during online registration or students can pay fees in two instalments - 50% of tuition fees during registration online and the balance to be paid by the end of the seventh month of their course each year. For example, MBA students who register in January must pay 50% of the fee on registration and 50% of the fee by 31 July.

 

SUPPORT TO STUDENTS

In applying this policy, UCC will endeavour to be sympathetic to individual students financial circumstances. To do this we advise students to engage with the University if they are experiencing difficulties and should seek help at the earliest opportunity by contacting the appropriate office. Students can upload a query to the Fees Office here or contact the various support and assistance offices here.

 

BREXIT

Memo of Understanding (MOU) on the Common Travel Area (CTA) was signed between the Government of Ireland and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 2019. The MOU acknowledged the importance of education noting that “the CTA affords Irish and British citizens the right of access to all levels of education and training, and associated student support in each other’s State on terms no less favourable than those for citizens of that State”. In terms of higher education, this means that notwithstanding Brexit, UK students will still be eligible for the same fee structures as Irish Students.

 

Currently Enrolled Students with UK Nationality:

No change.

Prospective Students with UK Nationality:

UK citizens wishing to enrol in a Irish Higher Education Institute will remain eligible on the same basis as Irish students, as per the CTA.

For the Free Fees Initiative, once students meet all other criteria as set out in the Free Fees Initiative:

• Students with UK nationality will continue to be eligible under the nationality criteria of the free fees scheme
• UK residency will continue to contribute towards fulfilling the ordinarily resident criteria of the scheme.

 

This Student Debtor policy is effective for the current academic year. 

CPD Debtor Policy

 What to do if your fees are being fully funded:

• If your employer/ hospital wishes to pay for your attendance, you can pay the fees online yourself and get reimbursed from your employer. 
• If your fees are being paid by the HSE and an invoice is required, you will need to submit a Letter of Award from the sponsor confirming that you are being funded. 
• The Letter of Award from your sponsor, should be uploaded after registration.

 Upload Proof of Funding here

It will need to contain the following information:  

1) Funding letter must be on official headed paper.

2) Your full name and student id number (if you have previously attended UCC, you will retain your old student number, new students will be issued with a student number, which will be noted on the registration email. You will receive this email after you have accepted your place).  

3) The code and name of the relevant CPD module.  

4) The fee amount for your course (this is noted on the prospectus and will also be on your registration email).

5) Name, address and email address of your funder. i.e. where the invoice for your fees should be sent to and contact details for the person dealing with payment of fees.  

 

What to do if your fees are being part-funded: 

• If you are being part-funded by a college department or research agency etc., please proceed as if you are a funded student upon registering. 
• Notify the CPD co-ordinator cpdgraduatestudies@ucc.ie when you are registering. Pay the balance due by you online via My Student Admin

 

What happens if I withdraw from a CPD Module?

All withdrawals from CPD modules must be notified to the CPD co-ordinator in the Graduate Studies Office by email only to cpdgraduatestudies@ucc.ie  as soon as possible. The CPD co-ordinator will in turn, notify the Fees Office. As the withdrawing student, it is advisable that you also notify the module co-ordinator.  

You will be required to apply in the usual manner should you wish to pursue the module again. Please note the application fee is non-refundable. 

Refund of Fees (Self-Funded): Withdrawal prior to course commencing:  

• If you withdraw prior to the commencement day of the course, you will be de-registered from the module. You will be issued with a refund for fees paid. Please note the application fee is non-refundable. 

Withdrawal having attended up to 50% of course:

• You will be de-registered from the module. You will be liable for 50% of fees and a refund will be issued for the balance.

Withdrawal having attended more than 50% of course:

• You will be deregistered from the module. You will be liable for full fees and will not be eligible for a refund.

Refund of Fees (Funded): Withdrawal prior to course commencing:

• If you withdraw prior to the commencement date of the course, you will be deregistered from the module. Your sponsor will be issued with a refund for fees paid. Please note the application fee is non-refundable. 

Withdrawal having attended up to 50% of course:

• You will be de-registered from the module. Your sponsor will be liable for 50% of fees and a refund will be issued to your sponsor for the balance. 

Withdrawal having attended more than 50% of course:

• You will be deregistered from the module. Your sponsor is liable for full fees and will not be eligible for a refund. You are not a fully registered student until your fee has been credited to your student account. All contact from the Fees Office will go to your student umail address only so please check this email on a daily basis.