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Terms and Conditions of Enrollment - London

Enrollment is complete only when Sotheby’s Institute of Art - London has received the required Course fee within the deadline indicated in the offer letter. Payment of the fee is regarded as acceptance of the Institute’s Terms and Conditions of Enrollment in their entirety. The Institute reserves the right to ask a student to withdraw from a Course at any time should any part of the fee remain unpaid.


Course and Travel Fees

Fall 2019 Semester Course duration: September 2019 – December 2019
Spring 2020 Semester Course duration: January 2020 – May 2020

Course fees cover all lectures, seminars, practical sessions and UK study trips. The cost of housing, meals and all other personal expenses are the student’s responsibility.

Travel fees are applicable for Courses that include a foreign study trip. These fees cover air and ground transport and lodging arranged centrally by the Institute. Accommodation consists of a shared twin room in a three or four star hotel. If you require a single room, the Institute will invoice you for a total supplement of £300. All other costs and expenses are the responsibility of the student. Travel fees in their entirety are mandatory for courses / units which include a study trip outside the UK and are non-refundable. Study visits are an integral part of relevant Courses and attendance is compulsory.

Please note that foreign visits may require separate visas. It is the individual student’s responsibility to ascertain whether a visa is necessary and to make sure the correct visa is obtained well in advance of study trips. Course Coordinators can provide supporting letters if necessary.


Part-Time Study

Students offered a Part-Time place on a Semester Course which involves a compulsory foreign study trip are required to attend the trip (and pay the requisite travel fee) if it falls within their Unit of study. If the trip does not fall within their Unit of study, they may be permitted to attend (and pay the requisite travel fee) at the discretion of the Institute.

Part-Time students undertake one unit of the course only, the structure of which will depend on their course of study.


Payment Methods for Program and Travel Fees

Payment should be made via our approved payment provider Flywire, or, for deposit and deferral payments only, via credit / debit card through our welcome site (a 2% admin fee will be added to credit card payments).

Further details about the methods of payment are included on the last page of this document.

Cancellation by the Student during Cooling-off Period
Any student, on any validated program or course has the right to cancel their enrollment in writing within 14 days, starting on the day following the acceptance date entered on the Student Enrollment Form. In such an event, the Institute will refund all fees paid including the deposit paid (except where the program commences within seven days following the date of acceptance, in which case the student will be deemed to have enrolled and the refund, if any, will be governed by the terms set forth under ‘Refund Policy’ in the Terms and Conditions). Cancellation and refund applications should be made in writing, preferably using the Cancellation of a Place Form, sent to the Admissions Department at admissionslondon@sothebysinstitute.com.


Refund Policy

You may cancel your place on a Semester Program at any time up to the date that is 28 days prior to the start date of the program, outside the 14 day cooling off period, for which you have enrolled. You will receive a full refund of any program fees which you have paid, less your deposit, which is non-refundable. You will not be liable to pay the outstanding fees for that program.

Thereafter, you may cancel your place on a Semester Program up to the date that is 14 days prior to the start date of the program for which you have enrolled. For cancellations during this period you will be liable for 60% of the full fee for your chosen program. This fee covers the costs of administration, preparation, visits and processing which would have already been incurred by the Institute. Any fees which you have paid in excess of 60% of the full fee for that program will be refunded to you.

For cancellations less than 14 days prior to the start date of the program for which you have enrolled you will be liable for 100% of the applicable program fee and there is no automatic right to a refund for fees already paid.

Students are responsible for ensuring that they have the appropriate visa to enable them to study in the UK and/or in foreign study trip destinations.  Non-UK/EU students with visas that do not permit them to study full-time in the UK (e.g. tourist visas) will be refused entry to the course.  If students are unable to obtain a relevant visa and have documentary evidence to show this, they can apply in writing to the Admissions Committee to be considered for a refund of tuition fees already paid. Refunds are made payable to the originator and the originator’s bank account using the same method of initial payment.

It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the tuition fees are paid by the due date as indicated in the offer letter.  The Institute does not normally refund tuition fees other than as set out above.  Students who have to withdraw from their program of study within the first 28 days of the program may appeal this decision and apply for a partial refund.  Any such application must be made by no later than the scheduled end date for that program. Applications must be made in writing to the Registrar in the first instance, providing an explanation for their withdrawal and reasons why they should be considered as an exceptional case. Documents such as medical certificates to support the appeal must also be submitted. The Institute will consider the appeal and its decision will be final.

Please note that the deposit fee is non-refundable or transferable.


Change of Program

Enrolled students who wish to change their program of study may apply to do so by notifying the Admissions Department, who will arrange an interview for their new program of choice. Sotheby’s Institute of Art reserves the right to decline a student’s application to switch program. It is not possible to switch program after the first week of the semester.

Students wishing to change program will be required to pay any difference in course fees between the new program and their current program, they will also be expected to join the field trip abroad of the new program and will forfeit their place on the field trip and lectures of their previous program once this change has been made.

Please note that fees paid are non-transferable and cannot be used for any other program of study other than Semester courses. If the course fees for the new program are less than the tuition fee already paid then the student will not be entitled to a refund of this difference.


Deferral of Enrollment

If you wish to defer your enrollment offer to the next semester you must officially request a deferral by completing the Student Deferral Form. Please request the form from the Admissions Office. The Institute requires a £500 deferral fee in addition to the £500 deposit to join the program at a later time within the same academic year. The completed signed form and the deferral fee must be returned to the admissions office to hold a place on the program. The deferral fee will be deducted from the balance of tuition fees in the semester you will enroll in. Please note that any increase in tuition or travel fees for the semester in which you will join the program will be payable. This also applies to those students who interrupt their studies due to illness or other special circumstances.

Please note that the deferral fee is non-refundable.


The Programs

Whilst every effort is made to ensure that each program runs according to plan, Sotheby’s Institute of Art reserves the right to change, alter or cancel advertised programs as a result of circumstances beyond its control. Other than refunding your fees, the Institute accepts no liability for expenses or losses you or any third party may incur as a result of a program’s cancellation.


Student Handbook and Conduct

Acceptance of this offer of admission presumes an agreement to abide by the policies and follow the required procedures outlined in the SIA Semester Student Handbook.  Access to the Handbook will be made available to all students in due course.

In particular, please note the following:

  • Unless otherwise stated, attendance at all classes/visits on a given course is mandatory except in exceptional circumstances
  • The Institute reserves the right to bar students arriving late from classes and visits
  • The use of mobile phones or other handheld devices in class is strictly prohibited
  • The Institute requires its students to behave professionally and courteously to Institute staff, faculty and fellow students at all times

We would strongly encourage applicants/students to declare any disability, or condition that may have a negative impact upon their studies, as soon as possible so that we can plan for the provision of appropriate support as soon as the academic year begins.


Payment Details

Payment of tuition and travel fees should be made via our approved payment provider Flywire.

On your first visit to the Flywire site you will be asked to create an account which can be used to make all subsequent payments to the Institute. Depending on where you are making your payment from, you will be presented with a variety of ways to pay, which will usually be expressed in terms of your local currency. In most cases this will include the option to make a domestic bank transfer or pay by credit / debit card.


Please note the following:

You must ensure that you complete the student information details in full, including your student ID, course name and your email address in order for us to be able to identify your payment.

You should  also contact  the Finance  department  to inform them that your payment  has been  initiated – finance@sothebysinstitute.com.

By Credit / Debit Card:
Follow the steps on the secure online enrollment form on the Welcome Site to make the deposit payment by credit or debit card (deposit and deferral payments only). A surcharge of 2% applies to credit card payments. Please note that we do not accept American Express cards via the Welcome Site.

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