DIFC Refund Policy

Refunds are only permitted in the event of a student’s visa application being refused on appeal. The student must present the official refusal letter from the Irish Government to DIFC in order to secure a refund of fees (less €500 administrative fee).

Exceptional cases may be considered for other circumstances that prevents a student from starting their studies with DIFC; these may include, for example, sudden serious illness or family emergency. In the event, that a refund is approved, the Registration & Placement Fee amount is non-refundable.

No refunds will be permitted once the student has registered in the College and commenced their studies.

Withdrawals Policy

Withdrawal refers to cancellation of the chosen course after arrival in Ireland. No refunds will be allowed in this situation. If you wish to withdraw from your course after arrival at DIFC, you must give the DIFC school office at least four weeks advance notice in writing. For students requiring a visa to enter Ireland, they should be aware that the terms of their visa allow them to study at DIFC only and it is not possible to change to another college. No clearance letter will be issued in these circumstances, however a statement of attendance will be issued where four weeks advance notice of withdrawal is received.

Where a student fails to give four weeks’ notice in writing, a statement of attendance can be requested by paying the Irregular Statement Fee of €60.

Absenteeism & Expulsion

Student Attendances will be reviewed every week.
All uncertified absence in excess of 3 days or more without sufficient reason will face disciplinary procedures (official letter of warning) which may affect the student’s academic record.
Where a student’s overall attendance has fallen below 90%, a verbal/email warning will be given and the student will be given a period of 1 week to demonstrate an improvement in attendance, to be confirmed by the student’s tutor and course leader.
Students who have not demonstrated an improvement in attendance within the given 1 week, will be given a First warning attendance letter, with the same conditions as before. Students will also be required to meet with their Course Leader and the College Principal.
Students who have not demonstrated an improvement in attendance within 1 week, will be given a Second warning attendance letter, with the same conditions as before.
Students, who have not demonstrated an improvement in attendance within 1 week of the 2nd warning letter, will be required to meet with the College Principal, Eileen Long, about their attendance and given a Final warning letter. Following this, a failure to demonstrate an improvement in attendance may result in expulsion with no fees being refunded

End-of-Programme Exams

All students are required to complete a Release of Information Consent letter at registration which gives DIFC consent to release results to parents or agents on request and also to INIS.

Pre-Foundation English

Entrance to Foundation courses is decided by the DIFC entrance exams which are scheduled in January, June, September and December each year. Each exam is double marked by DIFC Academic staff and students receive a full transcript of results within two days of the exam.

PFE students are also required to take a TIE exam. DIFC will make arrangements for all PFE students to take this exam. Students must sign an agreement with DIFC at the start of their programme where they state that they accept that this exam is a mandatory part of their programme.

The PFE Course Leader will schedule the exam at two points during the academic year, December and June. Students must complete an application form and DIFC will make arrangements for the exam to either be taken on site or at the TIE examination centre depending on student numbers.

All students are required to complete a Release of Information Consent letter at registration which gives DIFC consent to release results to parents or agents on request and also to INIS.

IELTS Preparation

All students must complete an IELTS exam as an end-of-course exam for this programme. Students must sign an agreement with DIFC at the start of their programme where they state that they accept that this exam is a mandatory part of their programme.

The PFE Course Leader will make arrangements for students to take IELTS exams at the end of the course. However, Students are also free to schedule this exam at a time which is preferred to them. All students must submit evidence of completion of this exam to DIFC. This is agreed in writing at the start of the programme.

Foundation Programmes

Student exams and coursework are marked by the staff at DIFC. Then, after the end of module exams, NCUK external examiners moderate (check) that the coursework and exams for every single student on the programme have been marked to the same standard. This means that there is a small possibility that an assessment mark could go up or down. It would not be fair if students in one centre got different (higher or lower) marks for the same standard of work as students at another centre. A mark will only ever be changed when it is absolutely necessary.

Once the external examiners have moderated student work there is a meeting, called an Exam Board, to discuss the marks and confirm the final results.

Students are awarded a mark (and for some programmes, a grade) for each module you complete; this shows your level of achievement. Offers made by NCUK Partner Universities are expressed in terms of these marks and grades. The minimum pass requirements for each NCUK programme are explained on the NCUK website at: www.ncuk.ac.uk.

Your results will be given to you approximately two weeks after the Exam Board. For further information you should read the sections in your Student Handbook called “Official Publication of Results” and “Transcripts & Certificates”.

Sick Leave

All uncertified absence in excess of 3 days or more without sufficient reason will face disciplinary procedures (official letter of warning) which may affect the student’s academic record. In the case of absenteeism due to illness, students must send an email to their Course Leader on the first day of sickness and each day subsequently. Students are then required to submit a certificate from a doctor on the first day of return to DIFC. If no medical certificate is submitted, the student’s attendance will be recorded as zero for the days of absence and DIFC’s absenteeism policy will be applied where appropriate. Disciplinary procedures will also be followed if the student does not contact the college..

Holidays & Breaks

No unscheduled breaks are permitted except in documented cases of illness or close family bereavement. In the event of a student requiring leave during the programme, the student must complete an Authorised Absence Form which can be found outside the admin office or on Moodle. This form must be approved and signed by their Course Leader before being submitted to the Student Services office.

Each application is given due consideration and is dealt with on a case by case basis. DIFC will always endeavour to accommodate the student’s requirements where possible. The criteria for accepting or refusing a request are as follows:

Necessity of the requested leave
Impact on completion of the programme
Timing of the requested leave
Length of the requested leave

If the Course Leader refuses to approve the leave, the student can then contact the College Principal to appeal this decision. The College Principal’s decision is final.