ENROLMENT & FEES INFORMATION

 

You may begin distance learning courses at any time.  Please complete your enrolment application form after reading carefully the (very few) terms & conditions, sign it and send it to us, together with the appropriate fee(s), in the envelope provided

 

For details of the various payment options see below.  We are able to accept payment in most currencies but regret that extended payment facilities are only available to UK residents holding a current bank account.

 

Once accepted as a student, those selecting the traditional, printed versions of a course will receive a stationery packand the first batch of study materials (usually well within 14 days).  Dispatch of further study books will continue, keeping pace with your progress, until your course is complete. Course materials in CD format will be sent as required by course and enrolment criteria.

 

At the end of some study books there is an assignment which will require the submission of written answers.   

Your personal tutor will return this to you, marked, together with comments, suggestions and a completed assessment sheet, usually within 14 days of receipt.

 

Study books are individually printed for each student and presented in 'lay flat', A4 format.  CD course material is provided as pdf files on one or more standard compact discs.
 

On enrolment each new student is assigned to the care of a personal tutor, a proportion of  whose time is allocated to that student for the next six months.  If no work is submitted and no indication received of a problem, then the allocated tutor's time and resources, which represent a significant proportion of your course fees, are completely wasted. This allocation is renewed every six months to take account of the differing requirements of courses and individual students.  
 

Whilst an important element of distance learning is the lack of deadlines and the flexibility to study at your own pace, continuity of study is essential to good progress and all students are expected to complete their courses within a reasonable time.  Full tutorial support and materials will be provided, for the period stated in the course description, from the date of registration (unless stated otherwise in the particular course description) provided that students start  their course promptly and submit regular written assignments as and if required by the course content.  In the event that they are unable to do so, it is vital that students advise the Institute and/or their  tutor promptly and maintain regular contact.  It is the responsibility of students to initiate and maintain such a dialogue.  

We fully understand that problems arise from time to time and all we ask is that you keep us informed and maintain a regular dialogue - a simple telephone call or note will suffice.


Your course of study is essentially a service that is available to you for a specific time. The full range of services included in your course are available to you for the specified period and your fees applied to them whether or not used. It is important to understand that it is a course of study - materials, tuition and administration - that the payment of fees provide; you are not purchasing a set of written texts.

Payment of Fees

 

We are happy to accept payment by personal or business cheque (check), or by electronic transfer, in £ Sterling, Euro, American, Canadian or Australian Dollars and most Western European Currencies subject to the current bank charges for processing.  Please check the exchange rates etc. before you write your cheque. Our enrolments secretary will be happy to assist if you encounter any problems.

 

The information you require for electronic transfer is:-

Lloyds TSB plc Sort code:- 30-93-74 Account No:-  01624273

Account name:- The Institute for Horticultural and Rural Studies

BIC - LOYD GB 21022                  IBAN - GB   72 LOYD
3093 7401 6242 73

 

We accept most Credit/Debit cards. Students  may complete the appropriate section on their enrolment application form or, if preferred, telephone the necessary details through to the enrolments secretary.  Due to the increasingly high charges levied by the card companies, we  regret that we must add 4% to all credit card transactions. This does not, however, apply to  debit card payments.

We are happy for students to pay their fees in instalments by standing order direct from their bank account. Whilst we do not charge interest for this service, we do need to cover the extra bank and administrative costs involved and currently these amount to £6:25 per instalment. Please write, telephone, or e-mail us for details.

Please note that whilst we are happy to provide this facility to assist students with the payment of fees, it is
not a 'Pay as you Go' scheme and that students choosing to pay fees in this manner are enrolled on the understanding that they accept responsibility to pay the full course fees ~ whether or not they later withdraw. We regret that this facility is only available for UK residents who hold a current bank account.

Postage and packing for materials and the return of any marked, written assignments is included in the fees for courses in CD format.
 

POSTAGE FOR PRINTED FORMAT COURSES

United Kingdom :

Stationery and postage is included in the course fee.  Your first stationery pack will be sent prior to your first course materials and includes Freepost envelopes for the return of your assignments.  Please do not add anything to the address ~ the one line is correct and will reach us safely.  

 

Eire and Europe :

Please add £55 to the cost of your course.  Please note that your stationery pack will not include prepaid envelopes for the return of assignments.

 

World Zone 1 : Please add £65 to your course fee, otherwise all as for Europe.

World Zone 2 : Please add £85 to your course fee, otherwise all as for Europe.