Falcon Skill Academy Refund Policy

Purpose

This policy aims to provide fair and equitable guidelines outlining the circumstances under which Course Tuition and non-tuition fees are refunded to or on behalf of students and eligibility for transfer requests.

Definitions

Appeal means the request by a student to review a decision made by the provider.

The Census Date means the date when students become liable for fees for the subjects they are enrolled in. It is the last date Domestic Students can withdraw or change their enrolment without incurring a financial or COE academic penalty.

Compelling and Compassionate Circumstances are circumstances that may negatively impact a student’s study, including but not limited to serious illness or injury, bereavement of close family members, major political upheaval or natural disaster in their home country, or a traumatic experience such as a serious accident or crime.

Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) means a document issued by education providers to verify the applicant’s enrolment in a specified Program.

Course Fees are the total tuition and non-tuition fees paid by or on behalf of a student and may apply to a current or future study period.

Default Date means the date the visa non-grant notification is received in PRISMS.

Deferred means postponing the commencement of a new course (new students only) and may be initiated by the student or provider.

Enrolment means acceptance by the provider that the student is now progressing toward the completion of the program requirements. The period of enrolment includes scheduled breaks between study periods.

International/Overseas Student means a student outside of Malaysia

Non-tuition fees mean fees that are not directly related to subject or course tuition, such as enrolment fees, Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), late payment fees, or airport pick-up fees. Non-tuition fees are outlined in the student’s Offer of Admission.

Packaged Offer means the Offer of Admission and corresponding CoE(s) issued to a student for two or more programs of study. Successful completion of earlier programs is required for progression to the next program.

Principal Course means the main program of study to be undertaken by an International/Overseas Student. In a Packaged Offer, it is generally the final Program in the package that least to the highest qualification. When a student visa is issued for only one Program, that Program is the principal course of study.

PRISMS means the Provider Registration and International Student Management System – a Malaysia Government secure online system that enables providers to issue Confirmations of Enrolment, which government agencies use to monitor student compliance with visa conditions and provider compliance with the MOE Act.

Program means a sequence of subjects required to achieve stated learning outcomes.

Program Commencement Date is the first day of the Program as identified in the Offer of Admission.

Study Period means a discrete period of study within a program, namely term, semester, trimester, short course of similar or lesser duration or as otherwise defined by the registered provider as long as that period does not exceed six months.

Subject means a unit of study that a student enrolls in as part of their program.

Suspension means pausing a commenced program for a specific period. It may be initiated by the student (e.g., leave of absence) or by the provider (e.g., misconduct).

Tuition Fees mean fees paid by a student or intending student to receive tuition in a subject(s) or program of study. Tuition fees are outlined in a student’s Offer of Admission.

TPS means the Tuition Protection Service, which is an initiative of the Malaysian Government to assist eligible students whose education providers are unable to fully deliver their course of study.

Withdrawal means terminating a program enrolment that is initiated by the student.

Guiding Procedures

Application Process

All Students

Students must apply in writing to the College, using the “Request for Refund/Credit Adjustment Form” to request a refund, cancellation, transfer or substitution of an enrolment. All completed refund applications must be submitted either in person at College Reception or by email to admin@falconskills.edu.my

The written application for a refund is only considered complete, where the “Request for Refund/Credit Adjustment Form” is signed by the student and the correct refund details have been provided (including any third-party recipients) by this Policy. For students under the age of 18 years, a parent or legal guardian will also have to acknowledge and sign the “Request for Refund /Credit Adjustment Form”.

The College will process all student refund requests and will provide written responses within 10 working days from the date of receipt of a completed application and all required documentation. Incomplete applications may be rejected.

It is the College’s policy for every refund to be transferred back into the account or to the credit card from which it was paid.

Approved refunds are paid in Malaysian dollars only. The refund payment will be made within four weeks of receiving a complete refund request (provided all banking information for payment of the refund is received on application).

In the event of a refund rejection by the bank due to insufficient data or incorrect data supplied by the student, any bank fees charged by the College’s bank to the College will be deducted from the amount due to the student.

Refund amounts transferred by international telegraphic transfer will attract a bank change.

Note: Course Fees are not transferable to other students.

Domestic Students

Program fees will not be refunded if a student withdraws from the subject/course after the commencement date for the study period, except under the following circumstances:

  • where the student’s application for enrolment is declined by the College;
  • by reasons beyond the student’s control, including acts of government authorities, civil strikes and riots, the student is prevented from studying a module or subject/program;
  • the College cancels a program in which the student has enrolled or where the commencement of the program is postponed for more than two (2) weeks.

Refunds

Program Fees

In the event a student wishes to withdraw from their program, the following refund rules apply for both overseas and domestic students.

Withdrawal timeframeRefundAdditional Costs Refund
Withdrawal because of incorrect or incomplete information supplied by the student at the time of enrolment90% refund of tuition fees paid100% refund of additional costs paid excluding enrolment fee and services used.
Withdrawal at least 4 weeks prior to program start date80% refund of tuition fees paid100% refund of additional costs paid excluding enrolment fee and services used.
Withdrawal less than 4 weeks prior to program start date50% refund of tuition fees paid100% refund of additional costs paid excluding enrolment fee and services used.
Withdrawal after the program commencement date of the study periodNo refund of the first/current study period, a full refund of subsequent study periods in that program.No refund of additional costs paid excluding services not used.
The College is unable to provide the program offered before, or on the day of, the program commencement date.100% refund of tuition fees paid100% refund of additional costs paid excluding enrolment fee and services used.
The offer of enrolment is withdrawn for reasons other than incorrect or incomplete information supplied by the student at the time of enrolment.100% refund of tuition fees paid100% refund of additional costs paid excluding enrolment fee and services used.

Visa Refusal

Where a student visa application is refused by the Department of Home Affairs, regardless of the reason, the following refunds are available to the student:

Visa RefusalRefund
Visa is refused prior to or on the program commencement date*Full refund of Course Fees paid minus the lesser of: 5% of the total Course Fees paid before the default day, or $500
Visa is refused after the program commencement date*Refund of all unused tuition fees** from the default day

 

Welfare Arrangements, Accommodation Fees for Students under the Age of 18 Years

The following rules apply for refunds on welfare arrangements, accommodation, and airport pick-up fees.

Fee TypePayment TermsRefund Terms
Welfare Administration FeePayable when securing accommodation.Non-refundable
Accommodation Placement FeePayable when securing accommodationNon-refundable
Accommodation Fee* (Homestay full board – includes laundry and all meals except lunch on week-days)Initial four weeks payment paid to the Homestay. Minimum stay is six months or date the student turns 18 years.Initial four weeks deposit is non- refundable.
Welfare Monitoring FeePayable when securing accommodation (payable until student’s 18th birthday and for a minimum of 4 weeks).Non-refundable
Airport Pick-up Fee (Compulsory)Payable when securing accommodationNon-refundable

*Extra charge for special dietary requirements may apply.

All refund applications made by students under the age of 18 years must be signed by their parents or legal guardians.

Subject/Course Transfers

Students who have enrolled in a subject/course can transfer to another subject/course prior to the commencement of the program without penalty. Students who change subjects/courses may not apply for special consideration based on changing subjects/courses alone.

Provider Default

New Students (program not yet commenced)

If the College is unable to offer the program for which a prospective student has applied, a full refund will be provided for all tuition fees paid for that program.

Continuing Students (program commenced)

If the College is unable to continue offering a program for which a student is enrolled, a full refund of tuition fees paid for subjects/courses NOT studied will be refunded.

Withdrawal and Early Release*

If a student decides to withdraw from their program at the College, their refund is allocated as per the ‘Refunds – Program Fees section’.

Regarding release, a student may request release from the College and University programs prior to completing 6 months of their principal program (being the University program). The first six months are calculated as six calendar months from the date an overseas student commences their Principal Course. Release requests will be assessed in accordance with the ‘Transferring to Another Provider Policy’.

Any request for release will be assessed by the College with subsequent approval required by the University. Based on the University’s decision, the College will either release or not release the student.

If the student has progressed from their programs with the College and they are within the first six months of the principal course with the University, they must apply for release with the University.

A student who has had a release application approved prior to commencing with the principal provider (the University) will have any refund application assessed based on their withdrawal and as per the ‘Refunds – Program Fees’ section of this policy.

*Note: For more information on release from courses, see “Transfer between Providers Policy”.

Payment of Refund

It is important to recognise that the following fees and charges are non-tuition fees and are therefore non-refundable:

  • Enrolment fees
  • Course Transfer Fees (if applicable)
  • Late payment administrative charges
  • Ancillary charges, including credit card surcharges
  • Reprints of transcripts
  • Postage, printing or Student ID Card replacement charges
  • Accommodation placement
  • Airport pickup
  • Credit charge surcharges

Approved refunds are paid in Malaysian dollars ONLY into to the same account or credit card from which the original payment was made at the time of enrolment, within 20 working days from the time a refund claim was received by the College (provided all banking information for payment of refund is received on application).

In the event of a refund being rejected by the bank due to insufficient data or incorrect data supplied by the Student, any bank fees charged by the College’s bank to the College will be deducted from the amount due to the Student.

Refund amounts transferred by international telegraphic transfer will attract a bank charge.

Refund Refusal

No refunds will be offered in the following circumstances:

  • A student who has been issued a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for a program(s) with the College, has not had a release request approved and holds a visa type that does not restrict them from ongoing studies, will not be entitled to receive a refund for any initial deposit amount.
  • A student who has had a program cancelled by the College under the following circumstances will not be entitled to receive a refund for any tuition fees paid in advance for that study period or as part of an initial deposit amount:
    • The cancellation was due to a student’s failure to enrol in a compulsory study period/trimester/semester.
    • The cancellation was due to unsatisfactory course attendance or progress after the appeals period.
    • The cancellation was due to a student’s failure to comply with visa conditions relating to their program with the College.
    • The cancellation was due to a student providing false or misleading information at the point of application and this has been substantiated (e.g. falsified documentation such as passport, qualifications issued by other education providers, etc.).
    • The cancellation was due to misbehavior under serious disciplinary action.
    • The terms and conditions of “the Agreement” between the student and the College are breached (e.g.

non-payment of tuition fees).

Tuition fee refunds after the census date are given solely at the discretion of the College and only if there are compelling, compassionate or exceptional circumstances, which can be verified.

Tuition fee transfers after the program has commenced are solely at the discretion of the College and are only made if the student is more suitably placed in another institutional program for academic reasons.

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

Overseas students who have organised their OSHC premium through the College will be entitled to a full refund of their OSHC premium before they arri in Malaysia. If a student arrives in Malaysia and wishes to return home early and receive a refund of unused OSHC, they must submit the “Request for Refund/Credit Adjustment Form” to request a refund.

Compassionate and Compelling Circumstances

The College understands that on occasion a student may be required to withdraw from a course due to unforeseen compassionate and compelling circumstances. Therefore, provision is made under this policy for a student to provide appropriate documentary evidence with their refund application for consideration by the College for a full or partial refund.

To be considered, the situation must:

  • be outside of the student’s control; and
  • make it impractical for the student to continue with their studies; and o be supported by documentary evidence.

Compassionate and compelling circumstances do not include:

  • failing to progress adequately or complete a pathway program to meet an entry requirement for the program;
  • inability to pay tuition fees alone (overseas students) as it is a visa condition to have sufficient funds for study and living purposes.

Requests for refunds on compassionate and compelling circumstances grounds should be sent to admin@falconskills.edu.my  accompanied by independent supporting documentation in English.

Students will be informed of the outcome within ten (10) working days.

Protection of Student Fees

In the unlikely event that the College is unable to deliver a program in full, students will be offered a refund of all unspent tuition fees. This refund will be paid within ten (10) working days of the day on which the program ceased being provided. Alternatively, students may be offered enrolment in an alternative program at no extra cost. Students have the right to choose whether they would prefer a refund of unspent tuition fees or to accept a place in another program. If they choose placement in another program, students will need to sign documentation to indicate their acceptance of the placement. In the unlikely event that the College is unable to provide a refund or place a student in an alternative course.

Enquiries

Any enquiries about this policy should be raised with the Kaplan International Pathway Enrolments team:

admin@falconskills.edu.my

Complaints and Appeals

This policy and the right to make complaints and seek appeals of decisions and actions under various processes (please see our Non-Academic Grievance Policy for details on appeals), do not affect the rights of the student to take action under the Malaysia Consumer Law. Email to admin@falconskills.edu.my