EC - Terms & Conditions Europe and South Africa 2024

1. PAYMENTS

Payments may be made by bank transfer or credit card and must be received in full 14 days prior to the course start date. The documents confirming the booking will only be sent when a non-refundable deposit has been received by the school. Bank details are provided on the invoice. Payment must include all bank transfer charges (including intermediary bank charges). Ireland Only: Payments must be made through our Transfermate Education account at https://ecenglish.paytostudy.com/.

2. VISAS

EC cannot be held responsible for decisions taken by embassies or immigration officials regarding entry visas or visa extensions. Visa advice can only be given by the appropriate Embassy, Consulate or High Commission. Students should contact their local Embassy, Consulate or High Commission to ensure they are allowed to enter and study in their chosen location. Students must maintain a valid visa status and their course will be terminated without a valid visa. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the most updated regulations / processes are being followed. EC cannot be held responsible for any visa regulation changes which occur after the booking has been confirmed in compliance with the then existing regulations. A visa document courier fee or postal fee is charged each time documents must be sent by courier or post. Please see individual school pages for exact fees. If a visa application is rejected and we receive written evidence at least 7 days prior to arrival, we will refund the fees received, less any bank charges, any non-refundable fees (registration fee, courier fees and bank charges) and the residence accommodation cancellation fees if applicable. In the case of visa denial less than 7 days prior to arrival, cancellation fees will apply (see paragraph 3).

3. REFUNDS AND CANCELLATION FEES

Non-Refundable fees: The following fees are non-refundable where applicable: Deposits, registration fees, course materials, insurance fees, courier, and accommodation fees. If EC cancels a programme after a student’s enrolment, EC will refund all monies already paid to EC. Students who require a visa/temporary residence permit may not be able to shorten their course due to the terms of their visa/ temporary residence permit. When determining the number of weeks of a student’s programme, EC will consider a partial week the same as if a whole week were completed, provided the student was present at least one day during the scheduled week. In the event that a refund is due, prorated refunds will be calculated on a weekly basis. All refunds will be made within 60 days of cancellation, unless otherwise stated by local legislation. All students attending an EC Centre will be subject to destination specific Enrolment and Refund Agreement policies.

CANCELLATION PRIOR TO ARRIVAL

All schools - Tuition:

To students cancelling 14 days or more prior to the course start date or to students who have had their visa application rejected, EC will refund fees received in full less non-refundable charges (see fees listed above), the value of these fees varies according to region, the costs are listed for each school in the price list. Students who are cancelling or postponing in less than a 14 day prior to the course start date will be charged a cancellation fee equivalent to 1 week of tuition and all non-refundable charges (see fees listed above).

All schools - Accommodation:

Students cancelling or postponing 14 days or less prior to their accommodation dates, for reasons other than visa denial, will be charged a two-week accommodation fee at the rate quoted in the price list for the accommodation booked and the accommodation placement fee. Accommodation booked through EC that is not subject to the standard cancellation terms, must be cancelled or postponed according to the cancellation terms quoted at the time of booking to avoid a cancellation fee which may amount to the full stay charge. Please also refer to the T&Cs for each residence, which you can check with your agent.

CANCELLATION, REDUCTION AFTER ARRIVAL, OR "NO SHOWS"

All schools - Tuition:

After the start date of a student’s course, any lesson hours reduced, cancelled, or shortened, at the student’s request, are non-refundable.

All schools - Accommodation:

Students leaving their accommodation must give notice in writing 4 weeks prior to termination. If the 4-week notice period is not provided, a cancellation fee equal to 4 weeks of the accommodation cost will apply. After deducting the price of accommodation used at the rate quoted in the price list, including the required notice period charged at the same rate, students will be refunded the remaining accommodation costs. Please note: Certain accommodation options may be subject to alternative cancellation charges. Should these differ from above, students will be notified at the time of booking. Please also refer to the T&Cs for each residence, which you can check with your agent.

Refund Due Dates (all schools):

For students cancelling before arrival, refunds will be made within 60 days of the first scheduled day of class or the documented date of cancellation, whichever is earlier. For students cancelling after arrival, the refund due will be paid within 60 days from the date of determination of cancellation. Any refunds due will be paid to the person or organisation who originally paid the fees.

4. CHANGES TO ENROLMENT

EC reserves the right to charge an administration fee of 50GBP/80EUR each time the course, accommodation or centre is changed or postponed after EC has confirmed the initial enrolment. This also includes requests for changes whilst the student is at school. A downgrade in course type after booking is considered a cancellation and the same refund policies will apply.

5. SESSION BREAKS

Session breaks are dependent upon destination, course duration and visa requirements and are subject to EC’s session break policy, available from: https:// partners.ecenglish.com/assets/resources/session-break-policy.

6. PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 2024 FALLING ON A WEEKDAY

All EC centres will be closed on public holidays. An updated list of public holiday dates can be found on individual school pages and on the EC website (www. ecenglish.com). Centres do not make up for lessons missed on these dates. Exceptions are made for One-to-One lessons, which will be made up. There is no refund for lessons missed due to a public holiday. All published course start dates fall on a Monday. However, if this day is a public holiday, the course will begin on the following working day.

7. CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS 2024/2025

Schools will be closed only on public holidays during this time (see the individual school price list). Lessons will not be made up on these days.

8. REDUCTION OF LESSONS

EC reserves the right to reduce the number of lessons in a class due to insufficient number of students. The lessons may be reduced as follows:

• 20/24/26 lessons per week courses: If 1-3 students in class, lessons reduced to 10 lessons/ week; If 4-6 students in class lessons reduced to 15 lessons/week.
• 30 lessons per week courses: If 1-3 students in class lessons reduced to 15 lessons/week; If 4-6 students in class lessons reduced to 20 lessons/week.
• 20 lessons per week Mini Group courses: If 1-3 students in the class lessons reduced to 10 lessons/week.
• 30 lessons per week Mini Group courses: : If 1-3 students in the class lessons reduced to 15 lessons/week.
• 30+ students may be asked to join a 16+ class as an alternative to a reduction of lessons.

9. ONE-TO-ONE LESSONS

All One-to-One lessons require 72 hour notice for cancellation, postponement or changes for a refund to be calculated. Sessions cancelled, postponed, or changed in less than 72 hours will be charged in full.

One-to-one lessons booked as a course package (20 lessons or more per week), will be treated like all other EC programmes and refunded as per standard terms and conditions.

One-to-One lessons are dependent on availability of staff and classroom space and will be scheduled accordingly. These lessons may be offered outside of regular class times and are subject to teacher and classroom availability.

We recommend booking more than 48 hours in advance as availability cannot be guaranteed if the period is shorter than that.

10. REISSUING LOST/MISPLACED STUDENT CERTIFICATES

Paper reprint 30GBP / 30EUR Electronic files can be sent at no cost.

11. LEVEL OF ENGLISH

If a student does not have the minimum level of English required to follow a specific course, as determined by EC’s Placement Test, EC reserves the right to move the student to an appropriate course for their level.

12. SCHOLARSHIPS

Recipients of scholarships or government grants should expect to pay a deposit to the school they are attending in cases where reimbursement to the school is not provided prior to the student commencing their course.

13. AIRPORT TRANSFERS

Flight details including arrival time, flight numbers, airline and point of origin must be advised 7 days prior to arrival in order for EC to provide airport transfers. No refunds will be granted on transfers if flight details are not sent to EC at least 7 days prior to arrival. Airport transfer fees include a maximum of 1 hour and 30 minutes waiting time. In the event of delays exceeding 1 hour and 30 minutes, students will be charged the additional fee at the school. Transfer cancellations made within 48 hours of arrival and no-shows will be charged in full Students booked on an adult course and not traveling with a parent or guardian are required to purchase transfers through EC.

14. CLASS INFORMATION

Courses run from Monday to Friday and are scheduled in the morning and/or afternoon depending on location. EC reserves the right to change timetable structure. EC reserves the right to use classrooms in alternative premises of a similar standard.

Special focus classes, free language workshops and language activities may vary between centres and are subject to change due to availability.

Any class that is cancelled by EC will be entitled to a full refund.

English in the City - some activities outside of the classroom may incur extra costs for transport and/or admission. All activities which include extra fees are optional and students may opt out if they choose not to pay the extra fees.

15. ACCOMMODATION

• Students arriving in homestay or residence between 22.00 – 08.00 may be asked to book alternative accommodation in a hotel on their first night due to late/ early arrival at accommodation. Some accommodation options may charge late arrival surcharges. This information is available at the time of booking.
• A refundable housing deposit may be charged on arrival to students taking residential accommodation.
• Please note, deposit fees vary by school location and the fee and procedure are listed in the Residence factsheet. A partial week between 3 and 6 nights will be charged as 1 week’s accommodation. Stays of 1 or 2 nights, are subject to availability and nightly pricing will apply. Where possible special dietary requirements will be accommodated. Availability and any applicable fees will be confirmed upon request.
• EC may use carefully selected partners to house students with suitable Homestay providers. Should EC receive positive visa application results fewer than 7 working days prior to arrival, EC reserves the right to offer alternative accommodation, which may incur additional charges.
• Should the arrival day be postponed due to delayed visa applications EC cannot guarantee the original accommodation allocation. Should EC have incurred any charges in reserving the accommodation for the student due to changes in visa status EC reserves the right to pass these charges on.
• Accommodation extensions after arrival are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed. Please note that last minute extensions may be subject to a price increase.
• Accommodation requests for the next calendar year will be quoted at next year’s interim rates. In the event that EC discontinues offering the confirmed accommodation product, schools will offer a comparable alternative.
• Accommodation requests for the next calendar year will be quoted at this year’s rates. In the event that EC discontinues offering the confirmed accommodation product, schools will offer a comparable alternative.
• Accommodation requests for 2+ calendar years in advance can only be confirmed for homestay at the current rates.
• The booking year rate for deferrals can only be guaranteed for up to 12 months from the original booking start date. In the event that EC discontinues offering the confirmed accommodation product, schools will offer a comparable alternative. If the booking is further deferred new rates will apply and students will be asked to pay the difference for any upgrade.
• We do not guarantee single gender shared accommodation. However, students sharing the same bedroom must be single gender. Exceptions can be made for adult couples or siblings travelling to a homestay/ residence asking to be accommodated in the same room.
• Schools will make every effort to ensure that students are not assigned to share a room/apartment with speakers of the same language. This is however based on availability and may not be operationally possible.
• Payment plans available for long term students.

16. ACCOMMODATION FOR MINORS (UNDER 18)

• When staying in EC accommodation, the U18 must reside in the same room as the parent or guardian.
• Request for mixed gender siblings to share the same homestay where one or both is a minor is not permissible.
• MALTA only – Minor must stay in EC homestay single accommodation. Alternatively, EC accommodation can be booked in a private apartment together with a parent or guardian for the entire stay in Malta.
• Minors are required to book a half board homestay with EC for the duration of their stay until they turn 18. Twin room if two students travelling together are of the same sex. Exceptions will only be made where minors stay in accommodation with their parents or legal guardians 25 years of age or more (as appointed and confirmed through the parental consent form provided). Students booked on an adult course and not traveling with a parent or guardian and arriving or departing between 20:00 and 8:00 are required to purchase transfers through EC.

17. LOCAL TAXES

Local taxes may apply to a student’s booking and will be clearly displayed upon invoicing.

18. SUPERVISION

Please note EC does not provide supervision for students who book an adult course. All students under 18 will be required to complete a parental authorisation form prior to arrival. Please speak with your booking contact for more details.

19. ATTENDANCE

EC requires that students maintain an attendance level of a minimum of 80% (85% in Ireland). Any missed lessons will not be made up.

20. EXPULSION

EC reserves the right to expel students for unacceptable or unlawful behaviour or lack of attendance. No refund will be given and any unpaid fees become immediately payable. Repatriation is at student’s own expense. Students expelled from an EC course are no longer eligible for EC housing. Housing refund policies will apply.

EC has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination, bullying and harassment in the workplace, the classroom or in the accommodation; Discrimination, bullying and harassment of any kind is unacceptable, against the law, and will not be tolerated.

EC expects students to behave in a manner that is considerate of those around them. Inappropriate conduct includes, but is not limited to:

1. disruptions to the learning environment or EC-provided living environment (i.e. use of profanity, harassment, etc.);
2. deliberate destruction, misuse, or theft of EC property, EC accommodation or the property of fellow classmates, homestay hosts, or housemates;
3. violence or threats of violence towards persons or property of students or school staff;
4. sexual harassment, including unwanted advances or any other inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature;
5. improper use of email or Internet access;
6. failure to comply with copyright laws and
7. use of drugs (including marijuana where legal) or alcohol on EC premises and/or when underage.

21. PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILMING

Students agree that photographs, videos, artwork or other works, as well as recorded or written testimonials; may be used, stored or transferred internationally by EC, or by a third-party agent, for promotional purposes including printed and online marketing materials and on any social media network without further consent or notification. If students do not wish to participate, EC will respect their wishes, but it is the student’s responsibility to absent themselves from the photograph/video.

22. DATA PROTECTION

Any information provided to EC may be held on computer and shall be used in accordance with its data protection registration and the national data protection laws applicable. EC may disclose appropriate personal data, including sensitive personal data of a medical nature, to relevant EC staff and third parties where there is a legitimate need or obligation to do so and where disclosing the information and the manner of disclosing the information complies with national privacy laws. We will not share sensitive information about students with any third party, including parents, legal guardians, caregivers, next of kin, or relevant government agencies without the student’s consent unless there are reasonable grounds to believe the health, safety and/or welfare of the student and/or others is at risk, if any identified special needs are affecting the student’s ability to participate, learn and achieve in an EC programme and/or where the law requires us to do so. Privacy policy can be found here https://www.ecenglish.com/en/ privacy-policy.

23. HEALTH DECLARATION

At the time of booking, we ask that students disclose any mental or physical illness, allergy, disability, or condition that may interfere with their ability to successfully complete their programme, that may impact the wellbeing of any other student or staff member, that may require monitoring, treatment, or emergency intervention during the student’s period of enrolment, or that may require special accommodation.

EC will not discriminate based on any above-mentioned conditions and will provide reasonable accommodation to meet all students’ needs. Nevertheless, EC reserves the right to terminate a student’s enrolment if the student’s participation represents a risk to their own, other students’ or staff members’ health and safety, or if, notwithstanding reasonable accommodations, in the opinion of EC, the student’s physical or mental condition makes the student unable to successfully complete their programme. Refunds will be provided based on refund schedules as per terms and conditions. Where it is a mandatory requirement, EC may ask for evidence of a valid Covid-19 vaccination certificate as part of the booking confirmation process.

24. DAMAGE TO PROPERTY

Students must pay the full cost of any damage they cause to property. Damage deposits may apply to certain accommodation options. These are payable upon check in, or on the first day of school.

25. INSURANCE

Student Insurance is available from EC:

UK, Ireland and Malta: Combined health (emergency medical cover) and travel insurance.

Cape Town: Health insurance only

For detailed information on the insurance policies above, please refer to your agent. Students are not required to have insurance purchased from EC, but must have health, accident and travel insurance while attending any programmes.

26. LIABILITY

EC and its staff and representatives will not be liable for loss, damage or injury to persons or property howsoever caused, except where liability is expressly imposed by law. EC will not be liable in the event that any service contracted to be supplied by EC becomes impossible to supply for any reason or any cause outside the control of EC.

27. FORCE MAJEURE

EC shall not be responsible for any failure to comply with any of its obligations if the failure is occasioned by any cause beyond EC’s reasonable control and despite the exercise of reasonable diligence and without incurring additional costs, cannot be prevented, or avoided. Force majeure events shall include but shall not be limited to, act of government, war, threat of war, riot, civil strife, general labour disturbance, such as a boycott, strike, lockout, or ‘go slow’ directives’, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, unusually adverse weather conditions, closure of an EC Centre, infectious diseases, viruses, plague, epidemic or pandemic health crises (caused by viruses such as Ebola, H1N1, H5N1, Zika, COVID-19, and other communicable diseases), or any action taken by a government or public authority, including prohibition of entry into a country or region of a country, promulgation of quarantine measures, ordering the “lockdown” of the whole or part of a country.

It is acknowledged that the epidemic health crisis in connection with COVID-19 and any related quarantine and actions of a governmental authority shall be considered a force majeure event for the purpose of these EC Terms and Conditions, even though the health crisis has arisen prior to the effective date.

28. AGENTS

EC Terms and Conditions are applicable to all students and agents.

29. VALID PRICES

Prices are valid for start dates from 1 January 2024. Prices are subject to change without notice and will be confirmed upon invoicing. EC cannot be held responsible if incorrect pricing is quoted by a third party.

30. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The current EC Terms and Conditions supersede any previous Terms and Conditions that were applicable at the time of student’s booking.