Birmingham International Summer School terms and conditions

a. By making an application to book a place at The University of Birmingham’s ‘Birmingham International Summer School’ (“BISS”), the participant (“you/your”) acknowledge that your relationship with The University of Birmingham (“the University/we/us/our”) in connection with the BISS is governed by these terms and conditions.

b. No agreement will be or is effective in relation to your attendance at BISS until after the University has provided written confirmation of your place on the BISS and after you have, in each case within any timescales set out in the University’s offer letter

(i) accepted the University’s offer of a place on the BISS;

(ii) fulfilled the conditions, if any, of that offer; and

(iii) paid the fees payable for the BISS in accordance with the instructions in that offer.

c. In order to apply for participation in BISS, you must be aged 18 years or over at the start date of the BISS programme.

d. We are under no obligation to offer you a place on BISS, and reserve the right to refuse to offer any person a place on BISS for any reason whatsoever (including, without limitation, a person or any institution at which they are a student owing money to the University). Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, we intend to only accept a maximum number of applications from persons applying for a place on BISS who study at the same institution. After that maximum number of applications have been accepted, we may at our discretion place potential applicants on a reserve list and notify them of any additional places which become available. No part of that process shall, for the avoidance of doubt, commit the University to accept an application from such a potential applicant, and the University will have no liability to any party (including any relevant institution) if it refuses to accept such an application.

a. The current fees payable for BISS are found in BISS webpages. Payment must be made in full through the University’s Online Shop by Friday 21 May 2027, subject to any earlier payment deadline stated in the applicant’s offer.

b. Fees payable in connection with BISS do not include the cost of provision of specialist materials or equipment necessary to participate in the BISS; those charges will be advised to you separately where applicable. All social programme activities stated as included in the BISS are included in your fees, but may not include meals and drinks during the trip/ activity. There is no separate fee for included social programme activities. Should you be unable or unwilling to take part in any of the BISS social programme activities which are included in your fees, no refunds or reductions will be available.

c. You may cancel your place at BISS, and we will refund the BISS fees paid, if you notify us in writing:

i. by Friday 21 May 2027 that you do not meet the English-language requirement set out in the University’s offer. Evidence will be required. No refund will be issued on these grounds after this date; or

ii. by Monday 19 July 2027 that your visa application has been unsuccessful. Evidence of the refusal will be required; or

iii. within 14 calendar days after the date on which the University accepts your payment. The cancellation period begins on the following day and ends at midnight on the fourteenth calendar day.

a. If you require a visa to participate in BISS, it is your responsibility to obtain such visa to travel and to study in the UK for the BISS programme where you do not hold a UK/IrishEU/EEA passport or residency. You agree to fully comply with visa conditions applicable to you whilst in the UK. Please refer to the visa information and guidance section on the BISS website for guidance. For more information please also refer to the Home Office website. It is your responsibility to determine how far in advance you need to apply for a visa, and to allow sufficient time to obtain a visa. The University is not responsible for any failure by you in obtaining a visa enabling your participation in BISS, and expressly excludes liability for any loss or damage incurred by you in connection with any such failure.

b. You will not be permitted to participate in BISS if you do not hold the immigration permission required to study in the UK. You must complete any Right to Study checks required by the University and provide the requested evidence by the stated deadline.

a. You must arrange appropriate travel insurance before travelling. Your insurance should cover the full duration of your journey and stay, including lost or stolen property, late arrival, early or delayed departure, medical costs, repatriation, cancellation and other unforeseen circumstances.

b. The University is not responsible for loss of or damage to your property, except where liability cannot lawfully be excluded. You should insure your property against appropriate risks.

c. The University does not provide health, travel or medical insurance for BISS participants. You are responsible for arranging suitable cover for personal possessions, medical treatment, repatriation, cancellation, programme fees and travel costs. You should check whether your home country has a reciprocal healthcare arrangement with the UK and arrange additional medical insurance where necessary, particularly if you have existing medical needs.

a. You have the right to cancel this contract without giving a reason within the cancellation period. The cancellation period begins on the day after the University accepts your payment and ends at midnight on the fourteenth calendar day after that date (“Cancellation Period”). We will refund the fees paid within 14 days of the date on which you inform us that you wish to cancel. If you begin the BISS programme during the Cancellation Period, we may charge a reasonable amount for the services provided up to the date of cancellation, calculated in proportion to the BISS programme provided.

b. To exercise your right to cancel, you must inform us of your decision by a clear written statement sent by email to biss@contacts.bham.ac.uk. Alternatively, you may write to us using the Model Cancellation Form below. To meet the cancellation deadline, you must send your cancellation notice before the Cancellation Period expires. We will normally make the refund to the original payer using the same payment method, unless another arrangement is expressly agreed.

Model Cancellation Form:

To The University of Birmingham, Birmingham International Summer School Office, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK

I give notice that I cancel my contract to attend the Birmingham International Summer School

Name of Applicant:

Address of Applicant:

Signature of Applicant (only if this form is notified on paper):

Date:

a. We may cancel BISS, or any BISS programme, and any accommodation bookings if we fail to recruit the anticipated minimum level of students to that course/programme or if circumstances beyond the University’s reasonable control prevent us from delivering it (including but not limited to circumstances of war, acts of God, riot, strike, insurrection, epidemic or pandemic, power outage, adverse weather conditions, third party occupation of the University’s premises, breakdown of equipment, unavailability of key staff for programme, government restriction, unscheduled or unexpected works, necessary and unavoidable repairs or health or safety concerns).

b. Information published on the University’s website about BISS is accurate at the date of publication. However, it may be necessary to change programmes, courses or modules to meet academic or regulatory requirements, maintain the currency of the academic content, respond to circumstances beyond the University’s reasonable control, or address changes in staffing, facilities or student numbers. If a material change is made after your contract has been formed, we will notify you as early as reasonably possible and seek to minimise the impact, including by offering suitable alternative arrangements or another available BISS course where appropriate.

c. You are responsible for determining whether your chosen BISS programme is suitable for your needs. The University does not guarantee that participation in or completion of BISS will result in any particular personal, academic or professional outcome. You must provide any information reasonably requested by the University in connection with your participation in BISS.

d. Academic credit arrangements for BISS 2027 are currently being finalised. Confirmed information will be published before applications open.

e. BISS is taught in the medium of English. You should therefore be proficient in English and at least to the minimum standard we set (which will normally be by reference to the International English Language Testing System). We have no responsibility to you if you are not sufficiently proficient and fail to participate fully in the BISS programme as a result.

f. If, in the University’s reasonable opinion, the presence of any participant is an impediment to the provision of any service of BISS or any BISS programme or brings the BISS and/or the University into disrepute, we may exclude such a person from all or part of BISS. In these circumstances, we will return any fee paid by or for the participant (other than any part of such fee in relation to which the University has made, or incurred liability to make, payment to a third party or has otherwise committed itself to payment in discharge of its own obligations in connection with BISS), but there will be no further liability of the University.

The University will collect information about you from your application, when you register and during your participation in BISS. This will be used to create and maintain your student record, for your studies and student life, your health and safety and for the management of University business. To find out how we will use any personal data you share with us, please read our privacy statements: Your privacy.

You agree to comply with the University’s legislation set out in its charter, statutes, ordinances, regulations, policies and codes of practice (including but not limited to policies on Equality, Health and Safety, Data Protection and Computer Use) from time to time during participation with BISS. In connection with this agreement, both you and we agree to keep to, and to each other keeping to, the Bribery Act 2010, the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the Equality Act 2010, the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 and the University’s Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech on Campus (as amended from time to time) and all related laws, regulations and codes.

The University reserves the right without prior notice at any time to alter or amend the whole or any of these conditions. Each of the provisions of these conditions is severable from the others and any provision which is illegal invalid or unenforceable shall be severed from the others without affecting or impairing the remainder of these conditions.

a. Subject to paragraph c. below, the liability of the University to you with respect to the provision of the BISS or any BISS programme, the cancellation, postponement, or amendment of the course or BISS programme, any negligence, any breach of these terms and conditions, or arising in any other way out of the subject-matter of these terms and conditions, will not extend to (i) any indirect losses or damages, or to any loss of profits, loss of contracts or opportunity, whether direct or indirect, even if the University had been advised of the possibility of those losses or if they were within the University’s contemplation; or (ii) any costs or expenses incurred by any person or organisation in connection with travel, accommodation, reservations or other arrangements.

b. In any event, but subject to paragraph c. below, the liability of the University to the participant with respect to the provision of BISS or any BISS programme, the cancellation, postponement, or amendment of the course or BISS programme, any negligence, any breach of these terms and conditions, or arising in any other way out of the subject-matter of these terms and conditions is limited to the amount of fees received from or on behalf of the participant in respect of the BISS programme.

c. Nothing in these terms and conditions will operate to limit or exclude the liability of the University for death or personal injury arising from the University’s negligence, fraud or any other liability that, by law, cannot be limited or excluded. The warranties given by the University in these terms and conditions are, to the extent permitted by law, given in lieu of all implied conditions, warranties, representations or other terms, including any relating to satisfactory quality, fitness for a particular or any purpose, or the ability to achieve any particular result.

Any disputes or concerns shall be addressed in accordance with the normal complaints' procedure of the University. Where the University’s complaints procedure is exhausted, you and the University will attempt to settle the dispute by mediation in accordance with the Centre for Dispute Resolution (CEDR) Model Mediation Procedure. The mediation will take place in Birmingham.