The University of Wolverhampton is committed to developing and maintaining constructive relations with its employees. This Policy has been approved by the University’s SMT Board on 8th February 2022. It sets out the University’s requirements to manage the student accommodation and minimise the debt to the University. It will advocate students to engage with accommodation for them to set up payment plans and seek assistance from the relevant departments at an early stage to ensure the students are managing their finances and not allowing themselves to get into financial difficulty.

This policy has been reviewed as the current procedure has been in situ for 3 years. The process of how this is managed has been reviewed in conjunction with Finance and the Students’ Union, the areas that have been amended are the accommodation instalments due dates, of which have been modified to fall in line with the current academic year, along with an extra day being added at the initial period, Day 1 has now been altered to Day 2, this will give Finance an extra day to ensure all of their paperwork is up to date and correct before sending it out to the students.

The objectives of this policy are to ensure that the University has a fair and transparent Accommodation Debt Policy that assists students to reduce any Accommodation debt they may have to the University, together with a collaborative approach working with finance, Students Union and the Office of the Dean of Students to ensure the students receive a professional seamless service.

The implementation of this policy is in accordance with the University’s core values which are to be:

o Ethical
o Respectful
o Transparent
o Inclusive and fair
o Challenging
o Confident
o Collaborative
o Professional

The University Accommodation Debt Policy and Procedure applies to all Students who reside within University Accommodation. The responsibilities and Organisational arrangements for the Accommodation Debt Policy lie with a variety of personnel within the University, details of which are set out as follows: All Hub staff and Students. University staff who fail to adhere to the terms of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.

Managers
The Management Team of the Facilities and Support Information Hubs are responsible for ensuring Staff and Students alike are aware of the policy and procedure on behalf of the Estates and Facilities Support Services.

Employees
Estates and Facilities Support Employees are responsible for ensuring that the policy and procedure is adhered to and ensure it is a clear and transparent document for staff and students to utilise.

Finance
Employees are responsible for ensuring that the policy and procedure is adhered to, ensuring it is
a clear transparent document for staff and student s to utilise.

Students
Students are responsible for ensuring that they adhere to the policy and procedure and that it is a clear and transparent document for students to utilise.

Support to Students
In applying the policy, the University will at all times seek to be sympathetic to, and understanding of, individual students’ financial circumstances. However, for the University to do so, students must engage in dialogue with any number of the University departments listed below, if they are experiencing difficulties.
Action to enforce settlement of debt for outstanding accommodation fees and charges may be taken against all current and former students who have failed to engage with the below University departments to find a solution to settle any outstanding debt and who have failed to honour agreements to pay.
Students experiencing difficulties in paying any fees and charges should seek help at the earliest opportunity through making contact with:

• Facilities Information Hub at each campus,
• Student to log a call on the E:vision help desk,
• Student Funding Office who will provide information on a number of finance-related issues; they can be contacted by various means, E-mail: money@wlv.ac.uk Tel: 01902 321070,
• Students’ Union- The Students’ Union Advice and Representation Centre offers confidential and impartial advice in relation to money and debt advice. They can be contacted by various means; www.wolvesunion.org/advice/enquiry or Tel: 01902 322038
Appointments can be made with advisers at the Students’ Union Advice and Representation Centre to discuss any issues,
• Making contact with Finance- Finance staff can be contacted by various means
E-mail: incomesection@wlv.ac.uk Tel: 01902 321256. Appointments can also be made to meet Finance staff to discuss any fee related issue.

Communication with Students
The main form of communication from the University to the students regarding outstanding accommodation fees will be via the student’s nominated email address. In accordance with the terms set out in the Student Charter, it is expected that students make sure their email address and contact details are kept up-to-date to enable the University to communicate with them when necessary.

Where necessary posted communications may be used, posted communications are normally sent to the student’s term-time address during the standard term and to the student’s home address at other times. However, the University reserves the right to send communications to either or both addresses, within or outside standard term dates, as appropriate. Students are expected to collect or arrange to forward mail where appropriate.

Students are responsible for ensuring they notify the University immediately if there is any change in either their home or term-time address. Students can use e:Vision (the University’s online facilities) to notify change of address. The University’s central records will then be updated.

Joint campaigns will be run in conjunction with the Students’ Union to raise awareness to students not to ignore their debts and where to seek help and support if they are in a financial predicament. Information and guidance will also be placed on the University web pages or social media platforms.

Outstanding Debt, Fees and Charges
Students are personally responsible for ensuring that all accommodation fees, fines and other charges are paid. In accepting the offer of accommodation, the student accepts a contractual liability to pay the accommodation fee, fines and other charges on time.

Full details on how to pay Accommodation Fees can be found on the Accommodation Information Hub website in the section ‘How and When to Pay’.

If the student has an accommodation debt and makes a payment, this will be applied against the oldest accommodation debt first. Any payments made in the following ways, will show on the student account within the timescales stated below:

Web Payments - The next working day

Bank Transfers - 2 Working days

International Payments - Up to 14 working days

Accommodation Fees – contractual obligations
Accommodation offered by the University is dependent on the student signing a Licence Agreement for the period of accommodation and paying a £300 advanced rent payment. The advanced rent payment will be deducted from the sum on the final payment due date in April.

Returning students that hold a Licence agreement for the previous academic year are not required to pay the £300 advanced rent payment. They will be required to pay the three instalments in full.
The Licence Agreement is a legally binding document. Breach of any of the conditions of the Licence Agreement may result in the University seeking recovery of possession of the accommodation from the student through a Notice to Quit.

The University has the right to refuse an application for accommodation from a returning student if the University deems they have previously breached their contract (i.e. poor payment record, or record of conduct or behavioural issues).

The University offers students the facility to pay their accommodation as follows:

• All instalments must be paid by the due dates, direct debit is the preferred method however, and cash or card payments are acceptable.
• Three instalment’s payable by direct debit for a 37 week occupancy agreement. If students have not paid instalment one and two the ability to do so via direct debit for the third instalment will be revoked and the whole debt will be referred to the debt collection agency.
• 4 instalment’s payable by direct debit for students who sign up to a 52 week Licence agreement. If students have not paid instalment one, two and three the ability to pay the fourth instalment will be revoked and the whole debt will be referred to the debt collection agency.
• For Nursing/Midwifery students, Direct Debits can be arranged to coincide with grants / payments. The student can apply for a form at https://www.wlv.ac.uk/apply/funding-costs-fees-and-support/how-to-pay/ Instalment dates will be published annually. If a nursing student would prefer to pay on a monthly basis, they will need to contact staff at the following email address: incomesection@wlv.ac.uk.

Payment Default Charges
Students who have not paid their accommodation fees by the due dates will be subject to the debt management procedure. The ability to continue to pay by instalments will be revoked and the outstanding total fee for the residential year will be referred to the external debt collection agency. The University will levy a one off charge of £200 upon referral to the student account for any outstanding or non-payment of the accommodation debt.

Cancellation Charges
If the student accepts a place within the University Accommodation, but then the University of Wolverhampton decide not to offer the student a place on a course or the students Visa is refused, the whole rent advanced rent payment of £300.00 will be returned. A refund for the advanced rent payment will be processed upon written confirmation from the University Admissions Unit that the student has not been offered a place on a course or written confirmation from the immigration authority stating the students Visa has been refused.

Should the student cancel the Licence Agreement before the agreed dates of occupancy (i.e. if the student does not commence occupation of the Room as agreed) as set out in the Offer Letter, for a reason other than as set out in clause 4.4 of the Accommodation Licence Agreement, the University will be entitled to retain a proportion of the advanced rent payment the student has made to cover any reasonable or incurred costs associated with the cancellation.

The Accommodation Licence Agreement may be terminated if:

• The University is in serious breach of its obligations under the Licence Agreement and/or the student contract for study at the University;
• The student has medical welfare grounds for terminating the Licence Agreement;
• The student has academic grounds for termination
• The student no longer wishes to study at the University and takes either a leave of absence or withdrawal.

Where the student wishes to terminate the Licence Agreement as a result of an issue arising under clause 7.2 of the Accommodation Licence Agreement, the student will no longer be obliged to make further payments of the Licence Fee. The provision of clause 8 of the Licence Agreement, applies to students in regards to their departure from the University Accommodation.

The student may only otherwise terminate the Licence Agreement during the Residential Year having received the University’s written consent to do so. To make an application to terminate under clause 7.5 of the Licence Agreement, the student will need to submit a completed Request for Cancellation of Accommodation form to the campus specific Information Hub which will then be considered by the University.

If the student is terminating because they are withdrawing / taking a leave of absence or transferring courses, then written confirmation of this from the appropriate school must be provided to the campus specific Information Hub before they can consider any refund or cancellation of payment obligations.

In all cases, where the student wishes to exercise their right to terminate, they acknowledge that, save where they are terminating for reasons specified in clause 7.2(a) and (b) of the Accommodation Licence Agreement, they will continue to be liable for the full Licence Fee unless the University or the student is able to find a replacement person to take on the outstanding liability for these amounts. A link to the University Accommodation Licence Agreement can be found below:

Link to licence
https://www.wlv.ac.uk/university-life/accommodation/downloadable-documents/

Former Students
If a student leaves their course with an accommodation debt still owing to the University, Finance will continue to pursue recovery of the accommodation debt. If the former student fails to make arrangements to settle the outstanding amounts they will be referred to the University’s debt collection agency for further action (up to and including court action).

Former students who later decide to return to the University to study are not allowed to move in to the University accommodation unless any former debt is paid in full and the student is eligible to enrol and can therefore be offered a place within the University accommodation. This includes any outstanding amounts with the University’s debt collection agencies.

The campus specific Information Hub also has the right to refuse an application to pay by instalments from a returning student if the University deems they have a poor payment record.

The Policy and Procedure will be disseminated to all staff and students alike, Students will have access to the document via the University Accommodation web pages. Any new member of staff will receive relevant training and a more in depth detail of the process.

There are no exceptions to this policy.

This Policy was approved by the University’s Executive Board 15 September 2022 (Final Approval). The University may change this Policy at any time, and where appropriate. Where a policy is not due for review, but is found to require updating, it will remain published, unless the reasons for review render it obsolete.

For general queries, please contact the University 01902 321268 by email or phone. Email: cityaccommodationhub@wlv.ac.uk

For general queries, please contact the University Corporate Compliance Team via email: compliance@wlv.ac.uk.