Consumer information

Student financial aid information

Our Scholarships and Loans web pages, as well as International Student Funding web pages contain information about financial assistance available to students.
Information specific to US Loans can be found on our Foreign Loans web page.  

The University is authorised to process US Direct loans for students who are:

1. Citizens or permanent residents of the United States (US) and who have a valid US social security number. 
2. Studying for Bachelor's degrees, First Professional degrees, Master's degrees and Doctoral degrees.
   
3. Studying at the University of Kent’s Canterbury and Medway campuses .
   

However, there are some exceptions. The following students are not eligible to borrow US Direct loans:

• Students whose programme includes study or research for any length of time in the United States. However, there is a narrow exception for independent research carried out by PhD students – please email foreignloans@kent.ac.uk for details.  
• Students whose programme includes study or research for any length of time at the University of Kent’s Paris Centre for Arts and Culture. 
• Students who are registered on the International Foundation Programme.
• Students who are registered on an External / Distance Learning programme of study.
• Students whose programs include study abroad or exchange years.
• The University of Kent does not provide Internships/externships and therefore are not permissible for Title IV.
• Students who are studying for non-degree programs 

Cost of attendance

Information on tuition and fees can be found on the Student Finance Tuition Fees web page. Information on costs relating to books and supplies, room and board, transportation as well as additional costs can be found on the Student Finance Living Costs web page. Occasionally there may be additional costs for your course, which will be outlined to you by your School.  

Refund policy

Tuition and accommodation fees will be refunded in accordance with University policies outlined in the Student Finance Guide in place at the time of withdrawal.  

Withdrawal

Students seeking information on the requirements and procedures for withdrawing from the University should refer to the following pages: 

Taking a break from or leaving your studies - Help - University of Kent. 

Further Information - Student Finance Guide - University of Kent

Academic programme information

Information about instructional, laboratory and other facilities relating to academic programmes, as well as information on divisional and instructional personnel, can be found on the following pages:

Courses - University of Kent

About Kent - University of Kent

Browse Guide pages - Help - University of Kent

Plans to improve academic programmes will be communicated directly to students by the relevant schools.  

University and programme accreditation, approval or licensure

The University is recognised as a degree-awarding body and is listed in the Education (Recognised Bodies) (England) Order 2013.  

Direct Loan Quality Assurance Policy

As a Direct Loan School, the University of Kent is required to implement a quality assurance system within our Financial Aid Office operations as outlined in 685.300(b)(9)

You can view our full Direct Loans Quality Assurance Policy by clicking the link below.

Privacy of Student Records – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The UK has similar legislation called the  Freedom of Information Act and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and Data Protection act 2018 to protect personal data.

Students have the right to inspect and review their educational records, request amendments of records, give consent to disclosures or personally identifiable information, and to file complaints within the US Department of Education. 

Information Compliance

Information on how we implement and maintain a comprehensive Information Security Program (ISP) are available from Information Compliance.     

Facilities and services available to students with disabilities  

Details of facilities and services available to students with disabilities are available from Student Support.  

Copyright infringement policies (including computer use and file sharing)  

The University’s policies and sanctions related to copyright infringement and peer-to-peer file sharing are outlined in University’s IT Regulations. Unauthorised distribution of copyright material, including unauthorised peer-to-peer file sharing, may subject you to civil and criminal liabilities.  

Vaccinations  

While the University does not require students to be vaccinated it provides the following advice and guidance.

There has been a small increase in the rate of meningococcal meningitis or septicaemia in recent years.  Young people attending higher education for the first time, especially when living in halls of residence or other shared accommodation, are at a greater risk of this disease particularly in the first few weeks of their first term at university.

To achieve maximum protection students should have been immunised against Meningitis C before attending the University.  If any student is unable to receive this immunisation in their home area, they will be able to be immunised by the University Medical Centre, located on the Canterbury campus.

During the last few years, a number of Universities including Kent, have seen an increase in cases of mumps among students; furthermore, there have been occurrences of measles in particular communities in the UK.  These can be debilitating illnesses in young people with the possible risk of complications.  Department of Health advice is that all those entering higher education should have had two immunisations against measles, mumps and rubella (known as MMR). Please, therefore, ensure that you are fully immunised before you arrive at the University.

Policies and penalties associated with drug and alcohol related offences are outlined in the following University policies: 

4.University-Policy-Statement-concerning-Alcohol.pdf (kent.ac.uk)

5.University-Policy-Statement-concerning-Drugs.pdf (kent.ac.uk).

Under the US Higher Education Act, a student may become ineligible for US Federal student aid upon a conviction of any offence involving the possession or sale of illegal drugs while receiving Title IV federal financial aid. Federal aid includes: US Federal Direct Loans and US Federal Direct PLUS Loans.

The chart below illustrates the period of ineligibility for US Federal Aid, depending on whether the conviction was for sale or possession and whether the student had previous offences. A conviction for sale of drugs includes convictions for conspiring to sell drugs.

If convicted of both possessing and selling illegal drugs, and the periods of ineligibility are different, the longer period of ineligibility will apply.

A student regains eligibility the day after the period of ineligibility ends or when the student successfully completes a qualified drug rehabilitation program or the conviction is reversed, set aside or otherwise rendered nugatory. The student will lose eligibility again upon a subsequent drug conviction.

For complete information, please see the FAFSA website or contact the Federal Student Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID.

According to the United States Department of Education, if a student is convicted of a drug offence after receiving Federal aid, he or she must notify the Foreign Loans Unit at the University of Kent at foreignloans@kent.ac.uk immediately. The student may be ineligible for further aid in that academic year and required to pay back all US Federal aid received after the date of the conviction. The Foreign Loans Unit will work with the student regarding all of the available options.  

Information about required and recommended textbooks and materials will be made available to you by your academic school and is available on your module reading lists.