HE Recruitment and Admissions Policy

1. Introduction

1.1. The British Academy of Jewellery (BAJ) is committed to ensuring fair access for all individuals seeking a Higher Education place and encourages applications from all students who can demonstrate the potential to meet the entry criteria for the relevant course and benefit from study at this level.

2. Purpose

2.1. This Policy is to ensure that all undergraduate/degree applications made to BAJ are fairly and consistently considered and in accordance with professional standards.

3. Scope

3.1. This Policy applies exclusively to all Higher Education provision offered by The British Academy of Jewellery. This also applies to sub-contractual provision.

3.2. International students cannot apply or enrol to study courses at BAJ.

4. Related documents

https://www.baj.ac.uk/policies

• Recognition of Prior Learning/Experience 
• Student Complaints Policy
• Tuition Fee and Refund Policy
• Declaration of Criminal Convictions
• Additional Learner Support and SEND Policy
• Fitness to Practise Policy
• Disciplinary Policy and Code of Conduct
• Student Charter
• Terms and Conditions
  
  

5. Responsibilities

5.1. BAJ Admissions are the first point of contact for students wishing to apply to study an undergraduate/degree course at BAJ. The Head of Curriculum of Higher Education at BAJ has overall responsibility for overseeing student admission on undergraduate/degree courses.

6. Risk analysis

6.1. BAJ Admissions are committed to the provision of comprehensive, open, and transparent recruitment information ensuring accurate, relevant, and current procedures are followed enabling applicants to make an informed decision.

6.2. In making an offer to an applicant, BAJ will consider whether it has the accommodation, equipment, staffing and other resources consistent with a successful student outcome.

Analyse risks of non-adherence to this policy:

6.3. Failure to have this policy in place or non-adherence may result in inconsistent practices leading to dissatisfaction and poor reputation.

Staff training needed:

6.4. BAJ will ensure that those who need to see the information will have received appropriate guidance and training.

7. Data protection

7.1. BAJ complies with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation Data Protection Act, 2018. As such, applicants’ and student data are treated as confidential by all staff involved in this process and is not divulged unnecessarily or inappropriately. However, the Act requires BAJ to release certain information to UK authorities upon request to assist those authorities with the prevention and detection of fraud or other crimes. We will release the requested information on receipt of an appropriate request from UK authorities such as (but not limited to) the police, Home Office (for immigration and related matters), local authorities, and the Department for Work and Pensions. We may use anonymised data collected as part of an individual’s application and enrolment for the purpose of fulfilling statistical and reporting requirements.

8. Enquiries

8.1. BAJ Admissions is committed to providing clear and concise information about qualifications, entry requirements, application procedures and the admissions process in a timely manner. This includes ensuring detailed and up-to-date information is provided on the BAJ website and prospectus.

8.2. The prospectus information is correct at the time of going to print. If information changes, the changes are communicated through the website and where necessary by direct communication to applicants affected. Applicants are advised to refer to the BAJ website for the most up-to-date information.

8.3. A member of the Admissions Office will respond to an applicant/course enquiry by email within 10 working days. A copy of the BAJ Terms and Conditions of Admissions and Enrolment is given to the applicant in all correspondence.

8.4. All enquiries are logged centrally on the Student Management System by a member of the Admissions Office within 5 working days of receipt.

9. Application to study

9.1. Full-time undergraduate course applications are made through UCAS. Applications to UCAS are made online using their web-based Tracker System via ‘Apply’ ucas.ac.uk/apply. The application period begins on 1st September and the first deadline is 15 January in the year the programme commences, although it is possible to apply later than this if courses still have vacancies. Anyone applying after 30 June by 18:00 will be automatically entered into ‘Clearing’. Clearing takes place after the publication of the A Level results in August when universities will have a clearer picture of how many offers have been accepted and therefore how many vacancies they may have. These dates may vary or be updated each academic year by UCAS. Visit their website for up-to-date information and deadlines.

10. Terms and Conditions

10.1. BAJ published terms and conditions of offer and enrolment apply to all applications.  They are  published on the BAJ website and BAJ communicates these to anyone who enquires about study, applies for a course, or receives an offer of a place to study. The terms and conditions are fair and transparent and form a contract between BAJ and each student.

11. Entry requirements

11.1. The standard entry requirements are approved by the Awarding Body when the course is validated.

11.2. BAJ Admissions, makes explicit and publishes the entry requirements in the prospectus and on the BAJ website for each course and how the eligibility of each applicant is assessed. These entry requirements include the educational qualifications (including minimum grades to be achieved) and the knowledge and skills required for admission. The website has the latest application and entry requirement information.

11.3. Applicants are admitted based on an assessment that:

• they can satisfy all pre-course requirements including completing all paperwork accurately and within agreed timescales, and attending interviews and assessments as required;
• they have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions of their admission and enrolment;
• they meet the specific entry requirements of a course as outlined on their offer letter – for example they may need to have a work placement;
• they have satisfactory references where these have been requested;
• they agree to pay any fees required (See HE Tuition Fee and Refund Policy). 
• If the applicant is offered a provisional place, they must provide details of meeting the provisions set as soon as they are met;
• they meet all other admission criteria.
  
  

HNC and HND (Pearson Awards) general entry requirements

11.4. Specific entry requirements are published on the BAJ website. The minimum academic qualifications required for admission to Higher National awards are one of the following:

Standard Route – Applicants 18+

• Ofqual registered Level 3 qualification (60 credits or above, preferably Business, or equivalent).
• English language assessment commensurate to IELTS 5.5. (PTE 51, Duolingo 85 and above, GCSE A*-C (4 or above), Functional Skills Level 2 or B2 CEFR – (The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

Non-standard Route

• Mature applicants 21+ without formal qualifications require 2 or more years work experience, CV, employer reference, personal statement.
• English language assessment commensurate to IELTS 5.5. (PTE 51, Duolingo 85 and above, GCSE A*-C (4 or above), Functional Skills Level 2 or B2 CEFR).

All routes

• One-to-one interview session to understand students’ motivations to learn.
  
  

Undergraduate degree and general entry requirements

11.5. BAJ welcomes applications from appropriately qualified students holding a wide range of qualifications, including GCE A levels, BTEC qualifications, Access to Higher Education Diploma, International Baccalaureate, Advanced Diplomas, and many others. Up-to-date entry criteria for part time and full-time courses are published on the BAJ website.

Applicants for whom English is not their first language

11.6. Applicants whose first language is not English are required to demonstrate proficiency in the English language before they are admitted through possession of one of the following:

• GCSE English Language grade C/4 or equivalent.
• Degrees and Foundation Degrees – UKVI IELTS 6 for Kingston University awards (overall band score) with nothing lower than 5.5 in any of the four elements (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) dependent on course.
• Higher National Awards IELTS 5.5. (PTE 51, Duolingo 85 and above, GCSE A*-C (4 or above), Functional Skills Level 2 or B2 CEFR).
  
  

Recruitment international students

11.7. Please note that international students cannot apply or enrol to study courses at BAJ.

12. Selection decisions

12.1. If an applicant meets or is likely to meet the entry requirements of the award for which they have applied, the BAJ Admissions Team makes an unconditional or a conditional offer as appropriate. This decision is input into the admissions student database. An offer letter is produced and sent to the applicant. Full Time UCAS applicants are informed via UCASTRACK prior to receiving an offer letter.

12.2. An application may be referred to the Course Leader for a decision when the applicant does not meet the entry requirements but has substantive relevant work or career experience, or where a borderline decision on an offer needs to be made.

12.3. For some pathways, the BAJ Admissions Team does not have devolved responsibility for decision making. This may be because consideration of written work or a portfolio is involved which requires an academic decision, or the course is governed by a professional body and interviews are required. In these cases, the application will be sent to the Course Leader for a decision and returned to the BAJ Admissions Team for the decision to be processed. Wherever possible and to avoid unnecessary delay, documents are emailed/electronically communicated.

12.4. This assessment is based on a range of factors including applicants’ educational, professional, and personal experiences and competencies and their potential contribution to the course. In addition to academic qualifications applicants will also be considered on their ability to be self-organised and to work well independently and with others, their motivation to learn and their demonstration of interest in the subject area. The assessment includes review of the following:

• Qualifications completed and pending are compared against the published entry requirements for the course applied for, to assess whether the applicant meets, or could potentially meet, the entry requirements prior to the intake date.
• International qualifications are checked against the Equivalences Database and advice sought where necessary.
• Consideration is given to an applicant’s personal statement to see why an applicant has applied for a particular course, the research they have undertaken into the course, the transferable skills they have, their motivation, and suitability.
• Consideration is given to the academic ability and suitability of the applicant for the course applied for by looking at references.
• Criminal Convictions may prevent entrance to specific courses (refer to the HE Fitness to Practise Policy)
  
  

13. Interviews

13.1. If an admissions interview is required as part of the specific entry requirement, this is outlined on the BAJ website course page.

13.2. For awards where an interview is part of the entry requirements, the BAJ Admissions Team shortlist applicants for interview abiding by the published course entry requirement and by reference to the criteria provided on the interview form. 

13.3. If an applicant does not meet the published entry requirements but has indicated on their application that they have industry experience/previous studies or relevant professional qualifications, they might be invited to attend an interview.

13.4. The interview is arranged by BAJ Admissions who invite the applicants to meet with the Course Leader or a subject specialist within 10 working days of receipt of the application.

13.5. An Interview and Supplementary Information Form is completed by the Course Leader or a subject specialist during the interview. The form contains a checklist to follow to make sure that the correct advice is given to the applicant and that the reason for the interview is discussed. The applicant’s qualifications and experience relevant to the course are assessed. A score is attributed to the answers in three main areas, subject knowledge, motivation, and academic writing skills.

13.6. After the interview, the Course Leader decides whether to offer a place and returns the Interview and Supplementary Information Form to BAJ Admissions within 5 working days to complete the offer making process.

13.7. Applicants who are not invited to attend an interview will receive equal consideration. However, the Academy and BAJ reserve the right to reject applications from applicants who are invited to attend an interview and who do not respond to two specific invitations to attend.

Conditional offer making

13.8. Conditional Offer letters state the specific entry requirements that an applicant must achieve to confirm their place. The offer may include non-academic conditions that the applicant must meet before admission to the course is confirmed. These may include satisfactory completion of a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

13.9. Where appropriate, an offer on an alternative course to the course for which the applicant has applied may be made.

13.10. BAJ will verify all results by receiving and checking certificates and information provided on the Personal Learning Record System prior to confirming an applicant’s place and before enrolling him/her on a course. Applicants must provide evidence of their stated qualifications on official paperwork before their offer is made unconditional allowing them to enrol.

13.11. On receipt of the applicant’s results, BAJ Admissions check to see if the conditions of the conditional offer have been met. If they have, an Unconditional Firm status is confirmed. If an applicant has missed the conditions, they may be admitted to an alternative course if they meet this course entry requirements.

Unconditional offer making

13.12. An unconditional offer means that an applicant has a place to study at BAJ with no conditions attached. An unconditional offer may be made to an applicant who has already achieved and has evidence of qualification results which meet the required entry criteria. Personal statements and references will also be considered, and, for some courses, an interview will form part of the assessment.

13.13. Applicants are still required to provide evidence of their qualifications

Unsuccessful candidates

13.14. The reasons an offer has not been made are communicated to applicants via UCAS Track (full time applications) or via letter (part time and postgraduate applications) 15 working days from the date the application was received by the Admissions office.

13.15. Applicants may be refused entry to a particular course due to not meeting the entry requirements, but this does not prevent them from applying for other courses. BAJ Admissions reserves the right to make applicants an offer on an alternative programme.

14. Contextual data

14.1. UK universities are increasingly being called upon to reduce academic entry requirements for disadvantaged applicants as a vital means of promoting fairer access to higher education.

14.2. Contextual data and information can be used to assess an applicant’s prior attainment and potential, in the context of their individual circumstances. Contextual data includes educational, geodemographic, and socio-economic background data, such as historic data about an applicant’s school or college. Contextual information relates to individual applicant circumstances, such as if they have been in care, or involved in widening participation activities.

14.3. Extensive research shows that socio-economic background, where you live, type of school attended, and subject choice, can all impact on attainment and, therefore, progression to HE. Most recently, research by the Centre for Social Mobility at the University of Exeter, commissioned by the Fair Education Alliance, found that evidence supports the use of contextual data and information.

15. Sources of Contextualised Information

15.1. Contextualised Admissions are used by BAJ to mitigate these factors, by using a wider range of indicators to identify who ‘merits’ a place, rather than attainment alone. As part of BAJ’s admissions process there are multiple sources of contextual data and information sources BAJ uses to help assess an applicant before a decision about an application is made.

* Fair Admissions to Higher Education: Recommendations for Good Practice 2004 (accessed 05/11/19) practice 

Contextual data sources include:

• UCAS’s contextual data services – these include third party data from public sources about school performance and young participation in higher education rates by neighbourhood (POLAR3, SIMD etc.), as well as UCAS generated statistics, such as an applicant’s MEM quintile commercial sources (e.g. companies that specialise in offering these services).
• Other sources (e.g., direct from government departments/agencies.
• BAJ’s own data and research.
• Applicants declare contextual information as part of their UCAS Undergraduate application. Crucially, the personal statement and reference also contain contextual information.
• Participation in outreach activities.
  
  

How BAJ assesses applications using contextual data:

15.2. In addition to considering an applicant’s academic achievement, BAJ Course Leaders will always consider contextual data when making admissions decisions. Where possible, BAJ will make an offer of admission, or offer an interview, audition, or portfolio review, to students who have one or more of the following contextual identifiers:

• Applicant has been under a Local Authority in care or looked after for three months or more.
• Applicants will be expected to confirm their Care Status. This information is derived from two fields in the UCAS/Part time application form, so it is important that care leavers declare this in their application. If their reference confirms that they spent three months or more in local authority care, Admissions will process the application. If not, Admissions will ask the applicant to send some more information, such as an email or letter from their local authority, school/college, or other organisation.
• Applicants who live in a POLAR4* Q1 and attend an English state school/college. The Participation of Local Areas (POLAR) classification groups areas across the UK based on the proportion of the young population that participates in higher education. It looks at how likely young people are to participate in HE across the UK and shows how this varies by area. POLAR classifies local areas into five groups – or quintiles – based on the proportion of 18-year-olds who enter HE aged 18- or 19-years old Quintile one shows the lowest rate of participation. Quintile five shows the highest rate of participation. To find out if applicants will be eligible for a contextual offer, the following lookup is used to identify the POLAR quintile that someone lives in: officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/postcode-search/
• Verifiable participation in BAJ targeted widening participation outreach activities.
• Targeted activities are defined in the BAJ Access and Participation Plan
  
  

Contextual Offer Requirements:

15.3. Applicants will be assessed in the usual way; the only difference will be that applicants who meet one of the contextual admissions criteria listed above could be:

• given additional consideration and will not be rejected solely based on their predicted (or actual) grades,
• guaranteed an interview (or similar additional opportunity dependent upon the course),
• made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that course.
• Where the entry requirements include a required subject, this subject must still be achieved at the minimum requirement set out in our published entry requirements.

15.4. BAJ reserves the right to apply this process to applications using data available at that time. Where there is no data available to make a fair judgement, we will not apply the contextual admissions policy to the application.

16. Recognition of Prior Learning RPL/ Admission with Credit APL.

16.1. RPL /APL /APEL is the term used to describe the process for admitting students with prior learning acquired through formal study, through work, and through experience. RPL entry offers applicants flexibility in their studies by enabling the approved credit value from their study to be applied towards the receiving award. The student then achieves the higher award by successfully completing the remaining required modules/units for that award. Applications must adhere to the HE Recognition of Prior Learning/Experience Policy found on the BAJ website. It should be noted that only achieved credits are used within this process and not any accompanying grade.

17. Unspent, relevant criminal conviction declarations

17.1. It is necessary to take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe environment for other students, visitors, and staff, meet requirements of PSRB’s and assess applicant’s ability to undertake work placements and practice in their chosen profession. BAJ therefore requires all applicants who accept an offer of a place to study to disclose the detail of any unspent, relevant criminal convictions within fourteen days of accepting their offer and prior to enrolment. A fresh disclosure is required for any offer regardless of any previous disclosure and assessment of a criminal conviction.

18. Learning support /mobility requirements

18.1. Disclosure of any learning support and mobility requirements does not impact an offer.

18.2. Admissions staff indicate on the Student Record System if an applicant has declared that they have a support need on an application form. Applicants do not provide any sensitive details. If at interview stage an applicant declares that they have a support need this is reported back to the Admissions Team and recorded on the Student Record System. No sensitive details are provided by the applicant or seen by Admission staff.

18.3. If an applicant has declared that they want to be referred to the Support Team, an adviser from the BAJ Student Support team contacts the applicant to discuss their previous history of support and follow the support package process as per the HE Additional Learner Support policy found on the BAJ website.

19. Fraudulent applications

19.1. BAJ Admissions expects that applicants will have provided full, honest, and accurate information on their application form and in all subsequent communications with the institution. Where the Admissions Team has reason to suspect that this may not be the case, it reserves the right to investigate the matter fully.

UCAS Similarity detection for personal statement

19.2. UCAS operates a verification unit and has several systems in place to check full time applications for fraud. All identified fraudulent applications from UCAS are notified to the UCAS verification unit.

19.3. UCAS checks all personal statements using a similarity detection system, Copycatch. Each incoming personal statement is compared against a library of personal statements already in the UCAS system and a library of sample statements collected from a variety of websites. Any statements showing significant levels of similarity are reviewed by members of the UCAS Similarity Detection Service.

19.4. BAJ are then notified daily of any cases where there are reasonable grounds to suspect plagiarism. A member of the Student services team will contact the applicant within 10 working days, to notify them that the personal statement has been identified as potentially plagiarised. A full list of fraudulent applications is available on a restricted area of the UCAS website, for all universities to access.

19.5. The decision about what action, if any, to take regarding notified cases rests with the Head of Curriculum HE. It is the responsibility of a member of the Admissions Team to note this information on an applicant’s record on PICS and contact the applicant in writing by email in relation to the results. The applicant will have 14 days to respond. If the applicant does not respond during this timeframe, then their application will be rejected.

19.6. If the Head of Curriculum HE judges that an offer cannot be made, the applicant will receive a rejection of their application and will be provided with the details of the Complaints Policy available on the BAJ website.

19.7. If the information provided by the applicant is sufficient to demonstrate there has been no plagiarism, then this will be communicated to the applicant and their application will be considered in the normal way.

Anti-fraud checking on qualifications from UK educated applicants

19.8. It is the responsibility of the Admissions Office to ensure that all undergraduate applicants who are admitted to BAJ have verified qualifications.

19.9. For full-time applicants, most qualifications are verified by UCAS. In this instance, where a qualification has been verified by UCAS, no further checking is required. For part time applicants or where full-time applicants have disclosed qualifications not verifiable by UCAS, a member of the Admissions Office will attempt to validate this information using the verification tools available to them. For UK educated applicants, the main source for this information is the Learner Records Service (LRS) provided by the government.

19.10. Where an applicant is suspected to have provided information on their application which does not match the information on the verification tool, a member of the Admissions Office will write to the applicant to query the discrepancy within 10 working days of receipt of the application. The applicant must respond to this query within 14 calendar days. If the applicant does not respond during this timeframe, then their application will be rejected.

19.11. If the information provided by the applicant is sufficient demonstration to be ad judged as valid evidence, then this will be communicated to the applicant, and he/she will receive confirmation of the offer. The assessment must be made within 10 working days from receipt of the applicant’s response. If the Admissions Office adjudges that an offer cannot be made, the applicant will receive a rejection on their application and will be provided with the details of the Complaints Procedure.

Anti-fraud checking on qualifications from non-UK educated applicants

19.12. Where an applicant’s qualification information is not verifiable by UCAS, the applicant will be required to provide formal evidence of their qualifications. This formal evidence will typically be requested by a member of the Admissions Office. Where a member of the Admissions Office has concerns on the legitimacy of the information provided, they are within their rights to request further information from the applicant.

19.13. Where an applicant is suspected to have provided information on their application which does not match the information on the verification tools used for assessments, a member of the Admissions Office will write to the applicant to query the discrepancy. The applicant is asked to respond within 14 working days of being contacted. If the applicant does not respond during this timeframe, then their application will be rejected.

19.14. Should the applicant provide a response, this explanation and accompanying evidence will then be considered by a member of the Admissions Office and the Head of Curriculum HE, alongside all other elements of the application. It is ultimately the Head of Curriculum’s responsibility to determine whether there is a case to be answered.

19.15. If the information provided by the applicant is sufficient to address the suspicions raised, then this will be communicated to the applicant and the application will be considered in the normal way.

19.16. If the BAJ Head of Curriculum HE judges that an offer cannot be made, the applicant will receive a rejection on their application and will be provided with the details of the Complaints Policy available from the BAJ website.

Current students

19.17. If a current student is suspected of providing fraudulent information to gain entry, the BAJ Principal will agree to an appropriate course of action. Students who have already registered at BAJ are subject to the Terms and Conditions for Study and may have their registration terminated or may be subject to the Student Disciplinary procedure found in the HE Student Disciplinary Policy and Code of Conduct.

20. Applicant responses to offers

20.1. Full time applicants should respond to their offers via UCAS Track. Response deadlines apply and will be confirmed via UCAS Track.

20.2. Part time, and undergraduate applicants applying directly should respond to their offers via HEAdmissions@baj.ac.uk.

20.3. Where response deadlines apply, these will be confirmed within the offer letter. Subsequent changes to responses can be made via HEAdmissions@baj.ac.uk.

20.4. Applicants applying for a specific intake must meet academic and non-academic conditions (other general entry requirements) at least two weeks prior to the application cycle in which the application has been submitted (this also applies to applications for deferred entry). For full time applicants this is explained in the UCAS offer letter which applicants receive when an institution makes an offer of admission. For all other applications, the offer letter will state the applicant’s deadline which needs to be met to guarantee a place on the course.

20.5. Where results are received late, we may be able to confirm places depending on the availability of places; however, this is not always possible. Applicants should ensure that we receive all results upon which their offer is based well in advance to ensure that we are able to process them and, if appropriate, confirm the applicant’s place. If the delay is outside of the applicant’s control, they must inform HEAdmissions@baj.ac.uk.

20.6. By accepting the offer of a place on a course, a contract is made between the applicant and BAJ. Applicants, who accept their offer, but change their mind and wish to subsequently decline; under the requirements of the Consumer Protection Law have the right to cancel this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.

21. Verification of qualifications

21.1. If an applicant who has received a conditional offer fulfils the conditions of the offer as specified, or if BAJ exercises its discretion to accept an applicant based on satisfactory academic performance, then an unconditional offer will be made. Confirmation will be provided either via UCAS Track or by email.

21.2. All applicants are required to submit evidence of qualification results before they are permitted to enrol.

21.3. Any delay in completing registration may lead to delays elsewhere, for example, in payment of student loans into student’s bank account and access to IT facilities.

22. Re-admission of Students.

22.1. All students who voluntarily withdraw from BAJ, leave, or are suspended or dismissed, must have their readmission approved by the BAJ Principal.

22.2. BAJ does not accept students to KU awarded courses who have previously withdrawn or have been discontinued by BAJ more than once.

22.3. A student who has been withdrawn or discontinued by the KU Awards Board because of academic failure should refer to KU policy.

23. Deferred entry

23.1. Applicants in possession of an offer may request that it be deferred to the next intake. Applicants must normally have satisfied all conditions to defer their place. The normal maximum length of deferral which will be considered will be one year. The decision to grant or decline a request for deferred entry is made by the BAJ Admissions Team/Tutor as appropriate. Requests may be turned down if an applicant is unable to meet revised entry criteria or if BAJ does not intend to deliver a programme in a subsequent academic year. No guarantee is made at the point of deferral that the course applied for will be available if a student defers entry. Applicants wishing to defer entry should contact the BAJ Admissions Office for advice and support.

24. Record keeping

24.1. All BAJ staff are responsible for keeping well organised and effective records. They must keep student records safely and securely to ensure that they are available for verification. Up-to-date, securely stored assessment records also help to minimise the risk of assessment malpractice, or potential issues when staff leave the organisation.

24.2. Records are:

• Securely and safely (i.e., are secure against hazards like theft and fire, etc.) with all application documents uploaded to the Student Record System.
• Sufficient detail is kept showing admission decisions made (i.e., how an applicant meets entry requirements).
• Monitoring and information is kept in an appropriate and accessible format on the Student Record System.
• Available to awarding bodies for audit as required.
  
  

24.3. Records documenting the handling of applications for admission: successful applications are stored for the period of the student’s registration; six years.

24.4. Records documenting the handling of applications for admission of unsuccessful applications are stored for the current academic year plus one year.

25. Withdrawal from courses

25.1. In exceptional circumstances BAJ reserves the right to suspend a course for which applications and offers have been made. Applicants are informed as soon as possible and where possible are offered alternative course options.

26. Applicant fee status

26.1. Whether an applicant pays a ‘home’ fee or an ‘overseas’ fee is determined by the residential status, mode of study, course, and the student attendance. Details of the fee assessment criteria are published in the HE Tuition Fee Policy.

26.2. Applicants are required to declare their fee status when they enrol on admission forms. BAJ Finance staff check information on applications relating to fee status, including nationality, country of residency, address and declared fee status of each applicant prior to student’s enrolment.

26.3. A fee assessment may be carried out where the information provided is insufficient to determine the applicant’s status before they enrol. Failure to complete a fee assessment request may result in the offer of study being retracted.

26.4. BAJ reserves the right to amend an applicant’s fee status after a formal offer is made.

26.5. An offer to study at BAJ is not a guarantee of funding.

26.6. It is the student’s responsibility to seek funding from Student Finance England and to resolve any funding issues. Students must be mindful of all repayment points and eligibility requirements.

27.7. Students being funded by an employer must provide evidence before they are permitted to enrol. Sponsorship may be declined if the employer has outstanding fees to pay to BAJ. Evidence can be in the form of a sponsor letter confirming the student’s details and fee payment. The letter must be signed and on company headed paper with the following information:

• Student name
• Course
• Year of study
• How much they are paying
• Purchase order if applicable
  
  

27. Enrolment and induction

27.1. Applicants who have firmly accepted an unconditional offer will be invited to enrol.

27.2. Enrolment invitations are sent to Applicants with unconditional offers for courses starting in September by the first week in September each academic year. For courses starting in January, applicants with unconditional offers are invited to enrol by the first week of January each academic year.

27.3. Students enrolled for an undergraduate or postgraduate course may not usually be enrolled at the same time for any other qualification at this or another institution unless such enrolment forms part of an approved programme of study involving another institution or institutions.

28. Appeals and complaints

28.1. BAJ are committed to delivering a high quality, fair admissions process. Applicants are encouraged to convey any cause for concern related to the admissions process. In the unlikely event that an applicant is dissatisfied with their experience of the admissions process and is unable to resolve this informally they can submit an appeal or a complaint.

28.8. An appeal is a request for a reconsideration of an admissions decision and can only be used if the appeal relates to:

• A procedural irregularity i.e., where the applicant believes that the application has not been considered in line with this policy.
• The emergence of new information which was not available at the time of application and which, if available, may result in a different decision. The reasons why this information was not available at the time of application must be given.
  
  

28.3. If an applicant feels that they may have a cause for an appeal the procedure is outlined in the HE Academic Appeals Policy which can be found on the BAJ website.

28.4. A complaint is defined as a specific concern relating to the service or facilities offered. A complaint may be made if an applicant believes they have legitimate grounds to be dissatisfied with the process followed during the admissions process.

28.5. If an applicant feels that they may have a cause for complaint, the complaints procedure can be found in the HE  Student Complaints Policy available from the BAJ website.

28.6. Applicants will not be discriminated against in any further application should they request feedback or make a complaint under the BAJ policies and procedures.

29. Overview and Timescales

Responding to enquiries timeline

Stage	Task	Responsibility	Time Frame
1	Responding to an applicant/course enquiry.	BAJ Admissions Office	10 working days of receipt of the enquiry
2	Logging enquiry on PICS.	BAJ Admissions Office	5 working days

Applicant interview timeline

Stage	Task	Responsibility	Time Frame
1	Invite Applicant to interview.	BAJ Admissions Office	10 working days of receipt of the enquiry
2	Applicant outcome decision.	BAJ Admissions Office/ Course Leader	5 working days from interview

Offers and responses timeline

Stage	Task	Responsibility	Time Frame
1	Acknowledge receipt of Application.	BAJ Admissions Office	5 working days on receipt the application
2	Respond with an offer to study/reject the application.	BAJ Admissions Office	15  working days of receipt of the application

Fraudulent application timeline

Stage	Task	Responsibility	Time Frame
1	Assess case and decide if an investigation is required.	BAJ Head of Academy	10 working days of receipt of the application
2	Contact the applicant where there are reasonable grounds to suspect plagiarism/invalid qualifications and/or documents.	BAJ Admissions Office	10 working days
3	Applicant responds to allegation.	Applicant	14 working days
4	Review of applicant’s response and decision made.	BAJ Admissions & Principal	10 working days