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Changes to policy and curriculum

Show all changes for 2021/22

Fee Rules 2021/22 (Postgraduate)

September 2021

In September 2021, The Open University made some changes to its Fee Rules 2021/22 (Postgraduate).

The changes made

There have been several significant changes to this policy:

  1. Amendment to paragraph I1, whereby extra costs have been revised to include internet access and postage costs for materials sent to addresses outside of the UK.
  2. Amendment to paragraph section I3, where description of ‘Europe’ is replaced with ‘Continental Europe’ when discussing examinations at non-established examination centres.
  3. New paragraph I4 added to clarify that study materials sent to addresses in Continental Europe may incur additional postage costs.
  4. The terms ‘British overseas territories’, ‘EU overseas territories’ and ‘Relevant person of Northern Ireland’ are now defined in the Glossary of this document.
  5. Multiple changes made to Appendix 1, Section 2.1 - UK nationals, to include additional detail clarifying UK nationals’ eligibility for UK fees. Students must now fall into at least one of the three categories outlined to be eligible for UK fees:
  6. Inclusion of new paragraph 2.1.2 describing first eligibility category – Settled in the UK.. Students in this category would need to meet further criteria to be eligible for these fees. Paragraph has been amended to remove Gibraltar, the EEA and Switzerland as areas that students can be lawful residents to be eligible for UK fees. This has been replaced with the inclusion of UK Islands and Republic of Ireland as areas that students can be lawful residents to be eligible for UK fees.
  7. Inclusion of new paragraph 2.1.3 describing second eligibility category – Have a period of ordinary residence in Europe or the UK overseas territories. Students in this category would need to meet further criteria to be eligible for these fees.
  8. Inclusion of new paragraph 2.1.4 describing third eligibility category – Have exercised a right of residence in the EEA and Switzerland before 1 January 2021. Students in this category would need to meet further criteria to be eligible for these fees.
  9. Subsequent renumbering of original sections 2.1.2 (now 2.1.5) and 2.1.3 (now 2.1.6).
  10. Multiple changes made to Appendix 1, Section 2.3 - European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), or Swiss nationals, to include additional detail clarifying EU, EEA or Swiss nationals’ eligibility for UK fees. Students must now fall into this category to be eligible for these fees.
  11. Inclusion of new paragraph 2.3.2 stating that students must now be eligible for EU Settlement Status (EUSS) to meet this criterion. Students in this category would need to meet further criteria to be eligible for these fees. Paragraph has been amended to remove Gibraltar as an area that students can be lawful residents to be eligible for UK fees. This has been replaced with the inclusion of UK Islands, EU overseas territories and British overseas territories as areas that students can be lawful residents to be eligible for UK fees.
  12. Multiple changes made to Appendix 1, Section 2.4 - Family members of UK nationals:
  13. Removal of information stating eligibility for family members of EU, EEA and Swiss nationals.
  14. Amendment to paragraph 2.4.1 stating that, for dependent direct ascendants, both persons must have left the UK and exercised a right of residence in the EEA and/or Switzerland.
  15. Additional detail added to paragraph 2.4.2 to clarify Family members of UK nationals’ eligibility for UK fees. Students must now fall into at least one of the three categories to be eligible for these fees.
  16. Section 2.4.3 - Inclusion of new paragraph 2.4.3 describing first eligibility category – is a family member of a UK national. Students in this category would need to meet further criteria to be eligible for these fees.
  17. Inclusion of new paragraph 2.4.4 describing second eligibility category – both the student and the UK national family member have a period of residence in Europe or the EU overseas territories. Students in this category would need to meet further criteria to be eligible for these fees.
  18. Inclusion of new paragraph 2.4.5 describing third eligibility category – both the student and the UK national family member have exercised a right of residence in the EEA and Switzerland before 1 January 2021. Students in this category would need to meet further criteria to be eligible for these fees.
  19. New Section 2.5 added to Appendix 1 to outline the eligibility criteria of students who are family members EU nationals and relevant person of Northern Ireland (RPNI) to pay a UK fee.
  20. Multiple changes made to Appendix 1, Section 2.6 - Nationals of countries outside of the UK, EEA and Switzerland, to include additional detail clarifying EU, EEA or Swiss nationals of countries outside of the UK, EEA and Switzerland eligibility for UK fees. Students must now fall into this category to be eligible for these fees.
  21. Removal of Gibraltar, the EEA and Switzerland in paragraph 2.6.2 (was 2.5.2) as areas that students can be lawful residents of (who have been granted indefinite leave) to be eligible for UK fees.
  22. Inclusion of Wales in paragraph 2.6.4 (was 2.5.4) as a country that students can be resident in to be potentially eligible for UK fees
  23. Inclusion of Wales in paragraph 2.6.5 (was 2.5.5) as a country that students can be resident in to be potentially eligible for UK fees.
  24. Removal of Humanitarian Protection from paragraph 2.6.7 (was 2.5.7) as something that can make a student potentially eligible for UK fees, and inclusion of UK islands as a territory that students can be resident in to be potentially eligible for UK fees.
  25. Clarification added within paragraph 2.6.9 (was 2.5.9) that a students’ circumstances will still be considered even if they believe that the categories listed do not apply to them.
  26. Subsequent renumbering of original sections 2.1.3 (now 2.1.6) and 2.5 (now 2.6).

March 2021

In March 2021, The Open University published its new Fee Rules 2021/22 (Postgraduate) for the first time.

This document sets out the rules that affect the fees, fee liabilities, Fee Refunds and Fee Credits for Students studying postgraduate modules or qualifications. The document explains the circumstances in which you may receive Fee Refunds or Fee Credits, The Open University’s Discretionary Fee Refunds and Credits policy, when you may become liable to pay fees, as well as what The Open University might do if you do not pay your fees.

The changes made:

There have been several significant changes to this policy:

  1. Amendment to final paragraph in the Scope section to note that students will be notified of any significant changes to the document via email, and that a particular amendment to Appendix 1 would be subject to review
  2. Vocational learners added to the out of scope section
  3. Amendment to The Open University Student Charter section to reference the Student Charter Values which were launched in 2020
  4. Multiple changes from the term ‘we’ to ‘The Open University’ throughout
  5. Additional sentence added to paragraph C7 to explain that you will be required to pay your fees in full prior to the final enrolment date for your module in order to complete your registration, regardless of any entitlement to funding
  6. Further clarification added to paragraph D9 regarding the requirement to formally notify The Open University of your intentions
  7. References to the additional postgraduate resit/ resubmission fee have been removed (paragraph D.10, Section I, paragraph J3)
  8. A sentence has been added to paragraph F2 to signpost to paragraph F14 (was F13)
  9. References to Senate have been removed (paragraph F9; paragraph H1, Appendix 2, Table 7 in Appendix 2)
  10. Paragraph F11 has been amended to state: “within 28 days of the University contacting you regarding your marked TMA”
  11. Addition of new paragraph F13 regarding Stage 3 of the F55 (MA in Childhood and Youth) or F70 (Master’s Degree in Education). Subsequent renumbering of the section
  12. Tables 2 and Table 3, Section G1: dates have been amended to reference the new Academic Year
  13. Table 4, Section G2: dates have been amended to reference the new Academic Year
  14. Section J “Additional costs” has been renumbered to Section I
  15. Amendments to Glossary entries for ‘Agreed Overseas Territories’, and ‘European Economic Area (EEA) countries’
  16. Additional wording added to the Further Clarification section to state that the most up-to-date response times for receiving and sending postal correspondence are available on the Open University Offices webpage
  17. References to Academic Year clarified to ‘Seasonal Academic Year’ throughout appendices
  18. Amendment to paragraph Ap1 2.1.1 to update the area that a student must have been ordinarily and lawfully resident, to the UK, Gibraltar, the EEA and Switzerland
  19. Amendment to title of Section Ap1 2.3 to ‘European Union (EU), EEA or Swiss nationals’
  20. Amendments to paragraph Ap1 2.3.1 to update the area that a student must have been ordinarily and lawfully resident, to the UK, Gibraltar, the EEA and Switzerland
  21. Amendments to paragraph Ap1 2.3.1 to include the new criterion of having been granted Pre-settled or Settled status via the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) as of the first day of the Seasonal Academic year of their module
  22. Amendments to paragraph Ap1 2.3.1 to include the new criterion of being an Irish citizen
  23. Removal of the criterion requiring Swiss and EEA nationals to be workers or migrant workers in paragraph Ap1 2.3.1
  24. Amendment to title of Section Ap1 2.4 to include UK nationals
  25. Amendments to paragraph Ap1 2.4.1 to change the nationalities of family members to include UK and Swiss nationals
  26. Removal of what was previously paragraph Ap1 2.4.2 defining family members of Swiss nationals as a spouse, civil partner or child
  27. Amendments to paragraph Ap1 2.4.2 to amend the area that a student must have been ordinarily and lawfully resident to the UK, Gibraltar, the EEA and Switzerland
  28. Amendments to paragraph Ap1 2.4.2 to include the new criterion of having been granted Pre-settled or Settled status via the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) as of the first day of the Seasonal Academic Year of their module
  29. Removal of paragraph Ap1 2.4.4 detailing the criterion family members of EEA nationals were required meet if they did not have 3 years of ordinary residency in the EEA and Switzerland
  30. Amendment to title of Section Ap1 2.5 to ‘Nationals of countries outside of the UK, EEA and Switzerland’
  31. Amendments to paragraph Ap1 2.5.1 to refer to those who are not UK, EU, EEA and Swiss nationals instead of nationals of territories not mentioned above
  32. Amendment to paragraph Ap1 2.5.2 to amend the area that a student must have been ordinarily and lawfully resident, to the UK, Gibraltar, the EEA and Switzerland
  33. Amendments to paragraph Ap1 2.5.3 to include ‘the spouse, civil partner or child of a refugee’
  34. 2.5.3b amended from ‘do not need to have been resident in the EEA for three years prior to the first day of the Seasonal Academic Year of the module’ to ‘have not ceased to be resident in the UK since being granted leave to remain’
  35. New paragraph 2.5.3c
  36. Addition of new sections Ap1 2.5.4 (You are resident in England and have been granted Humanitarian Protection or Stateless Person leave; or are the spouse or civil partner or child of a person listed); and Ap1 2.5.5 (You are resident in England and have been granted Indefinite Leave to remain as a bereaved partner). Renumbering of remaining section as required
  37. Amendments to paragraph Ap1 2.5.6 (was 2.5.4)
  38. Amendments to paragraph 2.5.6a) to refer to England, Wales or Northern Ireland (not the UK)
  39. 2.5.6b amended from ‘you do not need to have been resident in the EEA for three years prior to the first day of the Seasonal Academic Year of the module’ to ‘you have not ceased to be resident in the UK since being granted limited leave to remain‘
  40. Amendments to paragraphs Ap1 2.5.7 (was 2.5.5) and Ap1 2.5.8 (was 2.5.6)
  41. Addition of ‘or are a spouse, civil partner, or child of a person listed above’
  42. 2.5.6b amended from ‘you have been ordinarily and lawfully resident in the EEA for at least three years prior to the first day of the academic year of the module’ to ‘you have been ordinarily and lawfully resident in the UK for at least three years prior to the first day of the academic year of the module‘
  43. Addition of new paragraph Ap1 2.5.7 c
  44. 2.5.8b amended from ‘you have been ordinarily and lawfully resident in the EEA for at least three years prior to the first day of the academic year of the module’ to ‘if you are the spouse or civil partner, of a person listed above you must have been their spouse or civil partner at the time of them submitting their application to the Home Office’
  45. Removal of clause Ap1 2.5.7 about asylum seekers who do not meet these criteria to contact the Student Support Team
  46. Addition of new paragraph Ap1 2.5.9: “If you have been granted any type of leave other than those listed above, your circumstances will be considered on a case by case basis”
  47. Supporting evidence in Table 7 “Conditions approved by The Open University”, Appendix 2 clarified to be examples
  48. Criterion 1 in Table 7 “Conditions approved by The Open University”, Appendix 2 altered to past tense
  49. Criterion 3 in Table 7 “Conditions approved by The Open University”, Appendix 2 amended to reference the Equality Act (2010), and to account for other statutory duties and obligations outside of England, Scotland and Wales
  50. Criterion 4 in Table 7 “Conditions approved by The Open University”, Appendix 2 amended to include surrogacy, and evidence from a health professional
  51. New Criterion 5 in Table 7 “Conditions approved by The Open University”, Appendix 2 inserted to cover “An unforeseen prolonged incapacity of yourself due to adoption” and related conditions and examples
  52. Criterion 9 (was Criterion 8) in Table 7 “Conditions approved by The Open University”, Appendix 2 amended to include evidence from household insurance documentation
  53. Criterion 10 (was Criterion 9) in Table 7 “Conditions approved by The Open University”, Appendix 2 clarified to specify ‘an unforeseen change’ in caring responsibilities
  54. Appendix 3 title amended to “Postgraduate Loans in England and Wales”

For more help or information

Please talk to your Student Support Team if you need any further information. You can find out how to contact them on Contact the OU.