Fees, terms and conditions
On this page you can see our course fees, how to pay, how to apply for concessionary rates, our terms and conditions, and our refund and cancellation policies.
Fees for 2026-27 will be published when enrolment opens, in mid-August 2026.
Course fees do not include the cost of textbooks.
Paying for your course
Most people pay for their course through the UCL Online Store. The store accepts most major credit and debit cards.
After you have submitted your enrolment form, we will email you a link to our secure online store.
We are unable to accept cash or cheques. We also cannot offer payment plans, which means you must pay the full cost of the course at the time you sign up. Because prices change each year, you cannot pay for next year’s courses in advance.
We cannot reserve a space for you until your payment has been made.
Fees, discounts and financial support
We offer lower “concessionary” rates for certain people. You may be able to pay less if you are:
- A student, staff member, or graduate (alumni) of UCL.
- A staff member at UCLH.
- A student, staff member or graduate of one the University of London (UofL) member institutions.
It is important to select the correct price when you pay. If you wish to apply for the multi-term discount or are eligible for a lower (concessionary) rate, you must select this at the time of purchase.
To get the UCL student rate, you must be a registered UCL degree student for the entire duration of your evening language course. Please use your UCL email address when you sign up.
To get the UCL/UCLH/University of London rate, you must be a student, staff member, or former student (alumnus) of a University of London institution, or a staff member at UCLH. Please use your university email address if you have one.
If you pay for more than one term at once to get a discount, you must take those terms one after the other. You cannot skip a term or save your place for a future year. You cannot use a multi-term discount to cover classes in two different academic years.
We cannot give you a discount or refund the difference for a cheaper rate after you have already paid.
UCL staff and students
If you work or study at UCL and your Department has agreed to pay for your course, please contact us. We can arrange a payment through an internal transfer.
If you are a UCL postgraduate researcher and you need a language for your research, you might be able to get help from the DocSkills Language Support Fund. You can find the rules for this on the DocSkills website.
Student loans and funding
Because our evening courses do not lead to a formal qualification, they do not qualify for government-funded schemes. This includes student loans, the Access to HE Scheme, and Advanced Learner Loans.
We are unable to help with applications for these types of funding.
Cancelling your place
We have a strict refund policy (see below). It is important that you read the terms and conditions before you sign up, as the rules change depending on the fee you paid.
If you are unhappy with your course, please talk to us first so we can try to fix the problem. If you are still not satisfied, you can follow the official Student Complaints Procedure.
This policy explains when you can get your money back if you decide to leave your course. Please read these terms carefully before you apply.
UCL Students
Because your course fees are already discounted, we cannot give you a refund if you have paid for one or two terms.
If you have paid for three terms, you can cancel your place as long as the term has not started yet. You must tell us at least 14 days before the term begins. If you cancel before the start of the first term, we will keep a one-term fee plus a £50 administration fee, and refund the difference.
All other applicants
You can cancel your place and ask for a refund if you tell us at least 14 days before the term starts.
The amount of money you get back depends on how many terms you paid for and when you choose to leave. For example, if you paid for three terms but leave after finishing two, we will charge you the standard rate for those two terms and refund the difference.
We charge a £50 administration fee for all refunds.
Deadlines for all applicants
We must receive your request to withdraw by these dates:
- For Term 1: By 21 September 2026
- For Term 2: By 4 January 2027
- For Term 3: By 19 April 2027
Late cancellations
We cannot offer any refunds if you ask to cancel within 14 days of the term starting, or after the term has already begun.
What we cannot offer
- We cannot give any refunds if your request is made less than 14 days before the start of term.
- We cannot refund UCL students who have only paid for one or two terms.
- We cannot offer partial refunds for individual classes missed during the term.
Sometimes, regrettably, we have to cancel a course. If we cancel your course, we will offer you a place on a different course. If you do not want to join a different course, or if there is no space, we will give you a refund.
We do not charge an administration fee for refunds when we cancel a course.
The amount of money you get back depends on:
- How many terms you paid for (one, two, or three terms).
- The type of fee you paid.
- When in the year the course was cancelled.
We will tell you the exact amount of your refund if your course is cancelled.
Terms and conditions
These guidelines ensure that our services are delivered safely, fairly, and consistently for all participants. When you book a course, you agree to these rules as well as the standard Online Store terms.
Who can join our courses
You must be 18 or older to study with us.
You do not have to be affiliated with UCL to study with us.
What is included
Your fee covers your tuition and gives you access to UCL Library services and the Self-Access Centre.
Your fee does not cover the cost of textbooks. Not all courses need a book, but if yours does, you will need to buy this yourself. Your teacher will tell you whether you need to buy a book.
Class times
We follow the UCL ‘short hour’ system. This means classes start on the hour and finish 10 minutes before the next hour - e.g. a 5pm class will normally finish at 6.50pm.
This gap allows everyone time to move between rooms, or to log on to the next online session.
Certificates and course credit
If you want a certificate of attendance, you must attend at least 70% of your classes. This means coming to at least 7 classes out of 10 each term. You can ask us for your certificate at the end of the term.
Our courses do not have an exam, and you will not get a formal qualification like a GCSE or A-Level. However, they are accredited for Continuing Professional Development (CPD). This is a way for you to show you are still learning and building new skills after finishing your formal education.
Our courses do not carry course credit towards degrees. If you are a current UCL student and want to earn credits as part of your degree, you should speak to the Modules team instead.
Important rules for classes
- You must not record, film, or take screenshots of any classes.
- Any materials we give you are for your own use only. You must not share them with others.
- You can only attend the specific course you have paid for. We do not offer one-off ‘taster’ sessions or ‘drop-in’ classes.
- If you miss a class, we cannot give you a refund for that session.
Missing classes
We cannot give refunds if you miss a class that happened at the scheduled time. We also cannot offer refunds if your personal circumstances change and you can no longer attend. We do not offer ‘pro-rata’ fees (reduced prices) for attending only part of a course.
Once you have signed up for a course, you cannot move (defer) your place to a later date or a future term.
Visas and permits
You cannot use these courses to apply for a UK Student Visa. This is because the courses do not lead to a formal qualification. We are unable to sponsor or support any visa or visitor permit applications.
What we cannot offer
- Student status: These courses do not make you a full-time student for tax purposes (like Council Tax) or for opening student bank accounts.
- Visas: We cannot sponsor you for a student visa or any other permit to stay in the UK.
- Financial support: These courses do not carry academic credit. This means they do not qualify for student loans or government-funded training schemes.
- Qualifications and credit: These courses do not give any academic credits nor any qualifications, though they do count as CPD (Continuing Professional Development).
CPD accreditation
All UCL Evening Language Courses have been accredited by the CPDCS.
The CPD Certification ServiceQueries about these courses?
You can get in touch with the team to ask any questions you have.
Our normal working hours are 10am to 6pm Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and when UCL is closed over Christmas and Easter.
