Repetition of Year
Students may not repeat any academic year more than once within a degree programme and may not repeat more than two academic years within a degree programme, except by special permission of the University Council (Calendar, Part I, General Regulations and Information, Academic Progress, H14 §57 ).
Repetition of Year under Free Fees Initiative
Extract from University of Dublin Calendar, 2012-13, College Charges, page G5.
(e) Except in the case of second chance students (see (f) below), tuition fees will not be paid in respect of students doing repeat years or in respect of students repeating a year-level having changed (but not completed ) their undergraduate course. This condition may be waived in exceptional circumstances such as cases of certified serious illness.
(f) Tuition fees will be paid in respect of students who, having attended but not completed approved courses, are returning following a break of at least five years in order to pursue approved courses at the same level.
(Calendar G5 §2 (e & f))
Free Fees Initiative – Procedure for the Consideration of Requests for Eligibility in a Repeat Year
- Regulations regarding repetition of year and liability for fees
- Procedure for making a request regarding eligibility for the ‘Free Fees Initiative’ in a repeat year
- Criteria for consideration of requests for eligibility for the ‘Free Fees Initiative’ in a repeat year
- Fee status of students granted eligibility for the Free Fees Initiative in a repeat year
- Notes on the involvement of the Student Counselling Service in making recommendations for eligibility for the Free Fees Initiative in a repeat year
- Application forms for eligibility requests for the Free Fees Initiative
1. Regulations regarding repetition of year and liability for fees (Calendar G6 §2 (e))
1.1 Students who are normally eligible for the Free Fees Initiative but do not complete or are unsuccessful in a year of their course and who must repeat the year are liable for their own tuition fees in the repeat year.
1.2. The Department of Education and Science gives discretion to the College however to grant eligibility for the ‘Free Fees Initiative’ in a repeat year in exceptional circumstances such as certified serious illness preventing the student from completing the year in question.
2. Procedure for making a request regarding eligibility for the ‘Free Fees Initiative’ in a repeat year
2.1 Students who wish to make a request to be eligible for the ‘Free Fees Initiative’ in a repeat year must make this through their tutor, or the Senior Tutor, who should write to the Senior Lecturer using the form Application for eligibility for the ‘Free Fees Initiative’ in a repeat year and enclose the relevant medical certification, including the form ‘Medical Report concerning an application for eligibility for the ‘Free Fees Initiative’ in a repeat year’ (see 3.3 below).
2.2 Requests regarding eligibility for the ‘Free Fees Initiative’ in a repeat year should be made at the time the student withdraws from, or is unable to complete an academic year.
2.3 Requests of this nature are considered by the Senior Lecturer, in consultation with the Treasurer (or his/her nominees). Each case is considered solely on its own merits and is treated confidentially.
2.4 Where a case is not considered to have demonstrated the exceptional circumstances required, for example to have sufficiently demonstrated certified serious illness, further evidence may be requested. If, following consideration of all evidence, the case is not considered to have demonstrated the exceptional circumstances required, the student will be liable for their own tuition fees in the repeat year.
3. Criteria for consideration of requests for eligibility for the ‘Free Fees Initiative’ in a repeat year.
3.1 Requests for eligibility for the ‘Free Fees Initiative’ in a repeat year are based on a student’s situation during the incomplete year.
3.2 The situation described must demonstrate exceptional circumstances, such as certified serious illness, which actively impaired or curtailed the student’s attendance and studies such that they were unable to present for examination or otherwise complete their year. Requests must be supported by documentary evidence.
3.3 Medical evidence supplied must give clear details of the condition and its serious nature, the time of its onset, the effect that it had on the student’s attendance and studies, and the treatment that the student underwent or continues to undergo. The report from a medical practitioner should be provided using the form ‘Medical Report concerning an application for eligibility for the ‘Free Fees Initiative’ in a repeat year’, which the student should request their doctor to complete.
3.4 Applications on ad misericordiam grounds other than certified serious illness may be made, but can only be considered under exceptional circumstances. Students wishing to make an application on grounds other than those of certified serious illness should be referred to the Student Counselling Service by their personal tutor. Having assessed the student, the Student Counselling Service will make a confidential recommendation to the Senior Lecturer using the form ‘Application for eligibility for the ‘Free Fees Initiative’ in a repeat year – On grounds of exceptional ad misericordiam circumstances other than certified serious illness’.
4. Fee status of students granted eligibility for the Free Fees Initiative in a repeat year.
4.1 Students who are granted eligibility for the Free Fees Initiative in a repeat year on grounds of exceptional circumstances such as certified serious illness, have tuition fees claimed for them by College from the Department of Education and Science in the normal manner, where the student is on a course which falls under the Free Fees Initiative. The student charge remains payable by the student, or is claimed from the student’s local authority in cases where a student is in receipt of a local authority grant. Other student levies also remain payable by the student. Eligibility for local authority maintenance grants in a repeat year is a matter to be dealt with between the student and the local authority in question.
5. Notes on the involvement of the Student Counselling Service in making recommendations for eligibility for the Free Fees Initiative in a repeat year.
5.1 In the agreed procedure for the consideration of appeals for eligibility for the Free Fees Initiative in a repeat year, it should be noted that this can be granted only ‘in exceptional circumstances, such as certified serious illness’ .
Paragraph 3.4 of the procedure states
‘Applications on ad misericordiam grounds other than certified serious illness may be made, but can only be considered under exceptional circumstances. Students wishing to make an application on grounds other than those of certified serious illness should be referred to the Student Counselling Service by their personal tutor. Having assessed the student, the Student Counselling Service will make a confidential recommendation to the Senior Lecturer.’
The Student Counselling Service is not expected to provide letters of support for a request to defer an academic year. A request for a deferral can be processed by a student’s personal tutor.
5.2 In general, it is not expected that the Counselling Service should be asked to make retrospective recommendations. This however must be judged on a case-by-case basis.
5.3 Recommendations from the Student Counselling Service can only be considered where a student needs to withdraw/go off-books and/or repeat the year as a result of a specific traumatic event which can be demonstrated to have significantly impaired the student’s academic functioning, but which does not fall in the area of medical illness. In such a situation, the Counselling Service’s recommendation would be sent to the Senior Lecturer and in the case of extremely sensitive events may be marked for the consideration of the Senior Lecturer only.
5.4 Where students have not attended the Student Counselling Service but may have attended other practitioners during the year in question, a report from those practitioners should be provided by the student and the Senior Lecturer may ask the Counselling Service to advise on such reports.
5.5 If the student has been both receiving medical attention and attending the Student Counselling Service, it would be appropriate for the application for medical repeat status to be supported by both the medical practitioner and the Counselling Service.
5.6 The Student Counselling Service will ensure appropriate consideration and equity of treatment regarding recommendations for free fees through consultation with the Director of the Service and / or other counsellors.
5.7 Recommendations from the Student Counselling Service should use the agreed form designed for completion by the Student Counsellor.
5.8 Recommendations from the Student Counselling Service to this effect should clearly state that the Service considers that the student’s situation is/was of an exceptional nature and has significantly impaired or curtailed the student’s attendance and studies such that they were unable to present for examination or otherwise complete their year and that a repeat year under the HEA Free Fees Scheme is recommended. Reports which do not state this cannot be considered as supporting a case for a repeat year under the Free Fees Initiative. Some specific information on the nature of the student’s difficulties in functioning academically and on the student’s attendance at the Service should also be given.