Admissions policy and procedures

At Royal Holloway we’re committed to operating a fair, transparent and professional admissions process. This is underpinned by appropriate and robust institutional structures. All decisions are based on merit irrespective of social background.

In support of fair admissions, Royal Holloway strives to:

• ensure admissions decisions are based on achievements and potential
• make sure fair admissions processes are centrally-based to ensure equality of educational opportunity, regardless of the social background of applicants
• promote admissions processes that enable the fair treatment of each individual applicant without direct or indirect discrimination
• give full consideration to applications
• guarantee admissions decisions are consistent and each stage of the admissions process is carried out with honesty and integrity by staff with relevant and up-to-date knowledge and expertise
• create parity of esteem between GCE A-level and other pre-HE qualification routes and fully recognise a wide range of international, access-based, and vocationally-related qualifications, and other indicators of potential
• ensure the effective operation of the admissions process
• make clear  the criteria by which admissions decisions are made
• encourage and support applicants from diverse backgrounds by minimising procedural and financial obstacles to entry
• clearly document admissions decisions.

Most students at Royal Holloway are 18-years-old or above with the academic life and social environment reflecting this. 

We do, however, recognise that some 16 and 17-year-olds have already met the entry requirements for the College. We don’t normally consider applications from people below the age of 16 years.

Applicants, who will be younger than 18 when they start their course, and their parents or guardians, must agree:

• they understand the nature of the College and the course, the circumstances in which the individual would be studying and living, and the limitations of the College’s supervisory role
• that the contractual arrangements for the individual to study at the College are underwritten by a qualified adult
• that arrangements would be in place to support the individual in an emergency, including the existence of a qualified guardian in the UK
• the individual will obey the legal restrictions placed on minors in the UK.

The College strongly recommends that applicants who would be under 17 years of age on entry consider carefully whether they would be able to fully benefit from the educational and social opportunities which are on offer.

Your fee status will be provisionally assessed on the information supplied on your application form. 

If you disagree with this initial assessment then please complete a fee status questionnaire| and send it with photocopies of any relevant documentation to The Admissions Office, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX or by email to Admissions|.

Who assesses my questionnaire?

A fully trained member of the Admissions team will assess your fee status questionnaire, once received. The Admissions Office follows guidelines suggested by the UK Council for International Student Advice (UKCISA). 

The College seeks to make fair and accurate judgments at all times. Should we require further information, we will contact you in writing.

Please note:   we cannot enter into a discussion about fee status assessment over the telephone or email as we must have all the paperwork here.

Please also note that if you do not submit the necessary documents, this will delay a fee assessment being made and therefore possibly delay your future enrolment to Royal Holloway.

Where can I find the results of my assessment?

You will be able to view the outcome on the status checker|. At this page, you will need to input your personal student reference number, which is located at the top of your offer letter.

How to appeal the fee status decision

Should you wish to appeal the decision made, please email Admissions| for further advice. 

Alternatively, you may wish to consult the UKCISA| website for further information.

What documents should I submit?

Some applicants will need to submit documentary evidence supporting their fee status questionnaire.  Not all applicants will need to submit these documents. 

Typically, this would apply to students who have not always lived in the UK, are not British citizens, or have been absent from the UK for a significant period of time. 

This would also apply to non-EU International students who wish to claim Home / EU status for fees. The documents may be one or more of the following:

• photocopies of your passport or proof of citizenship
• proof of Indefinite Leave to Remain / Right of Abode
• proof of Exceptional Leave to Remain / Enter / Humanitarian Protection / Discretionary Leave or Proof of Refugee status
• utility bills dating back three years up to the 1 September of your proposed entry year with the College.

In certain circumstances, we may also request a letter from your parents' employer, should your parents'  work have taken you out of the UK on a temporary basis.

Where photocopies of documents have been provided, applicants will be expected to show the original documents at enrolment.

Who should I contact for further advice?

UKCISA publish comprehensive guidance notes on fee status. We would recommend that you take a look at their website| for further information before completing the fee assessment questionnaire.

What is the deadline for submitting a fee status questionnaire?

We recommend that if you disagree with our fee assessment you should send in a fee status questionnaire before 31 July.

Deposits are non-transferrable and non-refundable except in the following circumstances where:

• You fail to meet the academic conditions of your conditional offer and are rejected from the course. You must provide an original transcript and degree certificate to verify your final results.
• You fail to meet the English Language requirements stipulated in your offer. You must provide proof that you have taken a recognised English language test within five months of your course start date. If you have not previously taken an appropriate English Language test and fail to do so prior to 31 August you will not qualify for a refund.
• Your Tier 4 Student Visa application has been refused. A copy of the visa refusal document must be sent to the University.
• You have applied for funding from a recognised funding body for the full year’s tuition fees and you are unsuccessful in securing the funding necessary for your studies. Documentary proof must be provided.
• The College cancels the course to which you have applied.
• Sympathetic consideration will be given in cases of exceptional circumstances, such as serious illness, or a death in the immediate family. Please note documentary evidence of such circumstances will need to be provided. Decisions on refunding the deposit in such cases will be made solely at the College's discretion.

If you meet any of the above criteria you should send an email to admissions| including all of the following details:

• Your full name
• Date of birth
• Your student reference number 
• A scanned copy of your documentary evidence.

All requests for deposit refunds need to be submitted no later than 30 days after the official start date of your course. 

Important Notes:

1.   You will not qualify for a deposit refund if:

• Your offer from the College is withdrawn due to fraudulent documentation or false information in your application at any point in the application stage.
• Your Tier 4 Visa is refused due to fraudulent documentation.
• Your study plans have changed, for example you have decided to study elsewhere or are no longer planning to study abroad.

2. It is strongly recommended that for the purposes of securing a study visa, you pay 50 per cent of your course tuition fee as a first payment to the College. 

This would include the £1,000 compulsory deposit element. Advance payment of 50 per cent of your tuition fee is not required to obtain your place on the course, however, in this way the College can ensure the total amount paid is reported on the required CAS letter, rather than just the deposit.

In the event that you are unable to take up your studies at Royal Holloway, you would receive a refund of the amount you have paid, minus the £1,000 compulsory deposit (unless you qualify for a deposit refund under the terms outlined above).

3. A deposit paid to the College will be counted as a payment towards your course tuition fee.

4. Any deposit refund agreed by the College will only be made to the person who made the original payment. 

Any applicant found to have made a fraudulent application, including failure to disclose information that may be relevant to their application, will have their offer of a place withdrawn.

Should you wish to complain about the way in which your application has been administered, please contact Vikki Cannon, Admissions Manager:

Vikki Cannon
Admissions Office
Royal Holloway, University of London
Egham
Surrey
TW20 0EX

Telephone Number: +44 (0)1784 414944
Email: Admissions|
Fax: +44 (0)1784 473662 

Please note we cannot provide detailed feedback on why an application to a particular course or department has been unsuccessful. Any queries of this nature should be directed to the department concerned.

If you would like to appeal the decision of your room allocation, please visit the Student Housing Bureau’s room allocation appeals information webpage|.