Refunds Policy

1. Introduction

LSBR aims to provide a fair and transparent refund policy while recognising the nature of digital learning, academic processing, learner access, and the allocation of institutional resources.

By applying for, enrolling on, or accessing any LSBR programme, you agree to this Refund Policy in addition to LSBR's Terms and Conditions and any programme-specific terms issued to you.

2. Important General Principles

By enrolling on an LSBR programme, you acknowledge and agree that:

• Once LMS access, learner credentials, portal registration access, or digital course materials have been issued, the educational service has commenced
• Once such access has been issued, the digital course licence is deemed to have been issued and consumed
• Refund entitlement may differ depending on whether the programme is a short course, regulated qualification, combined programme, top-up route, or other category of study
• Administrative fees and certain third-party charges may be non-refundable

3. Short Courses — Strictly Non-Refundable

4. 14-Day Refund Eligibility for Eligible Programmes

For eligible programmes other than short courses, refund requests may be considered as follows.

5. Days 15–30 Exceptional Review

Refunds are not standard after the 14-day period. However, exceptional requests raised between days 15 and 30 may be reviewed on a discretionary and case-by-case basis.

Any such review does not create an entitlement to a refund.

LSBR may instead offer, where appropriate and entirely at its discretion:

• A course transfer
• An extension
• A deferral
• Reactivation support
• Alternative academic arrangements
• Another goodwill solution

6. No Refund After 30 Days

After 30 days from enrolment, no refund shall be due except where LSBR expressly agrees otherwise in writing or where required by law.

7. No Refund Once Academic Processing Has Materially Advanced

No refund shall ordinarily be granted once any of the following has occurred:

• Assignments have been submitted
• Academic review has commenced
• Internal verification has commenced
• External registration has been initiated
• Awarding body processing has commenced
• University progression processing has commenced
• Certification, transcript, or award processing has commenced

8. Payment Plans

Where a learner is enrolled on a payment plan:

• No refund is available once the second instalment has been paid, unless LSBR expressly agrees otherwise in writing
• The learner remains responsible for any unpaid instalments unless a refund or formal withdrawal arrangement is expressly approved in writing
• Withdrawal does not automatically cancel outstanding payment obligations
• Early settlement of instalments is permitted without early-payment penalties unless otherwise stated

9. Fee Forfeiture — Overdue Instalments

10. Inactivity, Pause Requests, and Reactivation

Learners who require a temporary break from their studies must notify LSBR in writing and obtain formal approval if they wish the course to be paused.

Where a learner becomes inactive for an extended period without prior notice and approved pause authorisation, LSBR shall not be liable to issue any refund, partial refund, credit, or compensation in respect of:

• Unused study time
• Expired access
• Concluded course period
• Learner inactivity or disengagement

If LSBR, at its sole discretion, agrees to reinstate or reactivate a course after it has concluded or access has expired due to prolonged inactivity without approved pause status, such reinstatement may be subject to a reactivation fee.

Any such reactivation fee shall be non-refundable once the reactivation process has commenced or access has been restored.

Approval of reactivation is a gesture of goodwill and does not create any obligation on LSBR to waive fees or grant future reactivations.

11. Avoid Losing Access

12. Non-Refundable Fees and Charges

The following are non-refundable unless LSBR expressly agrees otherwise in writing:

• Short course fees
• Application fees
• Registration fees
• Module mapping fees
• RPL assessment fees
• Reactivation fees
• Administrative processing fees
• Transcript fees
• Verification letter fees
• Reference letter fees
• Physical certificate printing fees
• Certificate shipping fees
• Third-party examination fees
• Third-party certification fees
• Bank transfer and processing charges
• Forfeited fees under the 6-month overdue instalment rule

13. Technical Access Issues

A refund will not ordinarily be granted solely because a learner experienced a technical access issue where LSBR has remedied, or reasonably offered to remedy, the issue by:

• Resending credentials
• Resetting passwords
• Migrating access to the correct LMS
• Reconfiguring the learner account
• Restoring access within a reasonable period
• Providing alternative access guidance

14. Changes to Course Content or LMS

A refund shall not be due solely because LSBR has updated curriculum content, quiz content, module structure, reading materials, platform layout, or LMS environment, provided that the overall academic purpose and intended learning outcomes of the programme remain substantially intact.

15. Awarding Body, University, and External Delays

Refunds shall not be due solely because an external awarding body, university, strategic partner, or certification provider delays:

• Registration
• Moderation
• EQA
• Award release
• Transcript production
• Certificate production
• Graduation processing
• Admissions progression processing

provided LSBR has completed its own obligations within a reasonable timeframe.

16. No Refund on the Basis of Awarding Body Registration Prior to Minimum Payment Threshold

Awarding body registration rules, timelines, and expectations shall not apply unless and until the learner has paid course fee instalments amounting to a minimum of GBP 600 per qualification level within the relevant programme.

For the avoidance of doubt:

• Single-level programmes (one qualification, e.g. a single Level 4, Level 5, Level 6, or Level 7 Diploma): the minimum payment threshold is GBP 600.
• Combined programmes (more than one qualification level, e.g. a Combined Level 4 and Level 5 Diploma, a Combined Level 5 and Level 6 Diploma, or a Combined Level 6 and Level 7 Diploma): the minimum payment threshold is GBP 600 multiplied by the number of qualification levels included in the programme. For example, a two-level combined programme has a threshold of GBP 1,200; a three-level combined programme has a threshold of GBP 1,800; and so on.

Where a learner has paid less than the applicable threshold, the Institution shall have no obligation to register the learner with the awarding body, and any request for refund, reversal, chargeback, compensation, or complaint made on the basis that awarding body registration has not yet occurred shall be outright denied.

For the avoidance of doubt, a learner may not rely on non-registration with the awarding body as a basis for requesting or claiming a refund unless the applicable minimum payment threshold has first been satisfied.

No refund shall be due, and no liability shall arise, where awarding body registration has not been initiated because the learner has failed to meet the minimum payment threshold required for such registration.

17. Exceptional Circumstances

LSBR understands that serious and unexpected life events can occur. In cases such as:

• Serious illness
• Bereavement of an immediate family member
• Unexpected military deployment
• Other documented exceptional circumstances

the learner may contact LSBR to request a discretionary review.

Supporting evidence may be required.

Any review under this section is conducted on a case-by-case basis and may result in a refund, partial refund, extension, pause, transfer, or other alternative arrangement entirely at LSBR's discretion.

18. How to Request a Refund

To request a refund, the learner must email [email protected] and include:

• Full name
• Registered email address
• Course name
• Learner ID or order number if available
• Date of enrolment
• Reason for the request
• Any supporting documents if applicable

19. Refund Review Process

Refund requests will generally be processed as follows:

LSBR aims to review refund requests within 3 to 5 business days, though complex cases may take longer. Banking timelines may also vary.

20. Formal Withdrawal

Withdrawal from a course does not automatically cancel payment obligations or create refund entitlement.

A learner who wishes to withdraw must notify LSBR formally in writing and receive written acknowledgement of the withdrawal position from LSBR.

21. Final Interpretation

This Refund Policy must be read together with LSBR's Terms and Conditions and any programme-specific written terms.

Where there is any inconsistency between a specific written offer, invoice, programme rule, or special approval and this general Refund Policy, the specific written terms issued by LSBR shall prevail.