Submitting an appeal

Stage 1 (Informal) Appeal

If you are unsure about the reason for being excluded or you would like further details about the decision to exclude you then you can speak informally to a member of Finance Department.  They should be able to answer your questions and explain to you the reasons for their decision. To contact this team please email ask4help@northumbria.ac.uk or telephone 01912274646.  You must do this in less than 10 working days of the date on your ‘Final Exclusion Letter’.

For London Campus students, you can visit the Finance Team in person at the drop-in sessions from 1pm to 3pm, Monday to Friday.

Stage 2 (Formal) Appeal 

If you are unhappy with the outcome of your discussions at Stage 1, then you can submit an appeal in writing to the Finance Department. You should include any missing or additional documents that could not have been provided earlier. 

Both Stage 1 and 2 must be submitted to the Finance Department within 10 working days from the date on your ‘Final Exclusion Letter’.  

A member of Finance staff who has had no previous involvement in making a decision about your case will consider your appeal. You will be notified of a decision in writing normally within 10 working days of your appeal being received by the Finance Team.

Preparing your appeal

1. Draft information setting details of your case and the reason why you are appealing (please see next question for suggestions)
2. Complete a Student Appeals Form - Exclusion for non-payment of fees, you are unable to submit your appeal without this form.
3. Gather evidence to support your case. 
4. Review your document, if you have any questions or would like any feedback on your draft appeal, please email su.advice@northumbria.ac.uk
5. Send your appeal to ask4help@northumbria.ac.uk 

You may find it helpful to think about

• The reason why you have been unable to pay your fees.
• To obtain your CAS letter you have provided evidence you had the full tuition fees, if there is a reason of why these funds are no longer available you would need to provide an explanation why and provide evidence to support this. 
• Were there circumstances in your life which had an affect on these fees, if so, include this information and provide evidence to support this.
• Do you have any missing or additional information that you could not provide at your Stage 1 that you can now provide now. 
• Did you notify the Finance Team about your difficulties with paying your fees? If you contacted the Finance Team, then we would suggest you explain this and include evidence
• If you will be able to settle the outstanding fees before your submit your appeal or during the appeal process.

Paying your fees after you have received the Final Exclusion Letter is not an appeal ground and you would still need to submit an appeal. 

Can the Advice Team write my appeal?

No, we can provide guidance on what to include in an appeal, but we are unable to write this on your behalf. This is because you are the owner of your case and only you can explain why you have not paid your fees. We can provide feedback on completed forms and suggestions of what you could include.

Are there any deadline to submit an appeal?

Yes, you have 10 working days from the date of your Final Exclusion Letter to submit your appeal. If you miss this deadline you would need to include a reason of why you did not submit an appeal before the deadline. It is important that you include this information as the university may not consider your case, unless they are satisfied you have explained the lateness. As mentioned above it is important that you provide an explanation of why you are submitting an appeal and just paying the fees is not an appeal ground. 

The Advice Team are here to help you with your case. For personalised advice or to ask further questions please email su.advice@northumbria.ac.uk