Sponsored students
If you require an official SOAS invoice for your module fees, you will need to supply a letter from your sponsor confirming that they will be sponsoring all, or part, of your programme fees.
Sponsored students are not required to pay by the same deadline as independently funded students. However, we must receive this letter before your study can commence.
Letter from sponsor
The letter must be on company letterhead with the company logo featured. It must contain the following information:
- Name of student being sponsored and their 6-digit VLE number
- Amount that the student is being sponsored for (we will only create an invoice for the amount the sponsor has agreed to pay)
- Title of module(s) and session(s) of study
- Name, contact telephone number and email address of budget-holder/person responsible for processing payment
- Address of company
- Purchase order number (can be supplied separately but must be sent at the same time as sponsorship letter)
When we have received the letter we will process the enrolment(s) and send confirmation to the student. The invoice will be created by our Finance Department and sent by email to the Sponsor for payment.
Part-sponsored students
You will be liable for the balance of the fees due and in order to complete enrolment you must pay the balance due.
Non-payment by sponsor
Sponsors must pay the invoice immediately upon receipt. In the event of non-payment by a sponsor by the due date of the invoice, the student will become personally liable for the payment of fees in full and the balance will be due immediately. In the event that the student does not pay SOAS will terminate their studies and refer the debt to a Debt Collection Agency.
SOAS reserves the right to refuse to process future enrolments by the student or sponsor if there is a history of non-payment of invoices.
Gaining support from your employer
Support from your employer can come in several forms. It could be financial; it could be allowing study time or an offer to read through your work for your course. Whatever the level of support from your employer, it will help you succeed in your studies. The page below is aimed at giving you a methodology for seeking that extra support from your organisation.
Before you start
Know yourself:
- Why do you want to study this degree?
- What do you hope to achieve and what are your goals?
- Why have you chosen this specific degree?
- How will you manage your study time and combine this with your work commitments?
- What support are you seeking from your organisation?
You will need to ensure that you fully understand the programme you have chosen, what it entails (eg. number of study hours per week, number of assignments/examinations). You should also be very clear about what you want to achieve as this will form the basis of your request for support from your employer.
Know your organisation:
- What support is already available from your employer?
- Who holds training budgets and makes the decision?
- Have other employees studied on this programme or something similar and what were their experiences? It is useful to talk to other employees who have followed a similar course of study to ascertain how they managed their study time and their experiences.
- Why will this programme benefit your organisation and its aims?
Understanding the above points will ensure you approach the right people in your organisation and have all the relevant information that they will need to make their decision.
Prepare your case:
- How important is sponsorship for you to be able to join and complete the programme?
- Are you willing to negotiate terms with your employer?
- How much does your line manager/HR department etc. know about the programme?
- Do you have experience in writing reports or presenting an argument/business case?
Considering all these elements means that you will have all the information you need and how you should request support from your organisation.
Putting together the business case
You may need to present to your organisation or submit a written report or request. Either way, following a simple structure will mean you convey all the information you need without losing your audience. A standard structure would be:
- Title
Executive summary
Summarise your case and the final recommendations.
- Introduction
Analysis
This should review your current work situation, why you want to follow this course of study, what the alternatives are, and how this will benefit your organisation.
Alternatives
Highlight other programmes that cover a similar subject and what made this programme stand out for you, identify specifics about the individual courses that have direct relevance to you and your teamís objectives (you should avoid just listing the whole programmes). Aim to be clear about the benefits to you, your team and the organisation by following this course of study.
Implementation proposal
Review how you will combine your studies with your working day and when your organisation can expect to see benefits. How will you take what you learn from your programme of study and apply this to your work. Make sure you remember to include the number of study days and exam periods when you will be out of the office and how you plan to ensure that your work and your team are not affected by your studies.
Any other supporting evidence
Do not forget to include the cost of your programme and potential length of time to completion.
We are happy to help with any further information you may need to build a proposal or to make direct contact with the relevant people.
