Grounds for a refund or partial refund of fees:
a) Irish Study Visa refusal (for students who are not successful in obtaining their visa). Any application for a refund must be made in writing and must be accompanied by both a copy of the rejection letter from the GNIB and a copy of their stamped passport. Please note: the rejection letter issued by the GNIB will be evaluated by the College in order to assess grounds for any refund who have complete discretion in arriving at a decision as to whether or not a refund is appropriate. All original letters issued by the College along with the student’s GNIB card must be returned to ICOT College administration before any refund can be considered.
b) If an aspect of the application for a refund or cancellation includes an illness or disability suffered after the student’s enrolment has been confirmed. In any such instance, a doctor’s certificate would be required to confirm.
c) Upon arrival in Dublin, should any student be refused access into Ireland for any reason, any application for a refund must be made in writing and be accompanied by both a copy of the rejection letter from the GNIB and a copy of their stamped passport. Please note: the rejection letter issued by the GNIB will be evaluated by the College in order to assess grounds for any refund and it will have complete discretion in arriving at a decision as to whether or not a refund is appropriate
d) A refund will only be granted in respect of fees which have been paid for the most recent year in which (a), (b) or (c) occurs. There is no automatic right to a refund of fees if at any time a student changes his/her mind about studying at ICOT College.
e) After course commencement, any student wishing to submit a refund request for any reasons as specifically detailed above (a, b or c); the proportional amount of the classes taken will be discounted.
f) If a student withdraws after course commencement no refund will be given.
g) Students that are found to have provided incorrect information, resulting in their visa being refused, shall be exempt from any form of refund.
h) Please note an Administration fee of €350, plus €150 for health insurance fee (if already applied) and plus €150 for learner protection (if already applied), will be deducted from all refunds given.
i) Minimum Entry fee for International is €500 & Renew €350. 50% of the entry fee to be deducted if paid in partial and requested to cancel/refund. Deduction amounts are - International €250 and Renew €175.
j) No refund of Morning Fees. If any student decides to move to afternoon once the class has started. Doesn’t matter if they have attended only 1 week or more.
k) No refunds for the students who got the course as SWAP or received Full Tuition Fee as credit from another student. In case of credit transfer the administration fee of €350 will be deducted.
l) No refunds of End-of-course exam fee
m) If you miss your flight or it is delayed you must notify the school or your agent in advance, otherwise the pick-up service may not be refunded.
n) Also, if you refuse or leave the provided accommodation during the period booked, a refund will not be given.
o) If the refund is applicable, it must be requested online through www.icot.ie (Student Portal ). The period for refund is 4 weeks
Visa students who attend a course at ICOT College are obliged by law to have an attendance rate of greater than 85%. This can only be achieved by missing no more than 18 days throughout the course of 25 weeks. The College strongly encourages students to complete their full 25 weeks of study in one block. General English Book price is €50 and IELTS Book price is €60. Students are not allowed to attend the class without a book.
Students who miss any 2 days or any 4 classes in any given week will be removed from the attendance list and sent a warning letter. Attendance will continue to decrease as long as a student is off the list and does not return.
When any student receives a warning letter, he/she must fill in the Request Form on the ICOT website (www.icot.ie – Student Portal and login to your account) and apply for “Return to Class”. The student concerned will then be returned to the list and contacted to inform him/her of this, and must return to class on the appointed day. Any student who does not fill in the Request Form within a week of being removed from the list will receive a second warning letter. Likewise, a second offence will result in a second warning letter.
After three warning letters have been received, the next offence will result in expulsion and the GNIB being contacted. Please note that ICOT College is not obliged to send three warning letters prior to expulsion. Students who are proved not to be genuine students, or who engage in abusive behaviour, may be expelled without notice. The student has 5 working days to reply and resolve the issue. If there are mitigating circumstances, students may appeal their removal from the school register through the ICOT website and by requesting “Appeal against Expulsion”. The student will be called for a meeting attended by an ICOT College Senior Administration staff member. ICOT College will present the student with a copy of all recorded warnings and their Attendance Record. The student will have an opportunity to make their case, for example, an illness with the requisite doctor’s note or compassionate leave. Any judgment will be made in coherence with ICOT College’s stated principles regarding attendance and in strict accordance with the regulations from the GNIB regarding visa students. If in doubt, the College will contact the GNIB and seek clarification.
Further to this, ICOT is obliged to inform GNIB of any student whose attendance drops below 85% and prolonged low attendance will also result in warning letters being sent out. If the student does not improve, more warnings will be sent.
In case of sickness, students must contact the school on the first day and each subsequent day, and present a doctor’s certificate on returning to school. Without this proof, it will be classed as an unauthorised absence, and warnings will be sent. Medical certificates cannot and do not replace attendance, but are used to justify low attendance to the College and to GNIB.
The College shall not be liable for any injury, loss or expense caused to any student by the transmission of any bacterial or viral infection affecting or capable of affecting the health and/or wellbeing of the student, including but not limited to influenza or any variant thereof. Attendance at the college shall constitute a waiver on the part of the student of any liability of the College in this regard.
European and other students permitted to remain in the jurisdiction of the Republic of Ireland without a visa are also expected to attend fully, even though they are not bound by GNIB rules, and may be removed from the list or expelled for nonattendance. The College policy for minimum attendance is 85% in all cases. All students of ICOT College are treated alike. Non-attendance is disruptive to the class and to the learning process. ICOT College Certificates are only given to students who satisfy the 85% attendance regulation and take the mandatory end-of-course exam.
Classes start at 9:00 am and 1:00 pm. Students should do their best to arrive at these times as they will not receive confirmed attendance for the first half of class if they arrive more than 15 minutes late. Students arriving up to 15 minutes late must not disturb the class as they enter. Classes end at 12:15 pm and 4:15 pm. Anyone leaving early will not receive attendance for the second half of the class. If there is an emergency, students may request permission from the Director of Studies to leave up to 15 minutes early. Work will not be accepted as a reason to leave early. Nobody may leave more than 15 minutes early without losing attendance for that half of the class.
Students are expected to willingly and actively take part in any and all classroom activities, to speak English at all times, and to respect the dignity and person of their teachers and classmates. Students who do not comply with these rules may be asked to leave the classroom with the loss of attendance for that half of class.
Any student found to be tampering with the attendance list on behalf of themselves or any other student may be expelled without prior warning. No member of staff may accept or request money or gifts in exchange for falsifying attendance. Any such request should be reported to the management immediately. Such conduct may result in instant expulsion.
It is forbidden for students to film or take pictures during class, without the permission of the teacher and the fellow students. Any student whose name is not on the attendance list must go to the Reception office immediately and may not sign the list. In any circumstances, signing at the bottom of the attendance list is prohibited. Students may not leave the classroom for significant lengths of time during the class. The teacher may remove his or her attendance for absences of more than 15 minutes.
Students are allowed to take a holiday after studying for at least 8 weeks and with at least 80% attendance. Students can take up to 1/3 of the time that they have already studied. For example, after 9 weeks students can have 3 weeks holiday, and after 12 weeks, they can have 4 weeks holiday. Holidays must be booked at least 3 days in advance and will depend on their attendance. Holidays may be granted outside these conditions in cases of extenuating circumstances. In that case students should provide proof.
This does not include the Christmas holidays during the last Three weeks of December (please refer to the Academic Calendar 2025 for exact dates).
From 01 September 2016, non-EU/EEA International Students will be able to work full-time (up to 40 hours per week) during two periods of the year only - reflecting the traditional summer and winter college holidays:
- Summer break: 1st June – 30th September (4 months)
- Winter break: 15th December - 15th January (1 month)
At all other times, the current term-time limit of 20 working hours per week will apply.
It should be noted also that the hours specified are the maximum that a student can work in any given week and not an average over time. A student who is working for more than one employer remains subject to the overall limits (e.g. during the period when the 20 hour limit applies, a student could not work 15 hours each for 2 employers). The permission to work ceases on the expiry of the students Stamp 2 immigration permission.
Students must have the physical book for the course; PDFs are not allowed.
Students have 5 working days to get a new book.
Prices:
General English Book: €50
IELTS Book: €60
It is mandatory to every student visa that the student takes an external exam at the end of each course. The College will register students for TIE (Test of Interactive English) upon student's request and the student agrees to prepare for and take the exam on the date specified by the Director of Studies. Examination rules will be emailed to the students. TIE exam fee is €130. In certain circumstances it may be necessary for students to take TIE in the TIE examination centre on Leeson Street, Dublin. In this event, directions will be provided with plenty of notice. In all other cases TIE will be held on the school premises.
Students may also opt to take FCE (First Certificate English), CAE (Certificate of Advanced English), PET (Preliminary English Test) or IELTS instead of TIE, but this preference must be communicated to the Director of Studies in good time. Students who opt for FCE, CAE, PET or IELTS will be charged an additional fee of €90. This exam fee is €220 for Dublin Campus students. For Cork Campus students, FCE, CAE and IELTS exam fee is €240 and PET exam fee is €220. Failure to attend the exam for which a student has been registered will require to pay the full exam fee again to facilitate rebooking.
Where the College must adapt to the mandated closure of the business, the College will deliver classes online to Students. Students will be expected to make arrangement to follow the directions to joining classes in the online environment. The ICOT online platform allows teachers and students to interact in a dynamic way, so the teacher may ask you to turn on your microphone and camera to interact with him/her, answer questions displayed on the screen, follow a digital board to make examples, etc. Sharing your personal data/log-ins with individuals not enrolled at ICOT College is strictly prohibited. This may result in expulsion and no refund of fees will be given.
The content, form, presentation and material of all classes, including online classes shall remain the sole and exclusive property of the College. No recording is permitted. The sharing of content is not permitted without the express authorisation in writing of the College.
The College welcomes comments and suggestions from students about the services it provides.
Students wishing to make a suggestion or comment about College courses, policies or services, either academic or non-academic, can do so informally:
at the point where the service is provided
by contacting the person in charge of the relevant area
Occasionally, however, students may wish to make a formal complaint about the services they receive.
The College recognises that it has a duty to provide fair and objective procedures for examining and resolving complaints, and to ensure that its procedures are free from partiality arising from personal or institutional conflict of interest or other sources of bias.
No student will be disadvantaged by having raised a complaint, but the College also expects that students will not make frivolous, vexatious or malicious complaints.
1. Standard Resolution
Prior to bringing a grievance forward against an ICOT office or representative acting within their role or duty, staff or other stakeholders are encouraged to attempt a good-faith resolution of the grievance.
This attempt may be made with the party directly involved with the disputed matter, or with a superior staff member.
It is expected that the majority of cases will be resolved informally and no formal record of the resolution will be recorded.
Attempts at informal resolution should be initiated within 30 days of the incident in dispute.
Please note that there are cases when it is appropriate to go directly to the formal grievance resolution process.
2. Formal Grievance Resolution
Should a situation arise in which a staff member or other stakeholder is unable to resolve his or her grievance informally, the college’s formal grievance process may be employed.
This process, outlined below, should also be initiated within 30 days of the failed informal resolution if applicable.
Step I
A formal grievance should be presented in writing to the Office of the Operational Manager.
This document must include the following:
Name, address, email and phone number of the person making the grievance
Identification of the office or individual against whom the grievance is brought
Description of the action, incident or individual behaviour resulting in this grievance
The date or period of time in which the behaviour occurred and the location of the incident
List of all individuals who witnessed any part of the incident in dispute.
Step II
Upon receipt of the formal grievance, the matter will be investigated by the Operational Manager or a person assigned by the Operational Manager.
A) If the grievance involves a college office or representative acting within their role or duty, the investigator determines the involvement of pertinent supervisors or superiors in the investigation.
Depending upon the grievance, pertinent data (interviews, etc.) will be gathered by the investigator or the college office involved in the grievance.
This data is then presented to the department for resolution.
If the complainant and the respondent do not agree through informal resolution, a formal hearing becomes necessary.
This action should occur within 30 days of the formal complaint/grievance being submitted.
In a formal hearing, the Operational Manager appoints a panel or administrator to make a recommendation to the relevant administrator.
B) If the grievance is based on personal misconduct by a faculty member or other college employee, the investigator will gather pertinent information and present it to the Operational Manager and/or the DOS (academic staff complaint).
The Operational Manager then assists the appropriate office with resolution and the resolution process.
This action should occur within 30 days of the formal complaint/grievance being submitted.
At ICOT, we are responsible for processing information you provide to the school via our website www.icot.ie, in return we assure our students and contacts that we are handling, and will continue to handle your data professionally, securely and in accordance with the new General Data Protection Regulations.
We respect your rights to privacy and to the protection of your personal information.
The purpose of this privacy notice is to explain how we collect and use personal information for the provision of our services and the daily running of the school and to outline what rights you have in relation to your personal information.
What is personal information?
Personal information is any information used to identify you. When you disclose your personal information to ICOT, the school will then be responsible for how and why the information is kept and safeguarded.
Please Note: If you are providing information about another person we expect you to show them this data protection notice and ensure that they have given you permission to provide this information to us.
Please Note: You do not have to provide us with any personal information, but if you do not provide this information to us we may not be able to proceed with your application/program.
How do we collect your information?
ICOT only obtains personal information if it is being directly given to us with your consent. This can be in the following formats: direct contact, email or information provided through online forms.
Types of information we may process. We process a different sorts of personal information including basic information such as:
• Your Name
• Your Date of Birth
• Your Address (present and permanent)
• Copy of your passport
• Your visa details
• Your email address and telephone numbers
• Your next of kin
• Your Flight details
We may also require data in relation to medical conditions, special needs and particular requirements which you may state and may need to collect personal information in photographic or video form.
How do we process your personal information?
The processing of personal information is controlled by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
To comply with GDPR, ICOT is obliged to ensure that all personal data is kept up to date, stored safely and destroyed in a secure manner. Personal data is only used for the purpose it is collected for and will remain protected from loss, unauthorized access and disclosure.
Why do we use personal information?
ICOT will only use your personal information for specific purposes relating to the administrative, academic and business management of the school including:
• School Enrolment
• To assist with the visa applications
• For immigration purposes
• To process financial transactions
• To book accommodation
• To order health insurance for learner protection
• For the promotion of the school
If we wish to use your personal data for any new purpose, we will inform you of our plans in advance and seek your prior consent to any new processing.
Security
We are committed to ensuring that your personal information is secure with us. All information submitted directly or via our website (www.icot.ie) is fully protected both online and offline.
Your personal information will be made available to appropriate person(s) on a strictly ‘need to know’ basis. This will involve the use of original documents and/or scanned copies of original documents being given to appropriate person(s) by email and/or directly by hand. All computers and manual filing systems in which ICOT store information are kept in a secure environment.
CCTV on the Building
ICOT has closed circuit television cameras (“CCTV”) located throughout the building covering the classrooms, stairways, reception and the main entrance of the buildings. ICOT’s CCTV system is implemented in a proportionate manner as necessary to protect ICOT’s property against theft or pilferage and for the safety and security of staff, students and visitors to the ICOT building (to protect their vital interests).
Whilst CCTV footage is monitored from reception and DoS office, access to recorded footage is strictly limited to authorised personnel. Footage is retained for 28 days and has been removed from the system automatically except where incidents or accidents have been identified in which case such footage is retained specifically in the context of an investigation of that issue.
CCTV footage may be used in the context of disciplinary proceedings involving ICOT staff or students (to protect the vital interests of ICOT, staff, students and affected individuals). CCTV footage is not disclosed to third parties except where disclosure is required by law (such as for the purpose of preventing, detecting or investigating alleged offences) and in such instances disclosure is based on a valid request. Signage indicating that CCTV is in use is displayed prominently throughout the ICOT buildings. For information on CCTV operations at ICOT please contact the Director of Operations.
Sharing with third parties
ICOT will not share your personal information with anyone outside of the school unless we have your express permission.
We will not sell or rent your data or pass on your personal information to any third party.
Transferring information overseas
Your personal information may only be transferred outside of the EU if you permit us to do so.
How long do we keep your information?
Due to legal and operational obligations we may keep your personal information for an indefinite period unless you request to remove it from our system after an agreed period.
Your rights
Under GDPR you have certain legal rights to control your personal information and the manner in which we process it.
This includes:
• A right to access
• A right to restrict processing
• A right to object to processing for a purpose for which it was not provided
• A right to withdraw your consent at any time
• A right to correct inaccurate information or update incomplete information
• A right to receive information in a portable form
• A right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commissioner
There are legal restrictions on individuals’ rights to data protection prescribed by law. The basis for restricting personal data rights are summarised below:
• National Security
• Defence
• Public Security
• The prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences or the execution of criminal penalties, including the safeguarding against and the prevention of threats to public security
• Other important objectives of general public interest of the European Union or of a Member State, in particular an important economic or financial interest of the European Union or of a Member State, including monetary, budgetary and taxation matters, public health and social security
• The protection of judicial independence and judicial proceedings
• The prevention, investigation, detection and prosecution of breaches of ethics for regulated professions
• A monitoring, inspection or regulatory function connection, even occasionally, to the exercise of official authority in the cases referred on above points
• The protection of data subject or the rights and freedoms of others
• The enforcement of civil law claims
Request for consent
ICOT requests permission to use personal information you provide to us or any photographs taken of you. You may request access to this data at any time or tell us to remove it from our records unless it is kept for legal reasons.
We will request your permission to accept this privacy policy during the booking/enrollment process. Your consent can be withdrawn at any time.
If you have any questions, please contact the ICOT’s Data Protection Commissioner, Laura Reis.
1. Introduction
ICOT College is committed to managing personal data responsibly and in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU Regulation 2016/679) and the Irish Data Protection Act 2018. This policy outlines how ICOT College collects, uses, stores, protects, and disposes of personal data relating to its students, staff, prospective students, alumni, and other individuals.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all personal data processed by ICOT College, regardless of the format in which it is stored (ICOT Management System). It applies to all students, staff members, contractors, and any third parties who process personal data on behalf of ICOT College.
3. Definitions
● Personal Data: Any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’).
● Processing: Any operation or set of operations performed on personal data, such as collection, recording, storage, retrieval, use, etc.
● Data Subject: The individual to whom the personal data relates.
● Data Controller: ICOT College, which determines the purposes and means of the processing.
● Data Processor: Any party that processes personal data on behalf of ICOT College.
● Data Protection Officer (DPO): Shiam Rahman – shiam@icot.ie
Data is stored in MySQL and managed via cPanel. In Dublin, the IT Manager is Bruno Campos da Silva – Bruno.campos@icot.ie. In Cork, Weslley Lucas – weslleycork@icot.ie.
All members have received proper training:
- Shiam Rahman – Data Protection Officer Training
- Bruno Campos da Silva – General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
- Weslley Lucas – General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
4. Principles of Data Processing
● Lawfulness, Fairness and Transparency
● Purpose Limitation
● Data Minimisation
● Accuracy
● Storage Limitation
● Integrity and Confidentiality
● Accountability
5. Lawful Basis for Processing
● Consent
● Contract
● Legal Obligation
● Vital Interests
● Public Interest
● Legitimate Interests
6. Data Subject Rights
● Right to be informed
● Right of access
● Right to rectification
● Right to erasure
● Right to restrict processing
● Right to data portability
● Right to object
● Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling
7. Data Collection
ICOT College will collect personal data only for specified and legitimate purposes, directly from the data subject when possible.
8. Data Security
Security measures include:
● Access controls
● Encryption
● Security assessments
● Staff training
● Secure disposal
● Breach procedures
9. Data Retention
Data is retained only as long as necessary for legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.
10. Data Transfers
Transfers outside the EEA will follow GDPR safeguards.
11. Data Breach Management
● Assess breach
● Contain and rectify
● Notify DPC within 72 hours if required
● Notify data subjects if high risk
● Document incident
12. Responsibilities
● All Staff: Handle personal data securely
● Heads of Departments: Ensure departmental compliance
● DPO: Oversee compliance and be point of contact for DPC
13. Training
Regular training is provided to staff on data protection.
ICOT data is managed by the IT department:
● Dublin – Bruno Campos da Silva (Bruno.campos@icot.ie)
● Cork – Weslley Lucas (weslleycork@icot.ie)
All trained on:
- Shiam Rahman – Data Protection Officer Training
- Bruno Campos da Silva – GDPR
- Weslley Lucas – GDPR
14. Monitoring and Review
This policy is reviewed and updated regularly.
15. Contact Information
For questions or concerns, contact:
Shiam Rahman
Director of Finance and Data Protection Officer
shiam@icot.ie
0834652066
28 Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2
Date of Last Review: 06/01/2025