Consumer information

For information about all need based and non-need based federal, local, private and institutional student financial assistance available to students at Ravensbourne, please see our tuition fees and scholarships pages.

Please contact usloans@rave.ac.uk for more information.

The drinking of alcohol is not normally permitted within the Ravensbourne building, except at licensed events organised by the Institution. Ravensbourne reserves the right to exclude a student who breaches this policy.

The use of controlled substances is illegal. Ravensbourne reserves the right to inform the Police immediately of all cases of possession or use of controlled substances. We reserve the right to exclude students from Ravensbourne in relation to any drug related activity.

The US Department of Education provides information on the penalties associated with drug-related offences under the US Higher Education Act. Should you lose eligibility for your US student loan as a result of these penalties, we will provide you with a written notice which notifies you of your loss of eligibility and advises you of the ways in which to regain eligibility.

Please contact usloans@rave.ac.uk for more information.

All Ravensbourne students can see their student record. As a public authority, Ravensbourne is obliged to meet the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2000.

The Act makes two basic provisions:

1. That Ravensbourne should maintain a list of the information it makes available as a matter of routine, called the Publication Scheme
2. That from 1 January 2005, any person making a request for information is entitled to be informed in writing whether Ravensbourne holds the information specified in the request, and if that is the case, to have that information communicated to them.

The FoI Act complements the Data Protection Act 1998, which makes provision for the access and proper management of information relating to living people. There are also the Environmental Information Regulations which cover information relating to how the School interacts with the environment.

Please note, that Ravensbourne requires all students to keep their contact details up to date at all times.

Your rights under the Data Protection Act 1998 are outlined in our Student Handbook. For information on how to make a request for access to personal data under the Act, please email us at usloans@rave.ac.uk

Should you have a complaint about the processing of your US loan, you have the right to file complaints with the US Department of Education, although it would be preferable that you contact us first so that we can try to resolve the problem for you.

Ravensbourne requires a certain amount of personal information for the administration of your studies, and to ensure the proper completion of your chosen course(s) or degree. All personal information provided by you will be treated strictly in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. This means that confidentiality will be respected, and that all appropriate security measures will be taken to prevent unauthorised disclosure. The data that you provide will be used for stated purposes only. You would be advised about any further uses.

Ravensbourne is equally required to process some data which legislation refers to as sensitive personal data (for example racial or ethnic origin, marital status, health records etc.). Again, appropriate security will be in place to ensure that documents such as medical certificates (possibly required by examination boards) are retained confidentially and that they are retained no longer than is necessary. In signing the enrolment form, you are signifying that you understand and agree that Ravensbourne may process such sensitive information as it requires for the administration of your studentship.

The administration of studies may extend beyond Ravensbourne’s central administration. Examples include the transmission of data to academic staff, the Study Zone, IT services, halls of residence, or Ravensbourne’s validating partner(s) who accredit our courses. In other words, it may include all aspects of student progress through to eventual graduation. Results of assessment will be published, by using your student number, on Ravensbourne’s Virtual Learning Environment. You may be contacted directly via mobile phone and on occasion Ravensbourne may text you information related to your studies or events at the Institution. Like other higher education institutions, we archive student records for a limited number of years after graduation, in order to be able to confirm requests from prospective employers etc. Details may also be passed to Ravensbourne Officers who may communicate with you as an alumnus.

Under certain circumstances prescribed by the Act we might have to make data available without your consent. For example, in common with all other universities, we are obliged to pass information to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), the funding councils and other government bodies. From time to time, these agencies may request your contact details from Ravensbourne so that they can contact you directly. For instance, you may be contacted as part of the HEFCE National Student Survey (NSS) and after you graduate during the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey (DLHE). HESA’s Student Collection Notice is published on the agency’s website. Other exemptions include national security, crime and taxation or a life-threatening situation.

If you are under 18 years of age, Ravensbourne may disclose information about you to your parents or guardian without consent until you reach the age of 18. Personal information may also be supplied to the Students Union and to other higher education institutions or employers should you be involved in a placement or exchange programme. Limited information about you may be supplied to third parties who have been contracted by Ravensbourne to deliver services to its student body. Limited information is supplied to sponsors, loan organisations and scholarship schemes to enable these bodies to assess whether financial support should continue. If you fall into debt with Ravensbourne we may disclose information to a third party in order to recover the debt from you (for example, a solicitor or a debt recovery agency), including the costs incurred from any such action. In signing the enrolment form, you signify your assent to this.

At various times during your studies you will be asked for personal data by academic staff or Ravensbourne services. You will have full rights under the Data Protection Act, and may, if you wish, withhold personal data from publication.

Should you have a complaint about the processing of your US loan, you have the right to file complaints with the US Department of Education, although it would be preferable that you contact us first so that we can try to resolve the problem for you.

Ravensbourne strives to provide accurate, honest, and clear information in its print, online and oral presentations. The College makes every effort to avoid misrepresentation in its communication to students and others.

It is stated clearly on the US loans and other loans pages that most students at Ravensbourne are eligible for federal loans and that these are normally much cheaper than private loans.

A self-certification form for private education loans may be of use to students. If you require information on how to complete the form, please email usloans@rave.ac.uk.

A missing student is a cause for concern when they go missing from his/her residence without notice and their absence gives rise to serious concern and/or other people express serious concern.

Bear in mind that it is not necessarily a straightforward task to determine whether or not a student is missing. Students do not always notify relevant fellow residents about absences. Usually there are quite simple explanations why a student is ‘missing’ , for example, they may be visiting family or friends without having told someone.

Where a student is reported as missing by fellow students/parents or other members of Ravensbourne staff, the following steps will be followed:

1. Initial report – Ravensbourne staff will try to contact the Student, taking necessary steps to report them as missing to the authorities, as well as the Dean if required.
2. Follow Up Actions – Key people relating to the student will be notified and liaised with. A missing person incident report will commence within 24 hours of the missing person report being received, or sooner if there is serious cause for concern or risk. Once a missing person report has been filed with the Police, Ravensbourne staff would act in accordance with police advice, updating staff and records, as appropriate. Contact details provided by a Student are registered confidentially and any information provided by Ravensbourne to assist the police in locating the individual must be in accordance with the Data Protection Act (DPA). Next of kin details provided by a Student are classified as personal data. However, if a Student has gone missing and is in potential danger it may be necessary to disclose details to a police service investigating the disappearance. This would be covered by an exemption in the DPA relating to disclosures to the police. There is a code of practice released by the National Policing Improvement Agency, which can be found here.
3. Written Report - an incident report will be filed and updated concerning the missing person report.

For further information regarding missing student policies, please consult our international department at usloans@rave.ac.uk.

Ravensbourne has a Student Services team on site who are here to support you to develop your professional skills and prepare you for employment, working freelance and running your own business.

The Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey is available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). The timeframes and methodology associated with this survey are also explained on this website.