Retake final exam – PLN 300, re-sit exam - PLN 100, payment reminder sent - PLN 20. These are some of the fees collected illegally from students of the Higher School of Social Sciences (WSNS) in Lublin. The President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) has found the school’s practices violating the collective interests of consumers and imposed a ​​fine on the school

By fixing fees for, inter alia, setting a deadline for the final re-sit exam, submitting the thesis after the end-of-term examinations, or setting a deadline for the retake final exam, the school has violated the Law on Higher Education, which prohibits the collection of such fees.

The school has reserved in its internal rules that it would not reimburse the registration fee to students who give up their education at the school. However, the school has no right to keep the registration fee if the resignation was due to the school or due to reasons beyond the control of the student. Moreover, without prior notice, the school has been delisting students who were late with the payment of tuition fees for more than 30 days. According to the law, any person being in arrears with the payment should be sent a written reminder setting the deadline of payment.

The President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection has fined  WSNS with a total sum of PLN 17,145 and ordered to change the questioned provisions of internal regulations.

Help and support for consumers: consumer ombudsmen, Consumer Federation, Association of Polish Consumers. Helpline free of charge: 800 007 707.

Additional information for the media:

Małgorzata Cieloch, Spokesperson for UOKiK
Department of International Relations and Communication
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa
Phone: +48 22 827 28 92, 55 60 314, 55 60 430
Fax: +48 22 826 11 86
E-mail: [SCODE]bWFsZ29yemF0YS5jaWVsb2NoQHVva2lrLmdvdi5wbA==[ECODE]