TERMS OF AGREEMENT AND PAYMENT POLICY

1. Ethology Academy CC (hereafter referred to as “Ethology Academy”) presents different correspondence courses on animal behaviour to students in South Africa and all over the world. The points below set out the basic terms of agreement with students.
2. The courses are offered to students who have completed Grade12 or are older than 18 years.
3. On enrolling for any course and submitting the enrolment form, students acknowledge that they have read this document and agree to the terms and conditions set out in this document.
4. The enrolment term commences on the first Monday of January and will be terminated at the end of February or as soon as the required number of enrolments is reached. Enrolment for the Practitioners Course commences on the 1st November of the previous year. Late enrolments will be at the discretion of the management of Ethology Academy.
5. The fees for the different courses for 2016 are as follows:
5.1 Basic dog, cat, bird or horse behaviour courses: R6 650 per course
5.2 “Add on” Basic courses : R3 400 per extra species (dogs, cats, birds and horses) in the same year
5.3 “Add on” Basic courses: R 5 100 per extra species (dogs, cats, birds or horses) with first Basic course enrolled for in 2015
5.4 Advanced Dog and Cat courses: R7 300 per course
5.5 Advanced Horse Course: R7 950
5.6 Grooming business course: R7 300
5.7 Animal Assisted Activity course: R7 300
5.8 Practitioners Course for Dogs: R 16 500
6. An annual increase in the enrolment fees will be subject to the consideration and decision of the administration of Ethology Academy and guided by the general inflation rate of the country.
7. The course fees include the professional time of the presenters and lecturers, preparation and dispatch of all course materials including study guides, notes, student letters and DVDs (where appropriate), all administration relating to assignments and record keeping of student’s details, organising of seminars in student’s provinces (where appropriate), examinations (excluding supplementary examinations) and issue of Certificates, and all office and other disbursements including copies and postage.
8. The course fee excludes possible travel and accommodation expenditures a student might incur in order to attend a seminar or write an examination.
9. On enrolling for any course a student must pay the full course fee as indicated in point 5 above.
10. A student who cannot pay the full course amount at the time of registration should contact Ethology Academy to arrange for the possibility for an alternative payment option. A registration fee which is fifty per cent (50%) of the total course fee is payable at the time of enrolment. The full course fee must be paid by the 30th June of the year of study/registration.
11. The registration fee(s) is not refundable, even if the student is unable or fails to complete the course.
12. All students must complete and submit the appropriate enrolment form and financial undertaking.
13. The new National Credit Act (June 2007) will not apply to such pay-off agreements.
14. Electronic payments, cheques or deposit payments must be made into the following account details:
Account holder: Ethology Academy CC
Bank: Absa Bank, Wierda Park
Branch code: 632 005
Account number: 405 124 2190
15. Students must forward confirmation of payment to admin@ethology.co.za as soon as a payment is made. Students must please use their initials and surname as a reference when they make a payment to ensure that the payment is associated with the correct enrolment form and student.
16. The study material related to the specific course will be despatched to the student via registered mail within five (5) working days after Ethology Academy has received confirmation of payment.
17. If an arrangement is reached in terms of point 10 above, and the student fails to pay instalments promptly, Ethology Academy reserves the right to immediately withdraw further services and withhold any further course materials, cease marking and reporting on assignments and refuse the student attendance of a seminar and examination.
18. Should it, for a valid reason, be impossible for a student to complete a course in the same year of enrolment, and has paid the full course fee, the student can apply to carry over the enrolment for the course to the following (a second) year. The student will however be expected to pay a fee of R 1 800 per Basic course and R 2 100 per Advanced, Grooming or AAA course. To carry over a course to a second year will only be considered if the student applies in writing before the end of October of that year. For the continuation of a course enrolled for in 2014 or earlier the student will have to pay a fee of R 3 700 per course.
19. Final Written Examination and Seminar Attendance:
19.1 Basic Courses and Grooming Business course - Each student enrolled for a Basic Course and/or the Grooming Business Course has to write a final written Exam, in November. Suitable examination venues are booked ahead of time in Gauteng (Benoni), Cape Town and KZN. If a student has an acceptable reason for not being able to write in one of the prescribed venues, they may apply, in writing, to complete the exam in a different Province. If the application is approved, Ethology Academy will nominate an invigilator in that region/Province. The November exam is compulsory for all Basic course and Grooming course students. If a student is unable to write this exam, or fails the exam, the supplementary exam can be written in January of the following year. The fee to write the supplementary exam is R 650. The maximum mark a student can achieve is 50% for the supplementary examination. Students who have enrolled for three or more courses in the same year, may divide their exams by writing two papers in November and the remaining papers in January. For these students, for exams written in January there will be no fee applicable, and the student will be awarded the mark that was achieved in the exam (not only a pass). However, there is no supplementary exam for exams written in January.
19.2 Advanced Course Students: Students enrolled for the Advanced Dog, Cat or Horse behaviour course have to attend a compulsory seminar. At the seminar some of the assignments will be completed. The student will write a test during the seminar. The mark achieved will form part of the final mark. Should the student not be able to attend the seminar in full, he or she cannot complete the course in that year and will have to attend the seminar during the following year.
19.3 Grooming and Animal Assisted Activities Students enrolled for these courses have to attend a compulsory seminar. Should the student not be able to attend the seminar in full, he or she cannot complete the course in that year and will have to attend the seminar during the following year.
19.4 Practitioners course: Students enrolled for the Practitioners Course have to attend two compulsory seminars. An examination will take place on the last day of the second seminar. Should the student not be able to attend the seminar in full, he or she cannot complete the course in that year and will have to attend the seminar during the following year.
20. Enrolment for a course will not be transferred to a third party.
21. A student cannot transfer the enrolment for a course to one of the other courses.
22. Ethology Academy further reserves its right to take legal steps to recover outstanding money from students who fail to honour the agreement referred to in point 10 above. If legal steps are taken to recover any amount from a student, the student agrees and shall pay the costs of such steps at a scale between attorney and client. Interest may also be charged and recovered at a rate of 15% per annum. The parties further agree to the jurisdiction of the Small Claims Court in Pretoria, Gauteng.
23. As courses are conducted mainly by correspondence, students must inform Ethology Academy of any changes in their contact details as soon as possible. Ethology Academy cannot be held liable for loss of communication or post, if the correct contact details are not on record.
24. Copyright vests in all course materials and correspondence provided. Students are not allowed to make unauthorised reproductions or copies of any materials without express written permission. The name, logo and slogan of Ethology Academy CC are further trademarks which belong to Ethology Academy CC. The unauthorised use of these trademarks is prohibited.