Varndean College

Varndean Sixth Form College is located on Surrenden Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 6WQ. The campus sits on a hilltop with fields and views of Brighton. It is accessible by bus, with the direct 5B service stopping at the main entrance, and Preston Park rail station providing rail access nearby.

Over 30 A Levels, a wide array of advanced vocational courses, the International Baccalaureate Diploma, and a Foundation Level programme of GCSEs and vocational courses.

Sixth Form College

Additional Learning Support provides a supportive environment with Learning Support Assistants; supports learners with autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD/ADD, mobility issues and sensory needs. Supported Study Sessions are available; Individual Support includes 1:1 or in-class support and quiet spaces; Exam Arrangements; Health & Wellbeing services are provided through the ALS department.

United Kingdom

The 5B bus runs directly to the main entrance from Brighton; from Hove/Hangleton the 5B serves Surrenden Road. Other routes converge on Brighton town centre where you can transfer to the 5B; additional routes include 55 from Mile Oak, 46 from Southwick, 94 from Kemp Town/Queens Park, and 12/12A/12X from Newhaven. Preston Park is the closest rail station with services from Worthing, Haywards Heath, Lewes and other destinations.

Application fees

- There is no separate, routine undergraduate-style application fee. An invoice is issued with a Conditional Offer for international applicants and a non-refundable deposit of GBP 3,800 is required to hold the place; the deposit must be paid within one month of the offer.

Tuition fees by programme / year group (summary for fee-paying students)

- 16–19 (home) students: No tuition charge for learners aged under 19 at the start of their course; some courses require an upfront materials charge. Courses that charge for materials at the start include: 3D Design, Art, Graphic Design, Drama & Theatre Studies, CTEC Film Production, Photography, Performing Arts and Textiles. T Level L3 Education and Early Years requires payment for college t-shirts.

- International / fee-paying programmes (illustrative annual fees as listed for the current international programmes):
- Short Year programme (single-year): Tuition GBP 10,600; Host-family accommodation GBP 8,940; Annual total GBP 19,540.
- Two-year A level programme – Year 1: Tuition GBP 11,290; Host-family accommodation GBP 9,630; Annual total GBP 20,920.
- Two-year A level programme – Year 2: Tuition GBP 10,710; Host-family accommodation GBP 9,170; Annual total GBP 19,880.
- International Baccalaureate – Year 1: Tuition GBP 14,520; Host-family accommodation GBP 9,630; Annual total GBP 24,150.
- International Baccalaureate – Year 2: Tuition GBP 12,760; Host-family accommodation GBP 8,020; Annual total GBP 20,780.

- Where shorter or bespoke international packages are offered (short courses, semesters), tuition and accommodation are priced pro rata and examples of term/weekly pricing are published for different durations (examples and package components such as tuition, culture trips and an administration contribution are included in the college's international fee packs). Tuition packages for international students include stated academic materials and programme trips where shown.

Per-term / per-duration detail (international examples)

- The college publishes package pricing by programme length; sample durations and example amounts (from the college international fee documents) include: short blocks and semester/term packages priced by weeks (examples in published fee documents include multi-week/term prices and corresponding accommodation charges and administrative contributions). Specific per-term/per-duration figures vary by programme length and are shown in the college's international fee schedule.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Invoice and deposit: An invoice is issued with the Conditional Offer for international applicants. A deposit of GBP 3,800 is required within one month of the offer to secure the place.

- Balance deadline: The outstanding balance is due by the date shown on the invoice (balance due by 1 July is stated for the published international offers). Full payment is required before arrival in the UK for visa students; failure to pay by the published deadline may lead to the place being withdrawn.

- Adult Education courses: Course fees are collected at enrolment; for courses over a specified threshold instalments may be allowed but a handling charge is applied to instalment payments (the college applies a handling charge of 10% of the course fee up to a stated maximum on instalment payments for adult courses).

Boarding / accommodation (host family) fees

- The college does not operate on-site boarding houses; international students are placed with approved host families and host-family accommodation is charged as part of the international package. Sample annual host-family accommodation amounts (published package figures) include: Short Year GBP 8,940; A-level Year 1 GBP 9,630; A-level Year 2 GBP 9,170; IB Year 1 GBP 9,630; IB Year 2 GBP 8,020. Guardianship services are included in the accommodation package where shown.

- Additional accommodation pricing examples and different duration options are published in the international fees schedule (weekly and term-length host-family charges, and full-package totals for different durations).

Other costs and compulsory extras

- Course materials and specific subject fees: Certain 16–19 courses charge materials fees at the start of the course (listed above). International tuition packages note that some programme fees include academic materials and culture/trip elements; where separate charges apply these are identified in the fee documentation.

- Typical additional charges (published examples): airport-to-host transfers (Gatwick GBP 70; Heathrow GBP 130), convalidation/report validation fee GBP 140, dietary supplement for halal/vegan/gluten‑free hosted meals GBP 15 per week, optional holiday host family supplements (published example: additional supplement GBP 150 per week for Christmas and Easter holiday periods; a two‑week holiday stay with host family is shown at GBP 300 in sample schedules). Guardianship services (allocation and safeguarding checks, monitoring, welfare check-ins and emergency accompaniment) are included in stated guardianship charges.

Refund information (fee-paying/international students)

- Deposit: Deposits are non-refundable for most circumstances. For visa applicants an exception applies where visa refusal is accepted—published policy states an 85% refund of deposit if a visa is denied.

- Withdrawal before arrival after full payment: If a student pays full fees and then withdraws (other than visa refusal) the deposit is retained and 85% of the balance of tuition fees is refunded; full accommodation fees are refunded in that case. If the visa is refused after full payment, 85% of the full fees (including deposit) and full accommodation fees are refunded (policy exceptions and details appear in the collegeʼs published refund policy).

- After arrival: Tuition fees are generally not refunded after arrival except in exceptional personal circumstances and only by appeal; remaining accommodation fees are refundable less a two‑week notice period for host families. Serious breaches resulting in removal from the programme normally carry no tuition refund; accommodation refunds are determined less the host family notice period.

Fee payment options and practical note

- The college issues an invoice with the Conditional Offer and specifies the deposit and balance deadlines on that invoice for fee‑paying applicants. Instalment arrangements are available in some adult education contexts, where a handling charge is applied to instalments. The college's public international and adult‑education documents set invoicing, deposit and instalment policies, but published documents do not list a definitive public menu of accepted payment methods (for example, the public international application and fee documents specify invoice/deposit/due‑dates but do not itemise accepted card or bank transfer methods).

Summary of key actions stated in the college documents

- For fee‑paying (international) applicants: expect an invoice with the Conditional Offer, pay the GBP 3,800 deposit within one month, and pay the balance by the due date shown on the invoice (balance examples show a due date of 1 July in published material). Refund and cancellation conditions are set out in the collegeʼs published refund policy.

- For 16–19 (home) students: there is no tuition charge; expect material costs for some practical or specialist courses and available financial support for eligible students. Installment and enrolment handling charges apply to adult education courses where instalments are chosen.