I received my refund but the amount is less than what I paid

The apprenticeship/work-study scheme covers tuition fees only and does not include additional fees.

For clarification, the amounts you have paid are broken down as follows:

1. administrative registration fees - identical for all ESSEC Group programs

2. annual tuition fees – which vary depending on the program you are enrolled in and the year of the program

3. additional fees

The accounting department refunds administrative fees and tuition fees.

For more details on the breakdown of amounts and the related services, you can consult your overall account statement available in your personal account space.

A) Example BBA:  

For 2024/2025, the academic year running from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025, a Global BBA 03 student paid their tuition fees on 31 August 2024. They then enter an apprenticeship in January 2025. They are therefore refunded the portion #2 (tuition fees).

For 2025/2026, the academic year running from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026, the student is in their 4th year. They only need to pay portion #3, which is not covered by the apprenticeship.

On 1 September 2026, the 2026/2027 academic year begins, which corresponds to a 5th year, therefore beyond the standard 4-year Global BBA program duration.

As the apprenticeship lasts two calendar years, the student will finish on 31 December 2026. For the period between 1 September 2026 and 31 December 2026, the student will not have to pay administrative fees (portion #1).

However, if from 2 January 2027 the student needs to take compulsory academic activities required for graduation, or wishes to re-enroll, they will have to pay registration fees and contributions.

For students at the Grande Ecole, it is more complicated to give examples because they can go on an apprenticeship at any time, provided they have not exceeded a certain number of UVs. 

B) Example GE:

For 2024/2025, the academic year running from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025, a Master 2 student in the Grande École program must pay their tuition fees on 31 August 2024. They then begin an apprenticeship in early September 2024. Upon notification from the CFA, the Registrar will cancel both the registration fees and tuition fees for 2024/2025. Only the contributions will remain payable.

For the previous year, i.e. the Master 1 academic year, tuition fees will be cancelled. However, the Master 1 registration fees will not be cancelled, as they will be used to cover the registration fees for Master 3. If there is no re-enrolment in Master 3, then the Master 1 registration fees will be refunded.

In summary, since Grande École students enter apprenticeship at any point during their Master’s:

Grande École students have their registration fees and tuition fees cancelled for both Master 1 and Master 2 (the two years in which tuition fees apply. For all other years, they are required to pay registration fees.

Note: If the apprenticeship contract is shorter than the academic period covered by the apprenticeship scheme, the reimbursement amount will be prorated.

For example, a student undertaking a 12-month apprenticeship instead of 24 months will be reimbursed for one academic year if they have already paid their tuition fees. If they have not yet paid, their invoicing for one academic year will be cancelled.