Student Admission Related Services

- Application and renewal of student pass

- Pre-course counseling 

Hospitality Services

- Airport pickup (for international students upon request subjected to fee charges)

- Advice and information on accomodation

Student Induction and Pastoral Care

- Orientation programme for new students

- Assistance to students facing difficulties adapting to the new environment

- Provision of assistance to disadvantaged students with physical or learning disabilities

Education Support Services

- Advice on courses and post-graduation opportunities

- Advice on placement in Government instituitions or overseas Schools

- Advice registration of external examinations e.g. GCE 'O' levels, TOEFL, IELTS and Pitmans examination 

Student Facilities

- Lockers

- Printing & Scanning Services

- iMac Computers

- Library

- Drinks Vending Machine

- Students' Resource Room

Policy - First Media Design School is committed to providing a learning environment that is safe and fair for all members of the School community. This policy applies to students of the School who have complaints, including complaints of bullying, discrimination, harassment, victimisation or vilification.

It may also cover previously enrolled students under certain circumstances. Wherever possible such complaints will be resolved by a process of discussion, cooperation and mediation, as soon as possible after an incident or situation has occurred. Complaints will be treated seriously, expeditiously and sensitively having due regard to procedural fairness and confidentiality. Frivolous or vexatious complaints or complaints without substance will not proceed beyond preliminary investigation.

Students are expected to participate in the complaint/grievance resolution process in good faith. Anonymous complaints will only be investigated at the discretion of the School, where the conduct they raise is of a serious nature. Staff and students are responsible for ensuring that their own behaviour contributes to the maintenance of a learning environment free from all forms of discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment.

Procedure - First Media Design School has establishes a process which facilitates a safe and fair learning environment for all students of the School. The procedure outlines the steps that staff and students of the School must take to resolve student complaints. The procedures apply to a student experience at the School.

View the procedure here

The Fee Protection Scheme (FPS) serves to protect students’ fees in the event a private education institution is unable to continue operating due to insolvency, and/or regulatory closure.  The Fee Protection Scheme also protects students if the private education institution fails to pay penalties or return fees to the students arising from judgement made against it by the Singapore courts.

EduTrust-certified private education institutions are required to adopt the Fee Protection Scheme to provide full protection to all fees paid by their students. All fees refer to all monies paid by the students to be enrolled in a private education institution, excluding the course application fee, agent commission fee (if applicable), miscellaneous fees (non-compulsory and non-standard fee paid only when necessary or where applicable, for example, the re-exam fee or charges for credit card payment etc,) and GST.

FMDS has adopted the Escrow Scheme (the “FPS”) by entering into a Master ESCROW agreement with HongKong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) and DBS Bank Limited, two of the appointed banks by the Council for Private Education(CPE). View agreements here. 

Under this scheme, private education institutions are strictly not allowed to to collect any money from their students. Instead, the students are to deposit all their fees into the escrow bank account which their private school has opened with any one of the Council for Private Education-appointed banks. Funds in the account are disbursed to the private education institution on a regular basis only if specific conditions are met.

For more info about Fee Protection Scheme (FPS), kindly visit the website at http://www.cpe.gov.sg. For existing students, you can also find out whether your fees are being protected here. 

Request for course deferment must be made in writing and submitted together with Deferment Request Form and supporting documents.

Deferment for a course will only be considered if valid grounds are provided.
Valid grounds for applying for deferment include:

- Medical reasons

- Bereavement of immediate family members including parents, spouse and children.

Deferment is allowed for only up to a maximum of six (6) months per deferment. Failing to resume the course after the deferment, the student will be deemed to have withdrawn from the course and refund (if any) will be made in accordance with FMDS refund policy. International students will be required to reapply their Student’s Pass (subject to ICA’s approval) as a new applicant if they are still interested in pursuing the course.

Students whose application for derferment is rejected may apply to withdraw from the course (Refer to course transfer/withdrawal policy and procedures).

Note:

1. All “Clauses” mentioned are referred to relevant sections under the  “Standard Student Contract”.
2. “Course commencement date” refers to the actual date whereby the student commences his/her 1^st term of studies and not the subsequent modules start date.

Refunds for Withdrawal for Cause

FMDS shall inform the Student immediately within three (3) working days if:

(i) It fails, for any reason, to commence the Course on the Course Commencement Date;

(ii) It terminates the Course, for any reason, prior to the Course Commencement Date;

(iii) It fails, for any reason, to complete the Course by the Course Completion Date;

(iv) It terminates the Course, for any reason, prior to Course Completion Date; or

(v) The Student’s Pass application is rejected by Immigration and Checkpoint Authority of Singapore (ICA).

FMDS shall, within seven (7) working days of notifying the Student in writing of above circumstances (i) to (iv), provide the Student with information and details of the alternative confirmed course arrangement to allow the Student to make timely and appropriate decision on the alternative arrangement.

Under the above circumstances (i) to (iv), FMDS shall also within seven (7) working days after notifying the Student, refund to the Student:

- The entire amount of the Course Fees; and

- The Miscellaneous Fees*.

FMDS shall also, as soon as practicable after receiving the Student’s notice of withdrawal (and in any event no later than seven (7) working days after receiving such notice) refund to the Student the amounts stated in this Clause 2.3.

Conditions in which a course may be cancelled/delayed:
(i) The course does not meet the minimum requirement of 5 students for the new intake.

Refunds for Withdrawal Without Cause

Where the Student withdraws from the Course for any reason other than those under circumstances (i) to (iv) shown above, FMDS shall as soon as practicable after receiving the Student’s written notice of withdrawal (and in any event no more than seven (7) working days after receiving such notice) refund to the Student the following sums (less any applicable bank administrative charges properly paid/payable):

Note: The course application fee is non-refundable.

FMDS shall provide the Student with a cooling-off period of [7] working days after signing this Agreement. Within these 7 days and regardless whether the Course Commencement Date has passed, the Student can submit written notice of withdrawal to FMDS and receive the Maximum Refund amount stipulated by the PEI under Clause 2.4 of the standard student contract (less any Course Fees consumed by the Student if the withdrawal date is later than the Course Commencement Date and the Student has started the Course, any FMDS administrative charges which are stipulated in the Miscellaneous Fees and any applicable bank administrative charges properly paid/payable under Clause 3). Any dispute in respect of how much Course Fees have been consumed pursuant to this clause shall be referred to mediation at the Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC) or Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (SIArb) through the CPE Student Services Centre pursuant to Clause 5.4, and only in respect of such decision, the decision of the Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC) or Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (SIArb) shall be final and binding on all parties.

FMDS shall also bring to the Student’s notice Schedule 3 by notifying the student of his rights under the cooling-off period, and receive written acknowledgement as provided therein by the Student thatSchedule 3 has been brought to his notice. In the event that the notice in Schedule 3 has not been brought to the Student’s attention, the cooling-off period of [7] working days shall only commence from the date that Schedule 3 has been brought to the Student’s notice, and the Student has acknowledged the same. The Student shall have the right to withdraw from the Course and receive a refund as stated in this Clause 2.5 anytime before the notice in Schedule 3 has been brought to the Student’s attention.

This Clause 2.5 takes precedence over the FMDS’s refund policy stated in Clause 2.4.

1. Requests for withdrawal/transfer must be done formally through the Administration Office, request through telephone calls will not be entertained.
2. Once a student has enrolled for an Advanced Diploma programme, he/she will not be allowed to transfer to a Diploma level programme. Due diligence will be taken to ensure that prospective students are well aware of this guideline during pre-course counseling.
3. Students intending to transfer from the course he/she is attending to a different course conducted by the School, must complete the “Change of Level/Course” form obtainable from the Administrative Office.
4. Students intending to withdraw from the course must obtain and complete the “Course Withdrawal & Refund Form” and submit it to the Administration Office.
5. All transfer/withdrawal requests will be subjected to an interview session with the School’s Vice-Principal.

Taking into consideration the following:

Transfer Case

1. The student’s passion for the course
2. The student’s capabilities for the course based on his/her core modules results
3. Suitability for the course based on assessment by respective faculty head
4. Reason for transfer

Withdrawal Case

1. Whether the request is due to financial problems. If yes, the school will try to work out a financial assistance scheme (if possible) for the student to carry on with his/her studies.
2. Whether the reason for withdrawal is valid and not based on bias and/or discrimination against staff or other students.

 An official letter will be issued to student on the outcome not more than 4 weeks from the transfer request date and not more than 4 days from withdrawal request date.

For withdrawal case, refund of fees shall be in accordance with the School’s Refund Policy.

International Students

Transfer

For international students holding on to a student pass, they are required to reapply for a new student pass once the School approves the request for transfer.

The School will assist the student in the application process which takes about 4 weeks to be processed by ICA.

Withdrawal

For international students who’s application for withdrawal has been granted by the School, FMDS will submit the cancellation of STP through online to ICA. A temporary visit pass will be issued to the student in concern by ICA before being required to leave Singapore within a stated period of time.

Note that duration of visit pass issued will be decided by ICA and the School takes no say or responsibilities in this.

Paid/Unconsumed Fee

Course fee paid/unconsumed for the original enrolled course will be transferred to the new course of study once the transfer is approved.

Administrative Charges

There will be no administrative charges by the School on the student for withdrawal or transfer request regardless of the outcome.

FMDS has put in place a medical insurance scheme with AIA for all students studying at First Media Design School as stipulated by the Council for Private Education. The School will purchase the medical insurance policy on behalf of students at a fee of S$144.45 per annum (inclusive of GST) which shall be borned by the student.

Exemption is applicable for Singaporean/PR students/Dependant Pass holder/Work Permit holder/S-Pass holder if they are already covered by their own medical insurance plan. These students will have to provide proof of documents to the School. 

Minimum features/coverage for medical insurance required:

1) annual limit not less than S$20,000.00 per student;

2) at least B2 ward (in government and restructured hospitals); and

3) 24 hours coverage in Singapore (student will be required to purchase additional medical coverage if he/she is involved in school-related activities)

Students will be given an original copy of the medical insurance policy stating clearly the policy’s terms and conditions, the claim procedure, any exclusion, etc. upon taking up the medical insurance coverage under the School.