Financial & Refund Policy

Registration fee

The registration fee is paid when you apply and is non-refundable, except where DSD determines it is responsible for the refund (for example, a duplicate or erroneous payment).

Paying your course fee

Course fees are paid through DSD's official channels only — online in your Student Portal (card or mobile money, processed by CalBank), or cash recorded by an Administrator. Never pay monies into a staff member's personal account. Every confirmed payment gets you an official receipt, available in your Student Portal.

Deposit to start your course

Once your application is approved, you pay a deposit of at least 70% of your course fee to start. You may also pay the full fee at once. A payment below 70% is not accepted to start a course, and DSD does not offer undertakings or other arrangements to start with less.

If your class starts and your deposit has still not been paid, your seat is released 7 days after the class starts. You can then choose a later class from your Student Portal when you are ready.

When the balance is due

The rest of your fee is due 14 days after your class starts. This applies even if you join a class that has already started: the due date is counted from the day the class started, not the day you joined. Your due date is shown on the Fees page in your Student Portal.

Payment reminders

We send you a reminder by email, WhatsApp and SMS when your first payment is received, and 7 and 2 days before your balance is due. Reminders continue while a balance remains past its due date.

Lessons are released as they are taught

Your course lessons open in your Student Portal as your instructor teaches them in class. If a balance is still owing after its due date, the lessons and recordings already released to you stay open, but new lessons and recordings are not released to you until the balance is paid, and you may be turned away from class; your instructor is told before each class which students are owing. You stay registered on your course. Once you pay, you can return to class and the lessons and recordings you missed are released to you straight away.

Refund window: until your course ends

You can request a refund of your course fee at any time before your course ends — whether you have not attended at all or have attended some sessions. Once your course has ended, your course fee cannot be refunded if you did not request a refund before it ended.

An approved refund pays back 80% of the amount you paid — a 20% administrative charge is deducted. The amount is shown to you when you submit your request.

How to request a refund

Submit your request from the Fees page in your Student Portal, stating your reason. Your request is reviewed by Accounts and approved by a Manager. Approved refunds are paid back to the account or number you originally paid from wherever practical, and are processed within 5 working days of approval.

Deferral instead of a refund

If you'd rather keep your place than get a refund, you can request a one-time deferral to a future intake instead — available while you have attended 3 sessions or fewer. You must resume within 3 months of your deferral being approved, or the deferral expires with no refund. If the course fee has increased by the time you resume, you pay the difference.

Not attending, without withdrawing

Paying your fee and simply not showing up does not automatically entitle you to a refund. If you no longer plan to attend, submit a refund or deferral request through your portal — don't wait: once your course has ended a refund is no longer possible, and other students may be waiting for your seat.

Certificates and outstanding balances

Certificates and completion documents are only issued once your balance is fully cleared, in addition to meeting the academic requirements for your course.

Cash payments

Cash payments recorded by an Administrator are shown as pending until an Accountant confirms them — you'll see this status in your portal.

Questions

Speak to Accounts, or raise a ticket in your Student Portal, if anything about your fees, receipts, or balance is unclear.