No. You do not usually need to pay the full Skipper Academy fee upfront.
Once your application has been accepted, the Skipper Academy fee is normally paid in instalments:
20% deposit is due within 7 days of acceptance
40% is due 30 days after acceptance
40% final payment is due 100 days after acceptance
If your Course starts within 100 days of acceptance, the full Course fee must be paid within 7 days of acceptance.
This payment structure is designed to secure your place once you have been accepted, as Academy spaces are limited and demand may exceed availability.
Important to know
Your place is only secured once the payment due at that stage has been received.
Payment deadlines are linked to the Date of Acceptance, not the Course start date.
If you think you may miss a payment deadline, contact Quarterdeck as soon as possible before the due date. Any extension or alternative payment arrangement will only apply if confirmed by Quarterdeck in writing.
If you cancel your place
If you decide to cancel your booking, refunds depend on how far in advance you cancel before the Course start date:
more than 120 days before the Course start date: 100% refund of the sums paid to date
101 to 120 days before the Course start date: 50% refund of the sums paid to date
61 to 100 days before the Course start date: 30% refund of the sums paid to date
60 days or fewer before the Course start date: 0% refund
No refund is available after the Course start date.
Cooling-off period
You may cancel your booking within 7 days of acceptance and receive a full refund of all sums paid, provided that the Course start date is more than 28 days after acceptance.
If the Course start date falls within 28 days of acceptance, this 7-day cancellation right does not apply.
If Quarterdeck cancels the Course
Quarterdeck may cancel a Course or booking where reasonably necessary, including for low registration numbers, safety concerns, operational requirements, instructor unavailability, venue or vessel unavailability, weather conditions, local restrictions, or other circumstances requiring cancellation.
If Quarterdeck cancels the Course, all sums paid to Quarterdeck in respect of the cancelled Course or booking will be refunded. Quarterdeck is not liable for flights, accommodation, transfers, insurance costs, or other related losses, except where liability cannot lawfully be excluded.