Signed Contract but Only Attended 10 Days – Facing Full Tuition Payment Dilemma in France

[Jormaine]

Hi everyone, I’m an 18-year-old fashion student currently facing a major issue with tuition fees after deciding to withdraw from my program. Here’s my situation:

This year, I enrolled in a Bachelor of Fashion Business program at a private fashion school in Paris. The academic year officially started on September 24, 2024, with an orientation that included a presentation of the program, exams, and the school’s app, along with a team-building activity in the afternoon. Due to social anxiety and being generally introverted, I decided to skip the team-building event after meeting another classmate who told me it wasn’t necessary.

Classes began on October 1, and I initially got along with a small group of classmates. However, as an introvert, I found it hard to integrate fully, and over time I started feeling excluded. I even tried to join conversations, but they were brief, and I often felt left out. Eventually, the discomfort started affecting my mental health; I felt anxious, sometimes wanted to cry from frustration, and even started dreading school. As a result, I began missing classes and even took a few days off when I got sick. When I returned, my classmates seemed to distance themselves from me even more, possibly because of my absences.

With all of this, I came to the decision that staying at this school would likely harm my mental health. I wasn’t integrating well, and I was struggling to keep up with some classes in French. So, I decided to look into transferring to a different school that might be a better fit.

When I informed the head of studies and the admissions manager about my decision, they were confused and seemed not to understand my reasons. The admissions manager insisted that the school is affordable compared to other fashion schools and mentioned that many students come to this school after experiencing issues elsewhere. My concerns, though, weren’t with the school itself but rather with the lack of an English program and my own challenges in integrating socially.

The main issue now is the tuition. The full yearly fee is 7,500€, and I had already paid 750€ as an initial payment. The school is demanding the entire 7,000€, citing a clause in the enrollment contract that states:

Art. 2: Any schooling started is due in full.
Art. 3: Only withdrawal in the event of failure of the examination necessary for admission allows the reimbursement of tuition fees committed.

When I asked if they could reduce the amount since I had only attended about 10 days of classes, they refused, saying it wasn’t possible because I had signed this contract. My bank advisor even connected me with legal services, but they only suggested trying to negotiate.

I met again with the director, who also didn’t budge on the tuition. I felt pressured during this meeting, as the admissions manager encouraged me to pay on the spot. I tried to transfer the entire 7,000€, but it didn’t go through, so she instructed me to make smaller transfers until I was able to send 4,000€ total. She then asked me to go to the bank and complete the remaining amount as soon as possible.

After leaving, I called my sister to explain what had happened, and she was furious that I had paid so quickly without fully exploring my options. She thinks I should consult a lawyer to see if I have any grounds to negotiate the fee given my limited attendance.

I’m now feeling lost and overwhelmed. I haven’t told my family everything yet, and I’m unsure how to move forward. If anyone has any advice on whether it’s possible to negotiate a partial fee or if it’s worth seeking legal help, I would be extremely grateful. Thank you for reading, and I appreciate any guidance you can offer.

That's a fair point.
For what it's worth ,I left an English masters course earlier (due to illness) and they didn't ask me to pay the remainder of the fees

.. it's not their fault you can't make friends or find it hard...

Its like you've bought a holiday to France for 3 weeks, they provided everything they said they would, and you decided you didn't like it after 3 days, took yourself home and now want the travel company to refund you!

You're a cheeky fucker.

but. presumably you had dr evidence etc? You didn't just go "oh, I'm poorly, gimme a refund"

I didn’t fully anticipate how challenging the social integration would be either, which has contributed to my uncertainty
You're living in France... How do you manage to navigate life in general?!
You were presumably educated there.
I'm also confused as to how you managed to remain completely ignorant of the course content until you'd actually started the program.
That's on you, no way was it hidden from you.

So you’ve had legal advice and basically got told the only way is to try and negotiate, then you tried and it wasn’t possible to negotiate. I’m sorry I think you’re going to just have to pay it then find another course if you still want to leave.

I don't know the law, but you took a place they could have filled with another student so morally you should pay in my opinion.

I don’t appreciate being called a ‘cheeky f*er.’ I’m not asking for a refund just because I didn’t make friends or didn’t like it after a few days. My decision is based on the fact that the program doesn’t align with my interests and has negatively impacted my mental health. It’s not about being ‘cheeky’—it’s about trying to make the best decision for myself.

I’ll ask for a refund on the film I’m seeing later if it doesn’t align with my interests

Your personal well being and decisions you make are an entirely separate thing to whether you are liable for the full fees.

You ARE liable. There is no shade of grey regarding that - you need to pay. You may be able to negotiate to pay over instalments.

What you do about studying going forward is another matter, and one that you clearly need to think very carefully about given you appear to have been entirely unrealistic about this course, the language it is delivered in, and your end goal and ability to manage, and also opted out of integrating at every possible opportunity.

I understand your point, but I want to clarify that the issue wasn’t about making friends alone. It’s about the mismatch between the program and my expectations. I tried to engage and make the most of the experience, but I realized the program and environment weren’t the right fit for me. I didn’t ask for special treatment, just a solution that allows me to move forward, whether that’s through adjusting my fees or exploring alternatives.

My decision is based on the fact that the program doesn’t align with my interests and has negatively impacted my mental health

The first point was in you to fully research what you were going to be taught, the second isn't their fault either it was yours.

OP I do mean this kindly as you are only 18 but frankly your posts are a bingo card full of Gen Z lack of resilience buzzwords. Going to college you’re now an adult, you have to make active efforts to make friends, courses won’t always be fully what you expect, it is standard to have to push yourself out of your comfort zone. This is all NORMAL stuff but you are acting like a martyr.

Of course you can TRY and negotiate in fees although sounds like you have already. You could look into unfair contract terms under the French Civil Code but honestly you will turn through EUR3k very quickly instructingnblaeyers.

Honestly I would go back and give the course a really good for the year go bearing in mind you’re likely paying in full either way. If you believe in yourself you could make a really good go of this but you have to drive it.

I tried to engage and make the most of the experience

Again - your first post says you skipped the orientation week events, and that you didn't want to be in a class with people doing fashion creative. That's not trying to engage or make the most out of things. That's avoiding things!

I’m not asking for a refund just because I didn’t make friends or didn’t like it after a few days.

But from your OP, you kind of are doing exactly this. You've only done about 10 days of lessons and you've given lots of reasons for why you haven't made friends and how it's affecting your mental health,

So you’ve changed your mind about the course? Can you transfer to another course within the same fashion school?

OP have you watched Devil Wears Prada?

I worked in an adjacent industry for years, slightly less toxic.

Be prepared for a difficult life. Fashion is not for shrinking violets.

That film was uncannily and uncomfortably close to the bone and truth.

You attended for ten days. In no world is that engaging and making the most of the experience. Surely you can see that, objectively? it's such a shame because it sounds as if you're talking yourself into making a very hasty decision and embedding the story you will be telling yourself - that it wasn't a good match, people excluded you and you had to prioritise your mental health. But none of that can possibly be definitively true after such a short time. You're allowing short-term feelings to completely drive you here, which in the long run will do nothing for your ability to cope and build a happy life, whatever path you end up on.

if you want to be in the fashion business, it seems odd not to want to interact with creatives. You still haven't answered as to whether you researched the course properly.

You really can't put the blame for your declining mental health on a course of study that hasn't negatively impacted any other student, just because you feel (after the fact) that it "doesn't align with your interests".
You need to put this episode behind you and move on. You're actually making less and less sense as the thread goes on, it's completely pointless.

"Mismatch between the program and my expectations" - not a lawyer, but surely whether a refund is reasonable or not will depend on whether they told fibs or misrepresented what they would be teaching you.

So if you expected to be doing modules in marketing, PR and accounting, and when you turned up you were asked to do fine art, physics and geography, you might have a point. I don't think though the fact that there were students in your class with other specialities is relevant at all though. This happens in all undergraduate degrees, where someone in a statistics class might be studying business management as their core subject, or maths, or psychology. If all the details of your course were presented, or the changes were minor, that isn't lying about what you'll be taught, is it?

OP every post you seem to be coming up with a different reason why you need your money back. First it was because you didn't make friends. Then it was because you weren't well. Then it was because you were only there 10 days and it's not fair. Then because the course wasn't what you thought it would be.

Their aren't different perceptions on this, you are bound by the terms you agreed too. There is nothing stopping you from speaking to them and trying to negotiate paying less, there is no way to force them to accept less if they chose not to do so. Talk to them, what they're willing to do is the only thing that matters. You can tell themwhat you've said here, they might feel sympathetic they might not, but none of it gives your a legal reason to breach your contract.

You are quite young.3rd level course are a big leap. Honestly ten days is really not giving it any time. Also the majority of courses have modules that don't appear to directly relate to the course that you are doing. Obviously for Fashion Business you have to know everything about the fashion industry so of course you are going to have do modules on creative etc.

The reality is you are going to have to accept that you signed up for the course and agreed to the terms and conditions. You have asked the college to make allowances for you and they have refused. There is nothing legally you can do to make them make some allowance for you. Sometimes as an adult you have to accept that once you make a commitment you have to stick to it even if you regret making it. You signed up for the paying for the course so now you have to pay. Sadly this is an expensive mistake. You need to pay and then get on with your life.

Unless they miss sold the course or the information was inaccurate, if it "doesn't match your goals" surely that means you've just changed your mind? As, if the information was accurate, why sign up for it otherwise?

You act like a child not an adult. Just because you are an introvert and have social anxiety doesn’t mean you can use it as an excuse to not do something at work. I know this is a school. But I have to go to team building exercise and work lunches and I don’t like them. I get anxious. That’s why I find a job that works well for introverts and I WFH. I don’t go to most of the social functions but still go to some because everyone has to show their faces.

You have changed your mind about the course. Either stick with it or quit. You have an obligation to pay according to the contract. You might get something if you negotiate.

But you need to grow up.

OP, if I remove all the emotion from a response the facts are:

• you started the course
• the contract states any course started must be paid in full

There is no reason you have given - however appropriate for you - that you should not be forced to uphold the contract.

The course wasn't a good fit. It's an expensive lesson. You can keep negotiating with them, and maybe get lucky, but ultimately they had a space to fill and you filled it.

You just need to accept that, pay it, move on.