Legal Support for University Agreements

Sign a document — and understand what you are getting into

A contract with a foreign university is often treated as a formality: «what could possibly go wrong, I am only here to study». In reality this document governs everything — from the size of the semester fee to the conditions under which you can be expelled with no refund. We review such contracts and explain every clause in plain language. Because signing something in English or Chinese «as is» is a risk you are taking on yourself.

What risks are hidden in standard contracts

Universities are large organisations. Their contracts are drafted by lawyers who protect the interests of the university, not the student. They usually contain:

Non-obvious grounds for expulsion. For example, missing classes without a valid reason is capped not at 20% but at 15% — and you are out. Or failing an exam on the first attempt with no right to resit.
Refund conditions. Many contracts allow a refund only before the semester begins, and afterwards — not a penny, even if you fell ill or did not get your visa.
Automatic renewal. You sign a one-year contract — and it renews itself for the next year unless you give 90 days’ notice. And that notice can only be a letter to the dean’s email, which you were never even given.
Commissions and hidden fees. A contract may contain a clause: «administrative services fee» — 500 dollars per semester. What those services include is anyone’s guess.
Force majeure. If the university closes a programme or raises prices, your only right is to terminate the contract, but the tuition for the time already elapsed is not refunded.

What we do:

We translate the contract into Russian with legal precision. Not a «Google translation», but with a careful check of the terminology.
We analyse every clause: which is standard practice and which is a condition clearly disadvantageous to the student.
We flag hidden risks and explain them in plain words. Not «clause 4.2.3 governs the dispute resolution procedure», but «in the event of a conflict, the court will be in the university’s country, and engaging your own lawyer is practically impossible».
Where the university’s rules allow, we help draw up a protocol of disagreements or supplementary agreements. Sometimes universities agree to change disputed clauses for international students.
We point out what to watch for when signing: where to put the date, which documents to request as appendices, whether notarised copies are needed.

Why reviewing a contract on your own is a bad idea

You may have an excellent command of English. But legal English is a language of its own. Phrases like «in consideration of the mutual covenants» or «force majeure not including visa denial» are not taught in IELTS courses.

What is more, legal systems differ. What counts as an unlawful clause in Kyrgyzstan is standard practice in the United Kingdom or China. You need someone who has seen dozens of such contracts and knows where you can negotiate and where you can only accept or decline.

We do not replace a lawyer in court. But we do not let you sign a contract you will later regret. If the contract carries a risk of losing money or being expelled on a technicality, we will warn you.

If you have received a contract from a foreign university and do not fully understand what it says, get in touch with us. Send us the document and we will run an express analysis and tell you whether there is cause for concern. The decision is then yours. The consultation comes with no obligations.