Should students receive a refund of their tuition fees?
In der Pandemie finden die meisten Lehrveranstaltungen nur online statt. Studierende können nicht wie geplant studieren, müssen aber die in vielen Ländern sehr hohen Studiengebühren voll zahlen. Sollten ihnen daher die Gebühren reduziert oder zum Teil rückerstattet werden?
Students are not getting the service that they signed up for. There’s no equivalence between a full university experience and remote delivery. Discussion online doesn’t flow as it does in a physical space; you can’t feed off one another in an organic way.
Also, part of university is the social experience; it’s an integral part of our lives. Students are missing out on all that. There is a decrease in the breadth and expanse of learning.
Converting physical attendance into Zoom sessions means a significant loss in university hours. There is a lack of access to teaching, to equipment, to printers and to study space. University libraries are operating on greatly decreased hours and space. Students are stuck at home, often with very little room in which to study. There are technology problems, such as poor Wi-fi connections or none at all.
Universities can’t control a global pandemic, but they’ve handled things appallingly. Covid-19 has revealed problems that already existed, with universities behaving like businesses rather than places of learning. They treat degrees like products and students like consumers — in which case, students have rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. If the product is inferior, then we are entitled to a price reduction or refund.
We started out campaigning for a reduction from the full tuition fee of £9,250 (€10,790) for UK students to £6,192 (€7,220), which is the rate for the Open University — a distance-learning university — because that is effectively what we’re receiving. Actually, Open University lecturers have been fully trained for remote delivery, while most university staff have had to adapt to it.
If higher education was a right and not a privilege, then the response would have been different. Universities would not have forced first-year students to return to campus during a pandemic. There was no motivation for that except to get them to pay their first year of rent. The government does nothing because universities don’t pass on the pressure that they get from students. It’s not the responsibility of students to have to fight for a fair reduction in fees.
Universities are not unsympathetic towards students. Most staff are well aware that it is a miserable time to be a student. But universities aren’t making money at present — many expect at least 10 to 20 per cent losses on turnover. Some face severe financial difficulties. If they’re research-intensive, it’s even more challenging. It’s worth remembering that when you see a virologist, epidemiologist or doctor on television, they’ve been trained by universities. They’re often paid by university medical faculties, too. Now is not the time to cut off essential funds by refunding tuition fees.
Remote teaching is here to stay: recording lectures and making them and other materials available online; being able to deliver and take part in lectures even when travelling. These factors all help to increase accessibility. It’s different and it’s not for everybody, but some students do actually prefer it. It’s certainly not cheap for universities. It takes longer to prepare online teaching than physical sessions. Then there’s the additional cost of the new technology and studio equipment.
Are students missing out on social learning and interaction? Yes, because in a pandemic, we all are. It’s really tough. Social learning is one of the USPS of university, and it’s sad to be missing it. Faculty members are missing it, too. However, most other university services, such as the library and student services, are working at top speed.
The system of tuition fees and student loans was set up by the government, not the universities. Around 85 per cent of students in England never repay all their fees. This creates an unfortunate tension between students and faculty, who are generally on the same side.
Should the government issue a refund? It’s not for universities to say. Targeted assistance for those most in need is probably best. These are challenging times for many people and professions. For some students, too — especially international students, who pay substantial fees and are stuck at home in another country. They are unlikely to return to the UK until they can have the full university experience.
“Universities aren’t making any money at present” Richard Harvey “Students are not getting the service that they signed up for” Catharine Wippell