Students call for partial refund of tuition fees
PETITION SAYS THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT NOT ADEQUATE
MORE than 3,500 people have signed a petition calling for tuition fees at Loughborough University to be partially refunded, claiming students are not getting an “adequate learning environment”.
The university has said there will be no face-to-face teaching until at least mid-February, with exams and revision lectures to continue online. Students have been told not to return to campus.
The online petition calling for a refund states: “Students across the university no longer receive value for money and cannot justify paying the full tuition fee because of the university’s failure to provide an adequate learning environment.”
UK students pay £9,250 a year in tuition fees, while international students pay up to £24,650.
One of the organisers, a student at the university who asked to remain anonymous, said: “Everything is online but it’s really not the same.
“I don’t get that same interaction with lecturers, asking questions faceto-face, being able to discuss with your peers in your class.
“A lot of the facilities on the campus have closed, like the gym, which might not seem related to your learning, but for me working out plays a part in my daily routine and motivates me in my studies.”
A spokesman for the university said: “The university intends to deliver the learning outcomes to students it has committed to.
“There are no plans to refund tuition fees.
“We recognise the national lockdown is a particularly worrying time and last Tuesday we sent an all-student e-mail which included details of a hall of residence accommodation fee rebate for the rest of Semester 1 to any students who are unable to or do not return to hall in that period.”
Some students are allowed to return to campus, including those who have already arranged international travel to the UK, who do not have adequate space or facilities at home to study or do their exams, or who consider that their mental health would be negatively affected if they remain at home.
Students who are part of an elite sport performance pathway or a teacher training programme are also allowed back on to campus.
Anyone returning to Loughborough is required to take a Covid-19 lateral flow test on arrival.
University bosses are also considering minor changes to semester and term dates to ensure students have adequate access to facilities when in-person teaching resumes.
One former student who signed the petition commented: “I’m a graduate of 2020 of Loughborough and don’t feel like the quality of the uni experience for this last year was worth the price.
“I don’t think it is fair for students to have had paid the same amount of money for less.”
The organisers have also urged students to raise their concerns through a form set up by Loughborough Students’ Union.
I don’t get that same interaction with lecturers, asking questions face-to-face, being able to discuss with your peers in your class