University students are entitled to claw back tuition fees expense, say ministers
Vice-chancellors under pressure to address claims that remote learning should be made cheaper
Camilla Turner
UNIVERSITY students are entitled to tuition fee refunds due to Covid-19 disruption, the Government has said.
Vice-chancellors are under pressure to address claims from students that remote learning should not cost up to £9,250 per year.
Earlier this year, students started a campaign to have their tuition fees refunded with more than 350,000 signing a petition to demand that they are reimbursed for last academic year’s fees.
The petitions committee launched an investigation into the issue, and concluded that the Government should consider making payouts to students who are entitled to a refund.
Last night ministers rejected this suggestion, saying universities should pay for any compensation claims themselves. But they suggested that where the contract between a university and a student had been breached, deserved a refund.
Responding to the petition committee’s inquiry, ministers said: “The Government has provided unprecedented financial support during Covid-19.
“We are, however, clear that whether an individual student is entitled to a refund of fees will depend on the specific contractual arrangements between the student and their provider.
“It is a matter for providers to determine whether a refund is appropriate and, if so, how such refunds should be paid.”
Ministers said that “more must be done” to ensure that students know their rights and can play an active part in holding their university to account.
The Government’s intervention will add pressure on universities to take student complaints about coronavirusinduced disruption seriously.
Earlier this year, the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), the highest authority for student complaints, said that universities have to provide students with an experience “broadly equivalent” to what they were promised – or else consider handing out refunds. The regulator said that if universities cannot deliver what was promised to students, they will “need to consider how to put that right”.
The OIA added that a “blanket refusal” to consider tuition fee refunds in any circumstances was not reasonable.
Catherine Mckinnell MP, chairman of the petitions committee, said: “We welcome the Government’s acceptance that students should be able to take action if they are unsatisfied with their university’s response to the pandemic.”
However, ministers rejected MPS’ calls for a new system to be established to make it easier for students to apply for a full or partial refund of their tuition fees.
“The Government’s rejection of this recommendation, and their failure to recognise the limitations of existing complaints processes, means they risk leaving students paying for a standard of education they’re simply not receiving,” Ms Mckinnell said.
Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors, said that if there had been “wide-ranging support for active and ongoing learning and progression” students should not expect any fee refund. “If a student feels they have not received this, they can make a complaint to their university where it will be considered on a case-by-case basis,” a spokesman added
Yesterday Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary revealed that A-level and GCSE exams could be held in public buildings next year if social distancing requirements were still in place.