Here’s how much money students could get back if they were at these 36 unis over lockdown

Yes, it’s possible for students who were at UK unis during lockdown to get money back. Students and grads just reached a settlement with University College London (UCL) over their teaching during the Covid pandemic. 36 other UK universities now face legal action over this. Here’s precisely which students are suing their unis, and how much money they could potentially get.

Wait, how are students claiming money back from their unis?

More than 170,000 people are pursuing legal action against UK universities through an organisation called Student Group Claim. The group is arguing that universities breached their contracts with students during the Covid pandemic. Online courses often cost less than in-person courses. Student Group Claim argues that as students paid for an in-person experience, they should get compensation for when courses were online, and access to facilities such as libraries were restricted. Allegedly, unis breached their contracts from 2018 onwards, in response to strikes and the pandemic.

On 13th February, UCL announced it had settled with Student Group Claim. The uni did not admit liability, but chose to settle out of court “so the matter could be resolved amicably and without further expense, which would have meant diverting valuable resources away from teaching, research, and supporting our students”.

University College London students

6,000 students and grads were involved in the case. A trial was planned for March.

Student Group Claim is now moving forward with claims against other unis.

Which unis are facing legal action from students?

Student Group Claim has sent pre-action letters to 36 unis. In one letter seen by the BBC, the group warns that particular uni it is seeking compensation for education that students allegedly paid for but didn’t get between 2019 and 2022. The letter also says students “suffered disappointment and distress as a result of the failure of the university to provide the services promised”.

The 36 unis that face legal action from Student Group Claim are:

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• University of Bath
• University of Birmingham
• Birmingham City University
• University of Bristol
• Cardiff University
• City St George’s, University of London
• Coventry University
• De Montfort University
• University of East Anglia (UEA)
• University of Exeter

Exeter grads

• Imperial College London
• University of Kent
• King’s College London (KCL)
• University of Leeds
• Leeds Beckett University
• University of Liverpool
• Liverpool John Moores University
• London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
• Loughborough University
• University of Manchester
• Manchester Metropolitan University
• Newcastle University
• University of Nottingham
• Nottingham Trent University
• Northumbria University
• University of Portsmouth
• Queen Mary University of London
• University of Reading
• University of Sheffield
• Sheffield Hallam University

• 

  Southampton students during the pandemic

• University of Southampton
• Swansea University
• University of the Arts London (UAL)
• University of the West of England Bristol (UWE Bristol)
• University of Warwick
• University of York

How much money could students get back from their unis?

So, UCL did not detail what compensation those 6,000 students are getting. However, Student Claim Group previously said: “It is anticipated that current and former UK-resident undergraduates who were at university during the pandemic could be entitled to compensation in the region of £5,000 each, with significantly higher sums expected to be awarded to graduate and international students, who tend to pay higher fees.”

This money isn’t a refund for tuition fees – it’s compensation for breach of contract. So, students can still seek compensation if somebody else paid for their tuition.

If people win compensation through Student Claim Group, then 35 per cent of the money goes to the law firms Asserson Law Offices and Harcus Parker Limited.

Students and grads can also try to get compensation straight from their uni by making a formal complaint. In 2022, almost 450 students from the Royal College of Art (RCA) received £600,000 of compensation for online classes, according to Wonkhe.

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