UCL agrees to pay an estimated £21 million to students affected by COVID teaching

UCL has reached an agreement with students seeking financial compensation from the university over the quality of teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The university admits no liability, but will reportedly pay £21.25 million to the 6,500 claimants involved in the first-of-its-kind settlement.

The claimants, a group of students who attended UCL during the Covid-19 pandemic, argued that online learning and restricted access to university facilities, such as libraries, damaged the quality of teaching delivered by the university.

The basis for the legal action is consumer law: If a consumer pays for a service but is provided with a different service of lower value, the consumer can request a reduction in the price paid for the service.

The lawyers carrying out the claim argue that the claimants paid full tuition fees for in-person teaching and full access to facilities, but restrictions meant that access to these facilities was limited and courses were moved online. 

In a statement published in 2024, UCL claimed its response to the pandemic was “responsible and robust,” and that university staff “worked diligently to deliver teaching and student support in unprecedented circumstances.”

However, the university acknowledged the challenges faced by students during the pandemic, and clarified that “UCL has never sought to dispute the right of individuals to access the courts to bring claims as a matter of general principle.”

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Adam Zoubir, one of the lawyers representing the claimants suing UCL, said he was “delighted that this settlement provides a resolution” for the students.

Shimon Goldwater, another lawyer representing the students and graduates in the case, said he was “very pleased” with the outcome of the settlement. 

The suit against UCL is one of a number of similar disputes between students and universities across the country regarding the quality of education during the pandemic. Student Group Claim, the organisation through which the claim against UCL was facilitated, is now encouraging more students from across the country to join the claim if their university experience was affected by Covid-19. 

In their statements, both Zoubir and Goldwater referenced other ongoing disputes between groups of students and various universities, claiming they “continue to represent tens of thousands of students,” and that it’s now time for them to turn their attention to “claimants who attended other universities during the pandemic.” 

According to The Guardian, the success of the claimants in the case against UCL has “paved the way” for legal action across the education sector, which lawyers estimate could cost universities “millions”.

The total number of claimants seeking compensation across the country now numbers around 170,000, with 36 universities in England and Wales having received pre-action claim letters.

Featured image via Pexels