UK university students can get compensation if strikes disrupted their teaching – here’s how

Students at UK unis in the 2020s had a rather unusual experience. With the Covid-19 pandemic, then several strikes, some students weren’t actually at uni very much. If you’re feeling short-changed, you might be able to get money back. There are actually several ways that students and grads could get compensation from their unis if strikes messed up their experiences. Here’s a handy guide to the four major ways you could feasibly give this a go.

Method one: Your university might offer you compensation

Yes, there is a (slim) chance your uni will just offer you money.

The Office for Students (Ofs) is the regulator for higher education in England. In 2025, the OfS did tell unis and colleges they should “pay appropriate compensation” to students affected by strikes. The OfS said students ought to be compensated for “missed teaching that has not been repeated or replaced in a timely manner” and “materially delayed or absent assessment marking and feedback”. Apparently, unis should also cough up if students dealt with “materially delayed progression decisions or awarding of qualifications, particularly where this has an impact on offers for jobs or further study, or on visa applications or status.”

In 2023, lots of academics protested by refusing to mark exams. This delayed thousands of students’ graduations. According to OfS, about nine per cent of students affected by this applied for and received financial compensation from their unis. Some unis tried to make up for the problems in other ways. The University of Bristol handed out £500 “goodwill payments”. The University of Brighton offered free graduation ceremonies.

Students who did manage to graduate from Bristol Uni

Method two: You can make a formal complaint to your uni

You’ll have to dig around on your university’s website to find out how to submit a formal complaint. You could argue that strikes impacted your teaching, you didn’t get the same university experience that you were promised, and you should get compensated.

Method three: You can escalate the issue to the relevant independent body

If you’re not impressed with how the uni responds to you (for instance, they don’t offer you cash), you can complain about the complaint. After you’ve been through your uni’s internal complaints procedure, you have 12 months to escalate the complaint to the independent body responsible for student complaints. For unis in England and Wales, that’s The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA). Otherwise, you would contact the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) or the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman.

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In 2024, complaints through OIA resulted in students getting £1,809,805 as part of settlements. Students were also offered £677,785 of financial compensation after OIA recommended this. This money related to many different issues, not just strikes. But it shows you that payouts do happen.

Strikes at Lancaster Uni

Method four: You could join the Student Group Claim

This organisation made headlines last week because it reached a huge settlement with University College London (UCL).

Student Group Claim is a group legal claim seeking compensation for students and recent grads who were affected by strikes and the Covid-19 pandemic from 2017 onwards. More than 230,000 people have signed up. Through this organisation, about 6,500 current and former students got £21.25 million from UCL.

In a statement from 13th February, UCL said: “UCL admitted no liability but agreed to settle 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.”

After this settlement, Student Group Claim sent off letters to 36 other UK unis, alerting the unis that their students are seeking compensation too. You can read a full list of the 26 unis, and who could join the claim, here.

If a student or grad does win back compensation through Student Group Claim, then the lawyers take 35 per cent. The organisation aims for students to win an average of £5,000 each. The figure would vary depending on whether you are a UK student, or an international student.

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