Students shouldn’t expect tuition fee refunds, warns the government

nInE gRaNd FoR tHiS?!


Students shouldn’t expect tuition fee refunds, the government has warned.

Despite calls for refunds from hundreds of thousands of angry students, fees will be paid in full as long as students are getting “adequate online learning and support” from their uni, according to advice published by the government.

Over 300,000 people signed a petition asking for refunds after the dual disruption of the strikes and campuses being closed. Although the government has rejected similar petitions, the 325,000-strong petition is awaiting a response.

“I know that there will have been a few teething problems and things will not be the same as tuition is being delivered in a different way,” said universities minister Michelle Donelan in a Q&A on thestudentroom.com, “but to facilitate this universities have had to invest more money and utilise staff resource.

“Students ordinarily should not expect any fee refund if they are receiving adequate online learning and support.

“However, the Government has made it clear that if institutions are unable to facilitate adequate online tuition then it would be unacceptable for students to be charged for any additional terms – effectively being charged twice.”

Students unhappy with their online teaching are able to complain to their uni or escalate things to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education.

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