More than 170,000 current and former students have launched legal proceedings against 36 UK universities, claiming they have not received the full tuition they paid for during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The move comes after a settlement between University College London (UCL) and Student Group Claim, which now represents other students and alumni. Legal notices have been sent to the universities seeking compensation for tuition the plaintiffs say they paid for, but that was not actually provided.
The list includes leading institutions in the country, including the London School of Economics (LSE), Imperial College London, King’s College, and the universities of Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham, Sheffield, and Newcastle.
Universities UK, which represents more than 140 institutions, said the pandemic was an “unprecedented challenge”.
“During some periods of lockdown, universities were not allowed to offer face-to-face teaching in their usual format and adapted quickly and creatively to ensure that students could complete their studies,” a spokesman said.
The government stressed at the time that universities set their own tuition fees and must ensure the quality of their education. UCL did not admit liability, and details of the agreement remain confidential.
The students’ main claim concerns the cost difference between face-to-face and online learning. During the pandemic, most classes were held remotely for a long time, with students studying from home or isolated in hostels, and access to laboratories, workshops, and campus infrastructure was limited. This particularly affected creative and practical specialties.
The claims relate to the academic years 2019/20 to 2021/22. Some courses remained hybrid even in 2022/23 – almost a third of classes were held online.