Tuition Fee Compensation for International Students in UK Universities

The UK Government must compensate International students for tuition fees for the academic year 2020/21. Lockdowns have had a massive impact on quality of teaching and student experience of International students. It is vital for UK Government to provide at least partial compensation.

Universities have failed to provide adequate teaching due to national lockdowns, and many universities cannot afford to refund these students. Therefore, it is necessary for UK Government to compensate International students, who have added over £20bn/year to the UK economy over the years (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42637971).

International students could not return/arrive to campus due to abrupt changing UK Government guidelines which has severely impacted their university experience.

This is a difficult time for all students and Government supports the desire of everyone in higher education (HE) that international students continue receiving the best possible learning experience, while recognising the wide range of issues that have arisen from the pandemic. We continue to recognise the huge value of international students to UK higher education and are proud that so many decide to study here.

The Government has been clear that higher education providers are expected to maintain quality and academic standards and the quantity of tuition should not drop. Providers should review whether students have received the teaching and assessment they were promised and have regard to guidance about their consumer protection obligations and should seek to ensure all students, can access their studies remotely.

The Office for Students (OfS) has stated that providers must continue to comply with registration conditions relating to quality and academic standards, regardless of whether a provider is delivering its courses through in-person teaching, online learning, or a combination of both. The OfS is taking very seriously the potential impacts of the pandemic on teaching and learning. The OfS guidance on student consumer protection during the pandemic is available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-students/student-and-consumer-protection-during-coronavirus/

The OfS also has a notifications process through which students can raise a concern about their institution relating to the OfS’ regulatory requirements. A guide to this process is available: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-and-events/press-and-media/new-guide-to-help-students-raise-concerns/