Students Take Legal Action Against 36 Universities Over COVID-19 Education Disruptions
In a landmark case, over 170,000 current and former students are taking legal action against 36 universities, alleging they did not receive the full education they paid for during the COVID-19 pandemic. This follows a settlement between University College London (UCL) and the Student Claim Group, which is now representing other students and graduates.
The legal action is based on the principle that students paid for a specific educational experience, but the pandemic led to significant disruptions, including online teaching, restricted access to shared facilities, and delayed or virtual graduation ceremonies. This has caused a sense of frustration among students who felt they were missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study and make lifelong friends.
The 36 universities that have received pre-action letters include: University of Bath, University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, University of Bristol, Cardiff University, City St George's, University of London, Coventry University, De Montfort University, University of East Anglia, University of Exeter, Imperial College London, University of Kent, King's College London, University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University, University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University, London School of Economics and Political Science, Loughborough University, The University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, Newcastle University, University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University, Northumbria University, University of Portsmouth, Queen Mary University of London, University of Reading, University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, University of Southampton, Swansea University, University of the Arts London, University of The West of England, University of Warwick, and University of York.
The main part of the claim is about the difference in tuition fee price between courses delivered online and in person. Economic analysis of this will form the basis of the new claims. The deadline for student claims relating to COVID-19 is September 2026.
Legal experts argue that the disruption to education during the pandemic was one of the great injustices, and students are entitled to compensation under consumer law. The Student Claim Group argues that basic consumer law principles override any clauses in university contracts that absolve institutions from responsibility for disruption.
