Case summary December 2024 | Not Justified
A student applied for recognition of prior learning (RPL) to make use of credits they had achieved at another provider. The student later complained to their new provider that its prospectus was misleading because the course hadn’t delivered the practical experience described. The provider rejected this complaint.
Case summary December 2024 | Not Justified
A former postgraduate student complained to their provider that their degree certificate didn’t include a classification. The provider didn’t uphold their complaint. The student had successfully applied for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and had therefore only completed their 60-credit dissertation at the provider.
Case summary December 2024 | Settled
At the start of their second term a student learned via the provider’s website that the campus they were studying at would be closing that summer and courses would be transferred to the provider’s city centre campus for the next academic year. The new campus did not offer free on-site parking and the student asked the provider whether there would be any financial support available to help students with commuting costs. The student decided to withdraw from the provider when they didn’t receive a response to their enquiries because they wouldn’t be able to afford the city centre parking costs for their second year and the stress of the situation was impacting their wellbeing.
Case summary December 2024 | Not Justified
A student was initially studying at delivery provider A for an award issued by provider B. Students were given advance notice by provider B that its partnership with provider A would be ending and it would be entering into a new partnership with delivery provider C.
Case summary December 2024 | Not Justified
An undergraduate student began their studies at provider A. They transferred to a course awarded by provider B and delivered by provider C at the end of their first year. The student wanted to transfer onto the second year of the course (level 5), but when they arrived they were initially enrolled on the first year of the course (level 4). After a few weeks the student was allowed to move onto level 5, but they had missed some level 5 teaching.
Case summary December 2024 | Partly Justified
A disabled student was studying a foundation year at provider A. Provider A had a partnership with provider B that allowed students studying the foundation year to apply to transfer directly into a degree programme offered by provider B. The student’s agreed reasonable adjustments weren’t properly put in place for their second semester exams, so the student was offered the opportunity to re-sit the exams as a first attempt during the summer re-sit period.
Case summary December 2024 | Not Justified
A first-year undergraduate student complained to their provider that their request to transfer to a different course had been unfairly rejected. The student explained in their complaint that they’d experienced a difficult few years, which had impacted their studies. They said they had needed to apply for an additional year of funding to be able to continue with their studies and this was therefore their last chance to be able to complete a degree.
Case summary December 2024 | Settled
A student was studying for a professionally regulated course. During their second year the professional, statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) withdrew its accreditation because it had concerns about the standard of the course and the course was closed. Arrangements were made to transfer students to a different provider, which would require them to extend their studies. The original course provider developed transfer support and compensation packages for students.
Case summary October 2024 | Partly Justified
A postgraduate student complained to their provider about the tuition fees they were charged after returning from a leave of absence. They said the fees office had initially told them no further fees were due. They thought that the total fee amount they were being asked to pay for the course was incorrect.
Case summary October 2024 | Not Justified
A postgraduate student complained to their provider about the fees they had been charged for their course. The student explained that the unconditional offer letter the provider had sent to them before they joined the course said the fees were £0. They didn’t agree that they should have to pay the tuition fees they’d later been invoiced for.
We publish summaries of some of the complaints that we review. We always leave out of the summary any information that might identify the student who made the complaint. In some cases we decide that it is in the public interest to publish a summary of a complaint that includes the name of the provider.
