Case Summaries
Back to Case SummariesStudent transfer - CS122405
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.
The student complained to the provider. They explained that commuting to the city centre would be unsustainable for them and, as a parent balancing part-time work alongside their studies, the course needed to fit around their other responsibilities. They said they were unaware the campus would be closing when they accepted their offer and that they wouldn’t have taken up their place on the course had they known it would be moving to the city centre campus.
The provider upheld the student’s complaint, acknowledging that the campus change hadn’t been properly communicated. It offered the student a 50% tuition fee refund and the opportunity to complete their qualification at an alternative campus with further support. The student was unhappy with the provider’s offer and complained to us. They wanted their tuition fees to be refunded in full so they could begin their qualification again at a different provider.
During our review of the complaint, we contacted the provider to clarify the terms of its current offer. We also noted that the student had explained they didn’t want to return to the provider and invited the provider to consider whether it would be willing to explore settling the complaint by making an alternative offer. The provider offered to refund 100% of the student’s tuition fees in full and final settlement of the complaint. The student accepted the provider’s offer and the complaint was Settled.