When the closure of a course, campus or provider happens, it can cause significant disruption for students. We understand that this can be a worrying time. We hope the guidance below may be helpful to you.
FAQs
No. Providers may decide to close some or all of what they deliver to students for different reasons. We do not have the power to tell a provider that it must keep a course or campus open, or that it may not close.
When a provider makes these decisions, we focus on how it has taken account of the impact on students.
Usually, yes. Exactly what we can do when you make a complaint may depend on whether the provider you were studying has closed entirely, and why.
If your provider has closed completely, it may not be possible for you to complain to it first. But if it is still open, we usually expect you to complain to it first.
Before you fill in our Complaint Form, it may be helpful to talk to us first. You can call us on 0118 989 9813 or you can use our contact form. You can ask us to call you back, or we can reply by email if you prefer.
Tell us briefly what you are unhappy about and what outcome you are hoping for. If your provider has closed completely this may limit what we can do to resolve complaints.
If you already have a Completion of Procedures Letter from a complaint you made to your provider before it closed, and you want to bring your complaint to us, you should fill in our Complaint Form as soon as possible.
If you have transferred to a new higher education provider and are dissatisfied with something that has happened there, you may be able to complain to us about that. As a first step, you should raise your concerns with the new provider you are studying at.
Usually when a provider closes, or closes a course or a campus, it will have some plans to try to reduce the impact on students. For example, you may be offered the opportunity to transfer to a different course at the same provider, or you may be told about opportunities to transfer to another provider to continue your studies there.
Circumstances can change quickly so it is important that you keep checking the information your provider is sharing with you. For example, it may update its website, send you emails or letters, or share information with you through virtual learning environments, portals or apps (like Moodle, or Blackboard).
Your provider may also offer meetings with groups of students, or with you individually. Try to attend these if you can, and make a note of what is discussed.
Your provider may have set up an advice line or drop-in service specifically to help students affected by a course, campus or provider closure. If your provider has a Students’ union or other student body, they may also be able to provide advice and support.
You may also be able to call upon other wellbeing services that your provider offers. If you are a disabled student, your provider may have a Disability Service that can help you find the support you need.
There are also many organisations that can offer you support.
Yes. If your provider is encouraging you to complete some assessed work or attend some teaching, it will usually benefit you to do this. It can give you more options to transfer to another course if you have successfully completed a certain amount of teaching or credits.
Many courses will offer “exit awards”, for example a Certificate of Higher Education which recognises the successful achievement of 120 credits, or a Diploma of Higher Education which recognises the successful achievement of 240 credits. You may decide to stop studying once you have achieved this award. Alternatively, having these awards may mean it is easier to return to study at a later date.
If you have transferred to another higher education provider, they should be able to give you advice about any visa requirements.
If you have not transferred to another higher education provider you may need to seek independent advice about how long you can remain in the UK. You could speak to UKCISA.
You can find information about some other sources of support for students on our website.
Students will not usually receive a refund of tuition fees for teaching that was delivered before a course, campus or provider closed.
This will depend on the particular reasons why your course of study is not continuing, whether the provider has become insolvent, and what options the provider has been able to put in place for students.
Your financial arrangements will depend on your situation and what you have decided to do.
If you have transferred to a different higher education provider, you should ask that provider for advice about any issues with student funding.
If you have not transferred to a different provider and your original provider is still open, you can contact them for advice.
You can find Guidance on contacting the Student Loans Company on their website.
If you are very worried about your financial situation, then you could speak to:
- The Money Helper Service. This is a free government service.
- Your local Citizen’s Advice Service.
Applied Business Academy (ABA)
FAQs for students on the closure of higher education courses at the Applied Business Academy (ABA).
Schumacher College
It has been announced that the Dartington Trust is closing all of the higher education courses offered at Schumacher College, with immediate effect.