University student complaints are at a record high for the fourth consecutive year

There is a rise in complaints at The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), with 2,850 university students dissatisfied with the level of education they had received in 2022 for the money they have spent. This comes at a 3% increase since 2021, relating to the likes of academic appeals after universities ended policies that protected students’ grades from disruption. 

Over £1 million has been awarded in compensation, with 2.5 million students across England and Wales saying they had largely positive experiences. But for a record high amount of complaints, many are vying for something to be done to combat the issues they face. Under a quarter were related to pandemic limitations, as academic appeals made up 38%. Especially in creative hands-on courses, students are still living with missed time in their establishments, and their grades are suffering due to this. 

Complaints about service issues – teaching for example – also came in at 38%. Many are seeking compensation from their respective universities through the Student Group Claim. A lot of the education that the current bout of students leaving university have received has been significantly disrupted by makeshift teaching methods in Covid, meaning a quarter of the complaints to the OIA in 2022 have now been settled in favour of students as “justified.” 

Now, a group of over 400 students have received £640k in compensation, due to the safety net of policies when teaching moved online being removed. Universities are planning to learn from the OIA results to better equip staff and students.