University student complaints hit record high in England and Wales for fourth success

The number of student complaints about university courses in England and Wales reached a record high for a fourth year running, in 2022.

The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) received 2,850 complaints - 3% more than in 2021 - and £1,050,114 was awarded in compensation.

There are around 2.5 million students in England and Wales, and Universities UK said most had positive experiences.

Just under a quarter of the 2022 complaints related to the pandemic.

That compared with more than a third of those received in 2021, although Covid still appears to be having an impact.

The number of student complaints about academic appeals, including grades, made up 38% of the total - up from 29% in 2021.

The rise comes after universities ended policies that protected students' grades from Covid disruption.

"No detriment" or "safety net" policies introduced in 2020-21 often meant students' grades were based on their performance up until the pandemic.

There were fewer appeals while they were in place, according to the OIA report.

But many institutions ended them in 2021-22.

Complaints about service issues, such as teaching, also represented 38% - although this was down from 45% in 2021.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-65324664