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Have your say: Uni students should be refunded if their course is disrupted by Covid

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Reply 1
Avatar for Xarao
Xarao
20
Partial refund yes. People are actually paying 9250 for PowerPoint slides and prerecorded lectures. Complete joke.
Original post by Xarao
Partial refund yes. People are actually paying 9250 for PowerPoint slides and prerecorded lectures. Complete joke.

I don't disagree with the sentiment, but people were paying for this before COVID
Hi,

It's not financially viable for universities to issue refunds, we're trying to make the most of a difficult situation, doing online lectures, tutorials and seminars on a daily basis, alongside for most students a small amount of on campus teachings. I understand it is not perfect, but we're all working to make the best use of this semester and support students through these unexpected times.

I do hope this helps,
Dr Adams
Reply 4
Avatar for Xarao
Xarao
20
Original post by AcseI
I don't disagree with the sentiment, but people were paying for this before COVID

I still don't agree with university before COVID being 9k, but the difference previously was that, we knew what we were getting into. COVID and universities with their poor planning ensured that it became the norm.
Due to the corporatisation of universities, tuition fees make up the vast majority of their income. Any significant tuition fee reduction will neccessitate extreme measures on the part of universities, this means reducing staff, perhaps even closing down entire subject areas. Some universities would likely go completely bankrupt.

I get that the open university experience isn't worth £9,250 but equally we don't want the total collapse of the higher education sector.
Original post by Xarao
I still don't agree with university before COVID being 9k, but the difference previously was that, we knew what we were getting into. COVID and universities with their poor planning ensured that it became the norm.

I completely agree, although I wouldn't place complete responsibility on universities here. Obviously how they handle it is their problem, but many of the students currently at university would have been severely impacted by COVID already. So it shouldn't have come as a surprise that things didn't magically improve in September. I'm not saying that everyone should have deferred and nobody go to uni this year, just that students had the freedom to make their own choices. Regardless of what they were told.

But the root issue there is that I don't think a lot of students start university at a suitable level of maturity to make these sorts of decision, and I've advocated that a universal gap year would be hugely beneficial.
I doubt universities will listen, i graduated this and all of the final semester pretty much was disrupted by covid. We had our ceremony cancelled, the final year show and couldnt finish our work off properly. The unis refuse to refund any amount.
The difference with this year is that they entered uni or continued it against the backdrop of the pandemic whereas for my year it came out of nowhere and we were already students.
Unfortunately it is a rapidly changing situation and students shouldn't be surprised at the disruption.
I dont think universities saying they were going to offer face to face concretely was very responsible but equally i know a lot said 'face to face if possible' not definitely face to face.
I understand the students frustration but ultimately this year was always going to be disrupted and those who decided to start or continue with their studies were aware of this.
Original post by DarthRoar
we don't want the total collapse of the higher education sector.

Survival of the fittest. There are over 150 universities in the UK. The least badly managed ones will survive.
This. Some refund of accom costs if told to go home, yes, but not course costs that you haven't even paid for and maybe won't ever.
Original post by Mkb24764
This. Some refund of accom costs if told to go home, yes, but not course costs that you haven't even paid for and maybe won't ever.

I paid out of pocket for my first year. But since I'm getting value for money I'm not going to complain.
I buy a car, then pandemic and lockdown means I can't go out and drive it, do I get a refund ? 😂
Original post by DarthRoar
Due to the corporatisation of universities, tuition fees make up the vast majority of their income. Any significant tuition fee reduction will neccessitate extreme measures on the part of universities, this means reducing staff, perhaps even closing down entire subject areas. Some universities would likely go completely bankrupt.

I get that the open university experience isn't worth £9,250 but equally we don't want the total collapse of the higher education sector.

the OU isn't such fantastic value anymore - tuition is equivalent to £6192 per year at a brick uni. I guess it was told to raise it's prices so it wasn't undercutting brick unis so much when the £9000 fees came in :unsure:
In principle I do agree.

However, most graduates will not be high income graduate earners to pay off the loan (rather graduate tax) + interest within the 30 years anyway. So in the grand scheme of things, does it really matter? Not really.

But principle is principle. You pay for a service, you expect that service. Simple.
Original post by CoolCavy
I doubt universities will listen, i graduated this and all of the final semester pretty much was disrupted by covid. We had our ceremony cancelled, the final year show and couldnt finish our work off properly. The unis refuse to refund any amount.
The difference with this year is that they entered uni or continued it against the backdrop of the pandemic whereas for my year it came out of nowhere and we were already students.

I had the same thing. Although my uni was fairly quick to move things online with minimal disruption, but a big part of that is that my course didn't require contact hours to begin with. About the only real disruption I've had was no graduation ceremony. But otherwise we just got on with it and did what we could. I still graduated, still started my grad job, etc. I think if anyone deserves a refund, the first people to be looking at are the existing students that didn't get a choice in the matter.
Original post by Mkb24764
I buy a car, then pandemic and lockdown means I can't go out and drive it, do I get a refund ? 😂

buy a new Kia car and when it's delivered it's a knackered out reliant robin.


Sorry mate covid shut down the Korean factories
Original post by AcseI
I had the same thing. Although my uni was fairly quick to move things online with minimal disruption, but a big part of that is that my course didn't require contact hours to begin with. About the only real disruption I've had was no graduation ceremony. But otherwise we just got on with it and did what we could. I still graduated, still started my grad job, etc. I think if anyone deserves a refund, the first people to be looking at are the existing students that didn't get a choice in the matter.

Yeh i definitely agree, congrats on your grad job btw :smile:
Ah yeh thats not too bad then, with mine it was quite difficult because all the workshops closed. We did have an online graduate show but it wasnt the same as being there and showing your work to employers.
The one good thing though is that site will be there for a while now and i linked the job i have now to it when i sent my CV and they seemed impressed so silver linings
Original post by CoolCavy
Yeh i definitely agree, congrats on your grad job btw :smile:
Ah yeh thats not too bad then, with mine it was quite difficult because all the workshops closed. We did have an online graduate show but it wasnt the same as being there and showing your work to employers.
The one good thing though is that site will be there for a while now and i linked the job i have now to it when i sent my CV and they seemed impressed so silver linings

Thank you. I can imagine there was a much larger impact for people on more practical courses like yours, or STEM courses where people needed to be in physical labs and workshops. I remember being pushed to showcase my work at our grad fair, which for me at least seemed like a waste of time. But then a week before we were told it was cancelled and they didn't even move it online or delay it.
Yes they could pay reduced fees now.
Unis should then seek to increase fees when covid is back to make back the money.

Students should go on strike and marches.
I’d argue that even with reduced contact hours, most students are still getting what they paid for at the end of the day (degree qualification, letters after their name and a ticket to a good job). Plus they’re now able to do it without having to get up early and turn up to lectures every day; win win.

Rather cheeky for everyone to ask for reduced tuition fees as if it’s genuinely the contact hours they care about.
(edited 3 years ago)

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