Dozens of universities could face legal action as thousands of students seek financial compensation after their studies were impacted by Covid-19.
At least 36 universities across England and Wales have been sent pre-action claim letters, including Exeter, Imperial College London, Leeds, Bath and Bristol, according to The Guardian.
It comes after a settlement was reached between UCL and Student Group Claim, who sought to obtain financial compensation from the university for the periods when teaching was moved online and libraries were closed during the pandemic.
UCL reached a confidential settlement with the Student Group Claim. While admitting no liability the institution agreed to settle so that it could be resolved without further expense.
Shimon Goldwater, partner at Asserson solicitors, which jointly represented the claimants suing UCL, said: “I am very pleased that our clients have been able to achieve a commercial settlement of their claims with UCL. Student Group Claim will now turn its attention to claimants who attended other universities during the pandemic.”
Adam Zoubir, partner at Harcus Parker solicitors, which also represented the claimants, said: “I am delighted that this settlement provides a resolution for our clients who attended UCL during the pandemic and had their classes moved online. This is the end of the claim against UCL, but we continue to represent tens of thousands of students who were at other universities during Covid.”
The Student Group Claim has argued that universities breached contract with students, who pay course fees for in-person tuition, access to facilities and other services as set out in its contractual documents, prospectuses, and promotional materials.
Due to strikes and Covid-19, the group claims that universities breached their contracts with students from 2018 onwards as in-person classes were either cancelled or moved online, and access to libraries was restricted.
A spokesperson from Universities UK said: “The Covid-19 pandemic threw two years of unprecedented challenge at universities and their students. Institutions – like other sectors – followed government guidance to adapt to a fast changing situation.
“During some periods of lockdown, universities were not permitted to offer in-person teaching as usual and instead they adjusted quickly and creatively to allow students to complete their degrees.”
The claim comes as chancellor Rachel Reeves faces backlash regarding student loans after she announced that the repayment threshold for Plan 2 loans will be frozen at its April 2026 level (£29,385) for three years, instead of increasing with inflation.
It is set to increase each year in line with RPI from April 2030, with commentators warning that this could mean a greater impact on graduate’s’s monthly earnings as the cost of living gets higher.
