Thousands of students join legal actions against universities over Covid-19 disruption – as UCL settles claim

The claims say students didn't get value for money during Covid-19

Lawyers running the cases argue that students didn't receive the education they paid for during the pandemic – namely "in-person tuition, access to facilities and other services as set out in contractual documents, prospectuses, and promotional materials".

Students who could not access facilities that were central to their degrees – such as art studios and laboratories, for example – were hit especially hard, lawyers say. As a result, "universities have breached their student contracts, delivering only part of their promises", the claims allege.

Shimon Goldwater, partner at Asserson solicitors – one of the firms representing students – said: "Student Group Claim is helping students challenge universities to do what they should have done during Covid: pay students compensation for not providing them with the in-person teaching for which they paid."

Universities UK, which represents 142 universities across the country (including the 36 involved in the new claim), said: "The pandemic threw two years of unprecedented challenge at universities and their students. 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 Department for Education declined to comment on the claims. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it had said that universities were responsible for setting and charging fees.

UCL has reached a settlement with students

The Student Claim Group, consisting of students and graduates represented by law firms Asserson and Harcus Parker, brought similar legal action against UCL in 2022.

The case was set to go to trial this year, but a settlement was reached last week with the 6,000 students involved. However, the details of this are still confidential – and UCL has not admitted any liability or wrongdoing in the case.

36 more universities now face legal action

The claims against other universities are still at a very early stage, and it remains to be seen whether they'll be allowed to proceed by the courts.

The Student Group Claim says the claims cover all students who attended one of the following listed universities during Covid-19, and particularly during the 2020-21 academic year – including UK, EU and non-EU international students:

• University of the Arts London.

• University of Bath.

• University of Birmingham.

• Birmingham City University.

• University of Bristol.

• Cardiff University.

• City St George's, University of London.

• Coventry University.

• De Montfort University.

• University of East Anglia.

• University of Exeter.

• Imperial College London.

• University of Kent.

• King's College London.

• University of Leeds.

• Leeds Beckett University.

• University of Liverpool.

• Liverpool John Moores University.

• London School of Economics and Political Science.

• Loughborough University.

• The University of Manchester.

• Manchester Metropolitan University.

• Newcastle University.

• University of Nottingham.

• Nottingham Trent University.

• Northumbria University.

• University of Portsmouth.

• Queen Mary University of London.

• University of Reading.

• University of Sheffield.

• Sheffield Hallam University.

• University of Southampton.

• Swansea University.

• University of Warwick.

• University of the West of England.