A legal bid to force universities to pay tuition fee refunds because of Covid-19 restrictions has been launched today (13/11/2020)

The campaign, Refund Students, is free for students to join. It says students are not getting the university experience they are paying for and should be given money back.

The organisation is crowdfunding to instruct lawyers to see if students have a valid case in law and to mount a group action lawsuit.

Around 2 million students in the UK pay £9,250 a year as well as accommodation fees. Most if not all tuition is now online and social activities have been axed.

More than 350,000 students have signed petitions asking for fee refunds. So far universities and the Government have refused, although Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said students can sue.

A Parliamentary Committee has, however, maintained that refunds should be paid and a House of Commons debate is set for November 16th.

Refund Students said: “Restrictions are for the sake of everyone’s health but there is no doubt they are severely impacting students’ education.

“Universities have to introduce them but there is no doubt they are not delivering on the contract they have with students. It is clear students deserve compensation.”

For more information about the claim, please see the Refund Students website at www.refundstudents.org.