More than 170,000 students in England and Wales are pursuing legal action against dozens of universities, seeking compensation for pandemic-era disruption that shifted teaching online. Pre-action claim letters have been issued to 36 institutions following a recent settlement between University College London and a group representing 6,000 affected students.
The agreement with University College London, reached shortly before a scheduled court hearing, involved no admission of liability and remains confidential. However, lawyers involved in the broader claims have previously indicated that individual undergraduates could seek compensation of up to £5,000. The resolution has prompted further claims across the higher education sector, with legal representatives suggesting the total financial exposure could reach millions of pounds depending on participation levels.
The claims are being advanced under consumer protection law, which provides that where a paid service is delivered in a materially different or lower-value form, consumers may be entitled to redress. Lawyers argue that students paid full tuition fees for in-person instruction and campus access but instead received remote teaching and restricted facilities during lockdown periods. They note that online-only degree programmes are typically priced between 25% and 50% lower than traditional campus-based courses.
Universities including Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Imperial College London, Leeds, Liverpool and Warwick are among those named in the claims, with additional institutions potentially facing action before a September 2026 deadline. Universities UK has stated that institutions complied with government guidance during lockdowns and adapted operations to enable students to complete their studies. The developing litigation tests the application of consumer law principles to higher education provision and could set a precedent for how courts assess value and contractual expectations in the sector.
