Bold claim: Tens of thousands more students who were at university during the pandemic are now joining a large legal action for compensation, as reports circulate of a potential £21 million settlement involving one of the UK’s top institutions.
A group of lawyers representing student claimants revealed that an additional 30,000 students from various universities signed up to the Student Group Claim this week, bringing the total number of claimants to roughly 200,000.
The surge comes after University College London (UCL) confirmed a settlement with 6,500 former students who argued they did not receive the education they paid for during the Covid-era disruptions. UCL said it neither admitted liability nor disclosed the settlement terms. The Financial Times, citing an internal email to claimants from the lawyers, reported that UCL agreed to pay £21 million to resolve the lawsuit. Neither UCL nor the student representatives confirmed the figure, but the number, if accurate, would send a major shock through a university sector already grappling with financial strains.
Letters initiating pre-action claims have been dispatched to 36 universities across England and Wales, including Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Imperial College London, Leeds, Liverpool, and Warwick. It’s possible more institutions could face similar actions.
Representing the students, Shimon Goldwater of Asserson solicitors and Adam Zoubir of Harcus Parker solicitors said: “Since the UCL settlement was announced, about 30,000 additional claimants who studied during the pandemic have joined the Student Group Claim. We are pushing ahead with the next phase of the litigation.” They note that the UCL terms are confidential, so they cannot elaborate beyond previous statements.
The case hinges on consumer-law principles: when a consumer pays for a service but receives a lower-value service, compensation may be due. Lawyers contend that students paid for in-person teaching and full campus access, yet Covid restrictions forced many courses online and campuses to close for extended periods.
Typically, online degree programs cost 25–50% less than traditional in-person options, and the lawyers argue that affected students deserve what they call “fair financial compensation.”
Dr Michael Spence, UCL’s president and provost, commented last week that Covid-19 disrupted society—including universities—and that clear avenues for redress were made available during the pandemic, with many students receiving compensation through those channels. He added that resolving the case allows UCL to refocus on its core mission of world-leading research and education.
If you’re curious about how these cases unfold or want a clearer picture of what “consumer-law” compensation could look like in higher education, I can break down the key legal concepts and potential outcomes in plain terms.
