Source · Select Committees · Petitions Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 15
The Covid-19 outbreak has hugely disrupted the education of university students.
Conclusion
The Covid-19 outbreak has hugely disrupted the education of university students. A significant number of students have told us they are not receiving the standard of education that they had expected, feel they are entitled to, or which offers true value for money in light of the amount they are paying in tuition fees. Many students have experienced difficulties accessing the online content that has been made available, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and courses where students need to use university facilities have been particularly affected. We have heard from many students who feel that the way in which courses are currently being delivered does not represent value for money for the tuition fees they pay. Students have also faced a number of practical challenges as a result of the outbreak, including in many cases loss of income and difficulties with accommodation.
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the significant disruption and challenges faced by students, noting universities' adaptation to online teaching and the OfS's role in ensuring quality. It highlights that universities were enabled to increase hardship funds using existing funding to support disadvantaged students.
Paragraph Reference:
15
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Government is clear that, despite the significant disruption that has been experienced across the higher education sector, students deserve support and recognition for their hard work and dedication. After the outbreak began, many universities/providers moved rapidly to develop new ways of delivering courses through online teaching and alternatives to traditional end-of-course exams. The institutional autonomy of universities/providers means they have the freedom to determine the way their courses are taught, supervised, and assessed. Those providers that are registered with the OfS, the higher education regulator in England, must ensure that all students, from admission through to completion, have the support they need to succeed in and benefit from higher education. The Government expects quality and academic standards to be maintained and the OfS has made it clear that all registered providers must continue to comply with the registration conditions relating to quality and standards. These set out requirements to ensure that courses are high quality, students are supported and achieve good outcomes, and standards are protected. The OfS has published information and guidance for universities/providers and students, and the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has also published a series of guides to support universities/providers to secure academic standards and to support student achievement during the pandemic. In relation to student accommodation, the Government urged universities and private hall providers to be fair in their decisions about rent charges for the summer term. A number of universities and large companies waived rents for the term or released students early from their contracts. Students who are tenants with individual private landlords could discuss the possibility of an early release from their tenancy agreement. If a student believed that their accommodation provider was treating them unfairly, they could raise a complaint under the accommodation codes of practice, if the provider is a code member. The codes can be found at: https://www.thesac.org.uk/, https://www.unipol.org.uk/the- code/how-to-complain and https://www.rla.org.uk/about/nrla-code-of-practice.shtml. Support is available where students face financial hardship and struggle to pay their rent. Students should speak to their landlord, in the first instance, if they think they will have difficulty meeting a rental payment, and in this unique context tenants and landlords were encouraged to work together to put in place a rent payment scheme. In addition, many universities/providers have hardship funds to support students in times of need, including emergencies. The expectation is that where any student requires additional support, providers will support them through their own hardship funds. The Government has worked closely with the OfS to enable universities/providers to draw upon existing funding to increase hardship funds and support disadvantaged students impacted by COVID-19. As a result, universities/providers were able to use the funding, worth around £23 million per month for April to July this year and £256 million for the academic year 2020/21 starting from August, towards student hardship funds.