STUDENT COMPLAINTS ABOUT UK UNIVERSITIES HIT RECORD HIGH IN 2024

LONDON, April 29 (Bernama-PA Media/dpa) -- Complaints from students in the United Kingdom to the university watchdog surged to a record high last year, at a time when institutions faced financial challenges, PA Media/dpa reported.

The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) received 3,613 complaints from university students in England and Wales in 2024, which was a 15 per cent increase from 2023 (3,137).

It is the "largest year-on-year increase" of complaints in the last decade, the OIA said.

The watchdog has said it will continue to monitor the number of complaints as financial challenges facing the sector "may impact on students' experiences."

The report comes after a warning from university leaders in the UK of significant financial concerns following a drop in the number of international students and frozen tuition fees paid by domestic students.

Nearly half (47 per cent) of the complaints to the OIA from students were about academic appeals, compared with 45 per cent in 2023.

These complaints show that many students are juggling paid employment and caring responsibilities alongside their studies, the watchdog suggested.

The annual report from the OIA said 2024 was a "complex and challenging" year in the sector, with increasingly acute financial pressures on providers, the continuing high cost of living, housing issues, and ongoing concerns about student mental health and wellbeing.

Around two in five (40 per cent) of the students who complained to the OIA told them that they were disabled, which is more than the previous year (33 per cent).

Students are affected by difficulties with mental health, learning differences, and neurodivergent conditions, including autism and ADHD, the OIA said.

Overall, students received £677,785 (US$$910,000) in financial compensation following a recommendation.

In addition, students received £1,809,805 (US$2,430,600) in 2024 through settlement agreements.

Independent Adjudicator Helen Megarry said: "2024 continued the trajectory of rising complaints we have seen in recent years."

"Thanks to our teams' commitment and hard work, they closed more complaints than ever before, providing timely and meaningful resolutions for students," she added.

A spokesperson for Universities UK (UUK) said: "The OIA exists to provide students with recourse if they are unhappy with the way that a university has dealt with a complaint, as well as supplying feedback so that universities know where to improve."

"The very large majority of students are satisfied with their experience, and our universities have a well-deserved reputation for quality, but where things go wrong, it is important that they are held to account, and that they learn lessons from the experience of others," the spokesperson added.

-- BERNAMA-PA MEDIA/dpa