King’s fail to publicise how students can claim back tuition fees

A procedure now exists for students wanting tuition fees back in compensation for this year’s strike action which King’s have failed to communicate to students.

It has always been possible to apply for mitigating circumstances on grades affected by the industrial action which lasted through February and March of this year. What students may not have been aware of was the opportunity for financial reimbursement following these strikes.

A stage two complaint form is available on the KCL website in the Student Conduct and Appeals Office section. This form is designed for those seeking resolution “in the form of a tuition fee rebate”.

Excerpt From stage 2 complaints form

If successful, this refund would be paid back to the source of your initial fee payment. For student loan holders the money would go back to the loan provider and then deducted from your overall loan.

The amount of money a successful appeal will receive in compensation is unclear. Since complaints will only be considered on an individual basis the amount will likely depend on specific circumstances.

The form promises that complaining students “will not be treated less favourably in their university life or subsequent academic career.”

If you would like to claim back fees, you have until the 30^th of September to file your complaint.

The Form is designed to deal with complaints about the “impact on academic performance” caused by industrial action. There is no clear indication of what kind of impact qualifies as reimbursable. Given the number of students who missed out on teaching time it is likely that King’s has tried to limit the number of complaints they receive.

Roar has not found any evidence of an attempt to inform students about the existence of this form.

We await comment from the Conduct and Appeals Office on whether this method of reimbursement was kept deliberately quiet. Whatever their response may be, King’s have not publicised the ability to claim compensation on time lost because of strikes.

For more information on why lecturers were striking click here