Complaints about your institution
UKCISA does not handle complaints about other institutions - you will need to contact them directly. In the UK, most education providers have an informal and formal process of resolving complaints from current or former students. An informal process might mean talking to someone about something that you are dissatisfied with or unhappy about. If you have a personal tutor, this is usually the best person to start with. It's advisable to tackle problems as early as possible to avoid them becoming more serious and often the informal process can resolve any issues.
If talking to someone is not an option (perhaps you are unhappy about the person you are supposed to talk to), you may have to start a more formal process by writing to a designated person in your institution. You should be able to find out about the procedures and who to contact by looking on your institution's website or in your course handbook. You can also seek advice and support from your students' union. They will be well-informed and be able to help you understand how the institution's processes work.
There may be time limits for making a complaint. Always keep copies of any documents and correspondence relating to your complaint.
Ideally, complaints will be resolved internally, but if by the end of the process you are not satisfied with the outcome, there are formal organisations in the UK who are set up to deal with individual cases. These are called 'ombudsmen'. See the link for more information as each country in the UK has a different ombudsman. If you are studying for a qualification at a different organisation to where you are studying, see 'Awarding bodies'.
If you have gone through all the options offered by the internal complaints policy and are still not happy with the outcome, you may be able to raise the issue with one of the following external bodies, depending on the type of institution at which you are studying. These organisations are independent and will look at your case objectively.
Publicly funded universities and higher education institutions
In England and Wales, contact the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA). The OIA deals exclusively with student cases.
In Scotland, contact the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman (SPSO). The SPSO deals with all public sector organisations.
In Northern Ireland, the Office of the Northern Ireland Ombudsman (NIPSO). The NIPSO deals with all public sector organisations.
Publicly funded further education colleges
In England and Wales, if you are studying a higher education course at a college which offers courses designated for student support or has degree awarding powers, you can contact the Office of the Independent Adjudicator. Otherwise, contact the Education and Skills Funding Agency
In Scotland, contact the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman
In Northern Ireland contact the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO)
In Wales contact the government department responsible
Private sector schools and colleges
In England and Wales, if you are studying a higher education course at a college which offers courses designated for student support or has degree awarding powers, you can contact the Office of the Independent Adjudicator. Otherwise, contact the organisation which accredits or provides Education Oversight of your college, which will offer a complaints scheme. This will be one or more of the following:
There are some matters, mainly around academic judgment, which may be outside the scope of these complaints schemes.
If you are studying a qualification which is awarded by a different organisation to the institution where you are studying, eg if you are studying at a college for a degree awarded by a university, you may be able to raise relevant complaints with the awarding body, as well as the college.
What complaints you can raise with the awarding body will depend on the basis of the agreement between the two organisations, but might cover matters such as poor teaching or inadequate library services, where the awarding body has set standards for the college to follow. It is less likely to cover non-academic matters such as accommodation.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the awarding body, you will also be able to complain to organisations responsible for its review or oversight. For example, if you are studying a degree from University X at College Y, and University X is reviewed by the Quality Assurance Agency and a member of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator scheme, you would be able to raise relevant complaints with these organisations.
If your complaint is about immigration advice, you can contact the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). Full details about the process are on the website:
If you have not received a satisfactory service from your education provider, UK consumer protection legislation could apply. In some cases you would have to pursue the issue yourself, while in others you could refer the issue to your local authority Trading Standards Services or the Office of Fair Trading. For information and practical advice see:
- the Consumer Rights section of Directgov, the website of the UK government
- or contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 for information eg on whether you may be able recover the fees paid to the college if it goes out of business before you complete your course.
Your local Trading Standards office can take action against colleges which misrepresent the services they provide including providing unaccredited degrees.
If you believe there has been fraud on the part of the college, for example if they never intended to provide the course for which you paid, then it might be worth contacting the police.
If you believe your college or university has breached its contract with you, or failed in its duty of care, you may be able to take legal action, although courts will normally expect you to have gone through internal complaints procedures and any external bodies such as the OIA first. You can consult your local Citizen’s Advice Bureau or a solicitor for advice on whether it is worth taking legal action.
If your college closes unexpectedly, see What should I do if my institution is closing.
