After a bit of advice from the TZ collective, as Google has failed me and unless I have to, I don't want to shell out for proper legal advice.
My lad enrolled on a 4 year degree programme by choosing to study a foundation year, he has ASD and wanted to settle in to his surroundings before the first year proper, he started September 2022.
Roll forward to September this year and he returns only to find out the course has been cancelled and everyone moved on to a different subject (close to but not what he wants) and the uni failed to tell those who had spent a year on the foundation course already, before this he returned to halls to find no hot water and no cooking facilities to be told they couldn't get anyone to look at it on a Saturday and he would have to wait until Monday, when he's at uni he cooks from scratch and had plenty of fresh food to do so, and due to the ASD wouldn't then get a takeaway, so we ended up driving back to the uni the day after we dropped him off to convince h to stay.
By the time the uni confirmed they were not running the course it was too late to apply via clearing and he would miss freshers week.
Luckily we managed to get him in to another uni, but he missed freshers week and joined classes several weeks in to the semester, and finding it hard to make friends is now isolated.
We appealed and then lodged a complaint at the old uni as he had wasted a year effectively and if he had known sooner could have explored options and ultimately he would not have gone to the uni in the first place.
We aimed for the stars in terms of compensation request asking for tuition fees and accommodation charges and interest to be refunded for last year.
They countered at tuition fees and £1000
We then countered at tuition fees plus the interest on them, plus £2000 in order to close the matter.
There response was the same as there first offer but with the interest added.
They claim nothing can be done about accommodation fees and claim it's in the contract but at the same time the contract had conflicting clauses, as doesn't allow for a course to be cancelled after the start of it.
What's people's thoughts? Is it worth continuing the complaint and asking for more than they have offered.
In terms of time and mileage wasted running around this year it all adds up if you work on the minimum wage and use HMRC 45ppm as a guide.
He also had a job near the old Uni and has now lost that, and been unable to find work in the new location.
The old uni have admitted fault if that makes a difference?
My lad asked for my advice, and likewise I'm seeking advice on here
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Id take take their offer and focus on supporting your son (as you are doing, no criticism!) On his new course.
If I've understood it you are arguing over a £1k, I'm not sure it's worth the mental strain.
He will settle in, find a job and make friends, but the sooner you park uni 1 and move on the better.
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Agree that your counter offer has limited your options. Is 1k all that important now that the problem is eff effectively over? On the other hand, they appear to have wasted a year of his earning potential. Could he have gotten into the new uni without having undertaken the foundation year? If so then I think you should submit a separate claim for loss of earnings for the average of his predicted annual post-grad salary. Action of this sort is all about making the problem go away and they will pay as much or as little as they think they need to achieve that end. They quickly coughed on fees so clearly recognise their fault.
Sorry to hear about all the trouble you and your son has experienced.
You may be able to gain credit for modules from the foundation year against first year on degree course, as exemption, albeit the study is at two different levels. The success depends how close the topics are related, course structure etc. You would need the module and course guide from the first university. The new university will then make an assessment and award the credits and refund the pro rata fees or start your son on the first semester of year 2 modules in the second semester of year 1 as an alternative.
Your son would therefore effectively finish January/February in the final year, rather than summer.
I would also contact student services from both the universities to take into account credits obtained and support ASD. There should be a specialist team in the university to provide professional support. This can include a variety of support mechanisms, eg note takers, considerate marking, extra time for exams and course work, separate exam room etc.
Continuing… in case I lost what I typed.
The success from support staff from first and second university all depends on who is helping. Some staff are very good and will detail where you need to go to raise an issue, as the problems students face will invariably span a few departments. Often, you can have parts left unresolved as staff will direct away but not say exactly who they need to see and what to say.
I worked in student services and the complex queries, were well complex as departments were all inexplicably dotted all over the place. Support can be faculty based or school based. Part of the same but staff, department cultures and working practices can vary considerably, within the same institution.
It takes someone who is experienced enough to know what other teams and departments do, to ensure the right support and resolution.
The name possibly has changed but there is a university ombudsman, who can also be contacted regarding complaint for first university.
It may worthwhile visiting the careers team at new university to help find new employment.
I wish you and your son all the best.
Do modules from foundation nomally count towards the first year? Might be wrong but didn't think it worked like this.Originally Posted by prexelor
To OP - Is anyone else in the same boat, presume he's not the only one effected - what are they doing?
With the tuition fees, does that make it a 10k package? If so, I’d say you’re winning as he still received an education for the last year. Also, I bet most the others are getting the square root of fa.
Already linked in with student services and on the ASD front both have been great.
The new course he has settled in to the course its just connecting with people.
Five people were in the same boat, four were committed to private rented accommodation so have swapped subjects, my son was due to stay in halls for another year so was able to leave.
When we made the counter offer it was made with the caveat that if we progressed to the next stage of the complaint ladder then our counter offer would he withdrawn and we would revert back to our original request.
The mental pressures off and it's just a case of sending emails back and forward.
Which I write and he sends.
He's just interested to know if it's worth pursuing, he doesn't expect to get everything he has asked for back, but feels £1000 is not enough
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It depends how the foundation year is structured. You can complete a 2 year foundation degree (with lower fees) and then top-up to a degree by completing year 3 of the normal degree (with higher fees). You attain a full degree and save some money.
The modules I believe were similar (possibly the same) between years 1 and 2 foundation and years 1 and 2 degree. The foundation degree in this case was to permit students to exit with an award after 2 years.
All seems very complicated. Thought it was simply an extra year to bring students (perhaps not the most able or confident) up to a certain level and then to continue the 3 year degree course with the rest of the intake.
Surprising number of students seem to be doing this now - seems unnecessary imo in most cases and just a source of revenue for the unis.
Most seem to do a foundation year as the grades aren't good enough to enter year one.
My son wanted the year to adjust to his surroundings as he had been hit with covid whilst at college and was out of the routine he needs.
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