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Policy on Student Refunds and Compensation (Student Protection Plan)

This policy details the circumstance when a student may be entitled to a refund or compensation when the University has activated its Student Protection Plan.

Introductory statement

1. All Higher Education Institutions are required to have a Student Protection Plan (SPP) to meet the Condition of Registration (C.3) with the Office for Students (OfS). Part of the overarching conditions which protect students’ interests, the purpose of the Student Protection Plan is to ‘preserve the continuation and quality of study for all of the provider’s students whenever a risk to the continued study of students crystallises’.  Student Protection Plans are required to link to an institutional refund policy. 

2. The University of Leeds is committed to protecting and preserving the continuation of study for all its students studying or programmes which lead to a University of Leeds award. The Student Protection Plan for 2025/26 – 2026/27 sets out the arrangements which the University has in place to ensure the achievement of that objective. The Student Protection Plan has assessed the risks to the continuation of study for students to be low and, for that reason, coupled with the measures in place to mitigate those risks, this Policy is likely to only apply in very exceptional circumstances. Refunds and compensation are to be a remedy of last resort.

3. Activating the Student Protection Plan will automatically trigger this Refund and Compensation Policy (Student Protection Plan). Operational implementation of this Policy will be managed by a cross-institutional response team. 

4. Aligned with the Student Protection Plan, this Policy is required to provide students and staff clarity on the circumstances which may initiate a refund or compensation. The Policy outlines the University’s approach to considering whether tuition fees and other relevant costs (for example, mandatory programme related costs) should be refunded and/or whether compensation should be offered in circumstances where the University is no longer able to protect continuation of study for students. 

5. This Policy does not confer any legally binding rights to a refund or compensation. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with applicable law, regulatory requirements, the Student Contract, the Fee Charging Policy and any relevant funding rules.

Policy scope and principles  

6. This Policy applies to all registered students who are studying for a University of Leeds Award, who have not yet completed their studies, at undergraduate (UG), taught postgraduate (PGT) and postgraduate researcher (PGR) level. This includes students in receipt of a tuition fee loan from the Student Loans Company; students who pay their own tuition fees; and students whose tuition fees are paid by a sponsor or funded via research grants. 

7. This Policy is relevant only under circumstances where the University has activated the Student Protection Plan in accordance with University procedures.

8. Circumstances under which the Student Protection Plan can be activated are set out in section 6 of the Plan. This Policy only applies in the following situations:

  • An academic programme is being discontinued before registered students have completed their studies or where the University determines that it is not possible to teach a student through to the end of their academic programme (e.g. a research supervisor is no longer employed by the University of Leeds and suitable alternative supervisory provision cannot be identified). 
  • The University has changed the location or mode of delivery of a programme which has generated costs for students on that programme, which the University may reasonably conclude to have increased, due to the activation of the Student Protection Plan.

9. This policy does not apply where students have chosen to withdraw from, or are temporarily or permanently excluded from, a programme of study which has not been withdrawn. Nor does it apply where students choose to withdraw from study at Leeds and seek to restart studies at another provider at a future point in time. 

10. In all cases and without exception, tuition fees and other costs will only be refunded to the original payee. 

11. When applying this policy, the University may require students to provide written evidence in support of any costs or losses they may have incurred. Each student’s circumstances will be viewed on a case-by-case by the response team (as noted in paragraph.3). 

Policy overview    

Circumstances for refund and compensation

12. This provision applies within the context of the activation of the Student Protection Plan.

Transfer to an alternative programme at the University of Leeds   

13. Should a programme be discontinued and registered students transfer to an alternative programme of study at the University of Leeds where tuition fees are different from the original course, the University will charge students the lower of the two fees for their continuing studies. This will apply from the point at which the course changes.

14. Where the fees of the new programme are less than those of the discontinued programme, the University will refund fees already paid over and above the rate of the new programme. This will apply from the point at which the course changes.

15. Where students are offered a place on an alternative programme of study at the University of Leeds, existing financial support through University funded bursaries, Scholarships, or Hardship Funds will continue, provided eligibility requirements continue to be met. If eligibility is not maintained, funding will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

16. Where a third party is supplying the bursary/studentship, the University will make reasonable representations to the provider to encourage their continued support of the student. However, in these circumstances the University cannot require a third party to maintain their funding.

Transfer to an alternative programme at another UK higher education provider

17. Should a programme be discontinued, and students are offered a place on an alternative programme of study at another higher education provider, the University will support student transfer arrangements, produce transcripts and academic records and ensure that such students receive the University award (for example, certificate or diploma) that recognises the stage they have reached. 

18. Where students transfer to other providers, no refund will be offered in relation to the elements of study which have been recognised. Refunds of tuition fees will only be provided in respect to elements of study which are not recognised as having credit for future study at a receiving higher education provider. This applies to all categories of students in receipt of a tuition fee loan from the Student Loans Company; students who pay their own tuition fees; and students whose tuition fees are paid by a sponsor (depending on the terms and conditions of the sponsor). 

Circumstances for compensation 

19. The University will at its discretion and on a case-by-case basis, consider claims for reasonable and evidenced direct financial losses necessarily incurred by a student due to the University being unable to protect continuity of study following activation of the Student Protection Plan. Such losses will ordinarily be limited to unavoidable additional travel, maintenance (over and above ordinary living costs) and/or tuition fee costs incurred as a direct consequence of a transfer to another programme or provider following activation of the Student Protection Plan.

20. The University will not consider compensation for indirect or consequential loss, including damages for distress, inconvenience or loss of opportunity or time, nor for losses which would have been incurred in any event, except where required by law or applicable regulatory guidance. 

21. The University will require students to provide satisfactory written evidence of any claimed loss or cost and reserves the right to decline compensation on any claim not so evidenced. Students are expected to take reasonable steps to mitigate any losses including engaging with alternative study arrangements offered by the University where reasonable to do so. In determining any award, the University will have regard to guidance published by the Office for the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education as applicable at the time.

Complaints regarding the University’s approach to the provision of refunds and/or compensation in relation to the Student Protection Plan 

22. Should a registered student wish to challenge the University’s approach to the provision of refunds or other relevant costs and/or compensation under this policy, they may raise a complaint under the formal stage of the University’s Student Complaints Procedure. The Student Complaints Procedure outlines the steps which should be taken to raise a complaint and the timescales in which complaints should be raised. Where more than one student raises such a challenge arising from the same or a similar set of circumstances, then the University may, where appropriate, consider those challenges together. 

Roles and responsibilities 

23. This Policy is owned by Governance and Compliance, who will be responsible for ensuring that the Refund and Compensation policy is reviewed every two years, in alignment with the Student Protection Plan.

24. The University’s Student Finance Team has responsibility for considering all other requests for the refund of tuition fees (e.g. where a student has decided to temporarily or permanently withdraw from their programme) in line with our fee charging policy.  This will be considered in accordance with the University’s guidance on withdrawals along with guidance from the Competition and Markets Authority. 

25. Should the Student Protection Plan be activated, a cross-institutional response team will oversee the implementation of the Policy at the direction of the University Secretary and Registrar. This team will oversee and operationalise any required decisions on refunds and compensation.

26. Heads of Professional Services, Executive Deans and faculty functions should familiarise themselves with this policy position in conjunction with the provisions of the Student Protection Plan.

Related polices, procedures or guidance   

27. This Policy should be considered alongside the Student Protection Plan 2025/26-2026/27. Other University related policies and procedures are:

  • a. Student Contract  
  • b. Student Protection Plan
  • c. Suspensions and Extensions Policy
  • d. Student Complaints Procedures 
  • e. Anti-Money Laundering Policy
  • f.  Fee Charging Policy

Equality statement      

28. All employees are responsible for contributing to an equitable and inclusive environment in which everyone is free of discrimination and harassment, and can contribute and flourish based upon their merits, abilities and potential. 

29. All students registered at the University of Leeds fall under the scope of the Student Protection Plan, and its corresponding Student Refunds and Compensation (Student Protection Plan) Policy. As such, Equality Impact Assessments will be used to identify the best approach to support students with consideration for diversity in support needs, characteristics and circumstances in the event of activating the Student Protection Plan.

30. The risk that the University may no longer be able to recruit or teach a particular type of student is considered very low within the Student Protection Plan for all students, including students from widening participation backgrounds. Therefore, the policy is unlikely to disproportionately negative or positive impact on different student groups - regardless of protected characteristics. 

Contacts 

31. Email the Governance team at governance@leeds.ac.uk

Governance record  

  • Policy Owner: Andrew Mulholland, Deputy Secretary
  • Function Lead: Governance and Compliance
  • Approved by: University Executive Group
  • Approval date: 24th February 2026
  • Review date: Aligned with SPP – reviewed by December 2027
  • Equality Impact Screening completion (if applicable) – completion date / summary of outcome / recommendations: this is currently not applicable but will be undertaken on a case-by-case basis should the Policy be triggered.
  • Equality Impact Assessment (if applicable) – completion date / confirmation that EIA commenced or considerations have been previously and what these were: this is currently not applicable but will be undertaken on a case-by-case basis should the Policy be triggered.
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