Independent research commissioned by the Office for Students (OfS) finds a mixed picture of students’ understanding of their rights and entitlements.
Conducted by Public First, the research examines students’ perceptions of their rights as consumers and the promises made to them by universities and colleges. It comprised a nationally representative poll of over 2,000 students at OfS-registered institutions and focus groups with undergraduate and postgraduate students.
The polling found that just half (50 per cent) of students said that they understood and could describe their rights and entitlements as a student, with 40 per cent saying that they did not and could not. This was despite the fact that a majority of those polled (83 per cent) believed that the information they received before enrolment was upfront, clear, timely, accurate, accessible and comprehensive.
Josh Fleming, Director of Strategy and Delivery at the OfS, said:
‘This exploratory research continues our efforts to better understand students’ perspectives. Today’s findings give us a valuable insight into the different ways students think about their rights and what matters most to them.
‘We’ve used today’s research to inform our new strategy, which sets out how we will regulate in the interests of students. Students should receive the higher education experiences they were promised and benefit from high quality education that reflects their investment of time, money, and hard work.
‘We are also consulting on changes to our conditions of registration to strengthen protections for students. Earlier this year we introduced stronger requirements for new higher education institutions, requiring them to treat students fairly, and we plan to consult on applying the same requirements for institutions already on our register.
‘We know universities and colleges want to get student protection right. We hope today’s findings will support institutions in meeting the needs and expectations of their students, as well as in ensuring students are well informed about their rights.’
Notes
- The Office for Students is the independent regulator for higher education in England. We are striving to deliver exemplary regulation in the interests of students. Find out more about our new strategy.
- Read more about our reforms to OfS registration requirements.