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Timetable

Consumer law advice for higher education providers

3 January 2023: The CMA will be updating its consumer law advice for higher education (HE) providers, published in March 2015.

The purpose is to bring the advice up to date, for example, in its references to consumer law and to stakeholders.

Whilst some of the language and references in the legislation have changed, the obligations on HE providers are substantially the same as they were at the time of publication of the advice. It is anticipated much of the original advice will remain unchanged and HE providers should continue to follow the advice prior to its updating to assist them in complying with consumer protection law. Given the limited scope of the update, the CMA will not be issuing a public request for information or engaging in a public consultation.

The updated advice will be published in Spring 2023.

Admission policies and terms

24 November 2021: The Department for Education (DfE), has issued a letter today to Vice Chancellors in England about their admission policies and terms.

The CMA has decided it would be helpful for the sector if it re-iterated its views on consumer protection law in relation to:

• higher education offers
• terms which could allow HE Providers to withdraw or cancel offer after a student has accepted it (and met any entry conditions)
• terms which limit or exclude liability where HE Providers seek to withdraw or cancel an offer

The CMA has produced a document which draws together its published views on this issue.

• CMA views on admission offers and terms (24.11.21)

Consumer Benefit Forum

30 November 2020: The Consumer Benefit Forum comprising the Department of Education, the Office for Students, the Office of the Independent Adjudicator and the CMA meets on a regular basis to discuss emerging issues of mutual interest in the higher education sector. See the Office for Students website for more information about the Consumer Benefit Forum.

The CMA has been asked to re-iterate its views on consumer protection law in relation to the following issues: (i) Providing information to prospective students about potential changes to the courses they may be considering applying for. (ii) The use of terms which allow HE providers a wide discretion to vary aspects of the educational service. (iii) The use of terms which exclude or limit liability for a failure to deliver the agreed educational service or for delivering a different educational service. Having discussed this with the members of the Consumer Benefit Forum the CMA has produced a document which draws together its published views in these areas.

• Restatement of CMAs views (30.11.20)

University of Liverpool undertaking

21 August 2019: University of Liverpool will not prevent students from graduating, receiving certificates or re-enrolling and accessing the university library and computing services, because of non-tuition fee debts.

• University of Liverpool undertaking (21.8.19)
• Press release: University of Liverpool changes student debt policy (21.8.19)

University of East Anglia undertaking

8 February 2017: Students will receive a fairer deal at the University of East Anglia (UEA) after the CMA secured changes to the universitys contract terms.

• University of East Anglia undertaking (8.2.17)
• Press release: University improves its approach to dealing with course changes (8.2.17)

University of Glasgow undertaking

5 December 2016: Glasgow University will not prevent students from graduating or re-enrolling because of non-tuition fee debts, after CMA intervention.

• University of Glasgow undertaking (5.12.16)
• Press release: University of Glasgow agrees new approach for students in debt (5.12.16)

Compliance review findings

22 July 2016: The CMA has published a report on its compliance review findings and sent an open letter to HE providers setting out the action we expect them to take.

The purpose of the report is to share the findings of the CMAs review in order to promote compliance across the sector. The CMA has also published details of undertakings secured from 3 universities to improve how they deal with students.

• Findings report (22.7.16)
• Undertakings (22.7.16)
• Open letter to HE providers (22.7.16)
• Press release: Deal fairly with students, CMA tells universities (22.7.16)

First stage of compliance review concludes

21 April 2016: Following the publication of the CMAs advice on consumer protection law to HE providers, we have now concluded the first stage of our compliance review. We have:

• considered the intelligence received from stakeholders in the sector
• developed our own research by reviewing a number of HE providers documents, focusing on the issues addressed in our HE advice, including variation of course content, variation of course fees, additional course costs, academic sanctions for non-tuition fee debt and complaint procedures
• asked stakeholders and surveyed HE providers (Universities UK and GuildHE members) to find out how useful they have found our compliance advice and what actions they have taken as a result

We are now engaging with several HE providers on compliance issues and analysing the additional information they are providing.

We will provide a summary of the compliance review, including results from the CMAs survey of HE providers, along with an update on the CMAs engagement with a number of HE providers, in July 2016.

UCL revises student debt policy

13 November 2015: University College London (UCL) will ensure that students are not prevented from graduating or re-enrolling because of non-academic debts, following action by the CMA.

• Press release: CMA secures assurances from UCL on student debt policy (13.11.15)

Compliance review commences

22 October 2015: Following publication in March of advice for providers on their consumer law obligations to under

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