Higher Education: Complaints

In 2025, the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) resolved 3,950 student complaints. Of these, 2% were found to be ‘justified’ and 5% were found to be ‘partly justified’. A further 13% were settled in favour of the student before a formal decision was reached. Following OIA recommendations, higher education providers offered £875,933 in compensation and £962,979 through settlement agreements reached before a final OIA decision. The OIA does not publish an average compensation figure because not all complaints require financial remedy. Many are resolved through reconsideration of decisions, repeat assessment opportunities, apologies or procedural improvements.

In 2025, 43% of complaints were found to be ‘not justified’ because the provider had followed procedures and reached a reasonable decision, 7% were ‘not justified (reasonable offer made)’ where the provider had already offered a fair remedy, and 20% were ‘not eligible’ because they fell outside the OIA’s remit. The OIA reports that ‘not justified’ outcomes are particularly common in academic appeals and disciplinary cases where providers generally have well-established processes and standards in place.

The OIA is responsible for meeting its own equality duties. It publishes information on the characteristics of students who bring complaints and use this data to monitor accessibility and outcomes. In 2025, 42% of students who complained disclosed a disability. The OIA reports that complaints involving reasonable adjustments to accommodate a disability were more likely than average to be upheld or settled.

The 2025 OIA Annual Report can be found here: https://www.oiahe.org.uk/media/xfljp10u/oia-annual-report-2025.pdf.