Using (and refunding?) the new higher fees Universities ... waive dozens of teenagers' tuition fees to compensate for their mistakes including quality of teaching, a Guardian investigation can reveal.  Data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act shows that 346,505 was paid out last year to students who complained at 60 universities. These institutions, which make up just over half the total number of universities in the UK, also waived fees -- either fully or partially -- for 101 students. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010\\... Can students demand a refund? The NUS has yet to see an onslaught of litigation for damages, but accepts that students will become more demanding when fees increase. President Aaron Porter told us: "Students must have more power to hold their institutions to account. Institutions must be required to repay fees to students where there is poor quality in delivery or promises not kept. They must face genuine penalties where malpractice and misadministration occur." http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/dec\\... Suggestions for action Think out the ground-rules What exactly can fee income properly be used for? Students have begun to complain that their fee income ought to go to providing their courses and not be used as extra research funding. Students may also complain about being taught by post-doc researchers and say that for the sort of money they are having to pay they expect all teaching to be done by academics. Once the block grant goes, how far may public funding be used to pay administrators, secretarial and cleaning staff in departments which