Do you think college students should be able to get a refund if they fail?

Jamie McIvor of the BBC reports.

Failing students at Scots university could get rebates

Prof Craig Mahoney said the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) was looking at concepts such as a rebate system and guaranteeing students paid employment beyond their degree.

He said such moves may be necessary in the face of increased competition.

The majority of students at UWS would not be affected by rebates as Scottish students do not pay tuition fees.

Prof Mahoney’s comments were made at a meeting in London between education establishments, businesses and politicians.

He said universities may need to make radical changes in the face of increasing competition from private education providers in order to keep pace with technological changes in the commercial world.

‘Customer expectations’
Prof Mahoney said: “It is my firm belief that the UK’s publicly-funded universities won’t have a particularly attractive future unless they become more commercially sensitive and begin to act more like private industry – including private higher education providers – to allow us to remain competitive across the globe.

“We have to acknowledge that students are customers and we have to meet customer expectations. To do that, we have to know who our customers are and understand their needs and desires.