Campus & Legal / Resources

Knowledge Centre

Guides and articles on university, education and student legal issues.

Academic Appeals

My Academic Appeal Was Rejected. What Can I Do Next?

Read the reasons, check whether an internal review remains, and identify the next deadline.

Read the decision carefully

Check which appeal stage has ended and whether the letter gives reasons for rejecting each ground. Compare those reasons with the evidence you submitted and the university's published regulations. A refusal at the first stage may still leave an internal review; a final decision may lead to a Completion of Procedures letter.

Check the next route and deadline

Look for the review deadline in the decision and the applicable regulations. If you believe the process was unfair, important evidence was overlooked or the reasons do not answer your case, explain the particular error and its effect. Repeating the original appeal without addressing the decision is usually less useful.

After the internal process

For a provider covered by the OIA in England or Wales, a Completion of Procedures letter normally marks the end of internal routes. An eligible complaint to the OIA normally must be received within 12 months of that letter. Other legal routes can have different and sometimes much shorter time limits, so seek individual advice promptly if the consequences are serious.