Decision Report 202514145

Summary

C complained about the university’s administration of their scholarship application. C was eligible for the Access Edinburgh Award (a means-tested scholarship assessed on the basis of household income) and was awarded £3,000 following assessment.

The following year, C was awarded £2,000. At the time, C understood the reduced award reflected a change in household income. The discrepancy only came to light when C received a £3,000 award again the following year. C then complained that they had been underpaid.

The university acknowledged that an administrative error had occurred but declined to make the additional payment, as C had not appealed the award within the prescribed timeframe.

Following our preliminary enquiries, we decided the complaint should be investigated. We noted that C was seeking £1,000 in financial redress, a written apology acknowledging both the administrative error and the university's handling of the complaint, and a review of the university's scholarship award and complaint handling processes to ensure they operate fairly, provide clear information to students, and offer appropriate remedies when administrative errors occur.

The university agreed to take these actions. Therefore, we discontinued our investigation and closed the complaint as resolved.