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Although the idea of refunds for missed classes during #UCUstrike might appeal at first, it doesn't work in practice... because a degree isn’t a product that you can take back for a refund, certainly not to a level that would make any difference!
Given that, in England for example, 83% of students will not pay back their loan in full, a ‘refund’ would be nothing more than an accounting trick, sleight of hand which gives, in reality, nothing back to the students affected.
You won’t be able to work out the amount a refund could be, especially when differentiated by subject - how much would an arts student get, how much would the postgrad student in a lab-based subject get? I also represent students in Scotland who do not pay tuition fees!
So just shifting the language from refund to compensation for disruption is a more accurate request. It also enables us to stand clearly with staff members and not undermine strike action, or play into the dynamic of the students-as-consumers in a marketised HE environment.
At our @nusconnect strike hub we have a resource on Supporting Students through Complaints, https://www.nusconnect.org.uk/campaigns/ucu-strikes, which has a whole section on compensation if there’s a desire from students for that!
Compensation is treading a fine line anyway because the loss of learning opportunities cannot be compensated with a certain amount of money, despite UUK creating an environment where students are missing out on valuable teaching hours!
The value of our education is not equivalent or linked to the fees we pay. Suggesting that a sum of money will make up for lost learning misunderstands and reduces the value of an education that we should not be paying between £9,250 and ~£60,000 per year for in the first place.
This strike fights the way that university money is currently being spent. We need uni money to be spent on improving working conditions for staff and good quality learning for students. Through student solidarity with the strike we can fight for a better education for us all.
Fight for fees being scrapped entirely! Vote on the 12th December with this in mind! Don’t settle for compensation, fight for long term change. 
