Fee rebate scheme could see ULaw paying out more to students who fail to bag jobs after graduating
Update: August 19, 19:43 — Since this article was first published, University of Law officials have clarified the eligibility requirements for this rebate, suggesting that its communications team yesterday provided a confused message. In fact, the position is that while the initial 50% rebate was available only to those starting ULaw’s Legal Practice Course this September, the deal has been extended to Graduate Diploma in Law students who go on to do the LPC in 2016. These students must start the GDL in September this year or January 2016 and will only be able to claim half their LPC fees and not 50% of their GDL fees. The article below has been amended to take this information into account, with the full offer terms & conditions available to read here.
The University of Law has launched another instalment in its bid to win over law students across the country by offering a second cash incentive in as many weeks.
Earlier this month, ULaw management informed Legal Practice Course (LPC) students that if they could not land a job within nine months of graduating, half their tuition fees would be refunded. That could make not getting employment worth more than £7,000 for those studying at the law school’s City of London branch.
Yesterday — piggy-backing on the wider media publicity that first cash-offer received — ULaw revealed that the same deal will be rolled out across its Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) courses.
The conversion course — which is offered across nine ULaw centres — commands slightly lower fees than the LPC, but it still runs to £10,200 for those studying in the capital.
A ULaw spokesperson explained how the offer, which only applies to GDL students who go onto do the LPC, works:
Thanks to the overwhelming response that we received following the announcement of our ’employment promise’, we are delighted to be extending it to include our GDL students who go onto do their LPC with us in 2016.
That means students completing both the GDL and LPC with ULaw next year could be looking at a reimbursement in excess of £7,000 if they fail to secure suitable employment in the “legal or commerce” fields. The university defined those terms during the launch of the LPC offer earlier this month as:
Employment in the UK or elsewhere, either a training contract as a trainee solicitor, lawyer or other legal professional, or other employment within law or commerce.
The move comes almost two years after similar market tactics were employed by market rival BPP Law School. In November 2013, that university offered Bar Professional Training Course students the offer of a free LPC if they failed to bag pupillage within six months of graduating.
Previously:
University of Law launches money back guarantee for out-of-work LPC students [Legal Cheek]