Student Claims UNED Charged Double for Repeating a Course
A student reports being charged 500 euros for four courses not taken in September 2023, with a repeat enrollment costing 1,000 euros.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Student Denounces UNED for Double Fees When Repeating a Course
How much does failing cost? In Spain's public universities, it's significantly more than it seems. A case circulating recently quantifies this mechanism, according to the account of the person involved: four courses they couldn't attend due to personal issues in September 2023 initially cost 500 euros. Re-enrolling now, according to their version, costs 1,000 euros. The same syllabus, the same university, double the money. And the official explanation, as experienced by the student, is notably absent.
Why Does Second Enrollment Cost More Than the First?
According to a participant in the discussion, the price per credit in Spain isn't flat: the first enrollment is subsidized, and the amount increases from the second, third, and subsequent enrollments. It's argued that this tiered pricing exists across the entire public university system, not just at UNED, which is precisely the most common defense: repeating isn't free anywhere.
The problem isn't the mechanism itself, but how it's communicated, according to the student's account. The surcharge appears when opening the enrollment form, not before. Is it an incentive to avoid prolonging one's studies or an automatic penalty for those who already paid once? Some argue for the former, while others retort that the penalty falls equally on the lazy student and the one who couldn't attend due to a serious issue.
The 500 Euros That Vanished Without Stepping into a Classroom
The case that has been shared has an uncomfortable detail: according to the account, there wasn't a formal failure. The academic record was clean until four exams were missed, and 500 euros were gone. Upon re-enrolling, the surprise was doubled. The same courses, now costing a thousand.
From a similar vein of complaints comes another episode: 700 euros lost for being unable to cancel enrollment in September. An appeal was filed. It was denied. And a detail that sounds like administrative jest was added: since the payment wasn't made by card, the refund couldn't be processed. The argument of a serious personal case—the death of a cohabiting family member—also failed to change anything.
The Fraud Accusation That Made Headlines in the 80s
The most striking aspect of the matter isn't the amount, but the age of the complaint. The person reporting it cites press headlines from the early 80s that already labeled this university as a scam, along with various links, from national newspapers to forums. Four decades of complaints, and, according to their version, no revision of the model. This is the point they highlight: it's not a new discovery, it's a national custom.
The Defense: All Universities Charge the Same
Against the narrative of abuse stands the obvious counter-argument: the increased cost of successive enrollments is common to the entire system, and no one is forced to study where they are studying. Other distance learning universities exist—UOC, UNIR—with assignments and exams done from home. While validating credits and transferring isn't always easy, it's argued, it is an option.
The underlying, pedagogical discussion remains. Complaints mention a syllabus of 2,000 pages for five credits, exams requiring memorization of articles and commas, and barely 20% of the grade based on actual coursework. The proposed idea is: if 20% is based on coursework, why not 100%? On the other hand, the argument persists that high standards are part of the institution's identity.
In the end, finishing a degree is still worthwhile. Or so they say. Only at this rate, the degree will cost more than the salary it promises.
How much does failing cost? In Spain's public universities, it's significantly more than it seems. A case circulating recently quantifies this mechanism, according to the account of the person involved: four courses they couldn't attend due to personal issues in September 2023 initially cost 500 euros. Re-enrolling now, according to their version, costs 1,000 euros. The same syllabus, the same university, double the money. And the official explanation, as experienced by the student, is notably absent.
Why Does Second Enrollment Cost More Than the First?
According to a participant in the discussion, the price per credit in Spain isn't flat: the first enrollment is subsidized, and the amount increases from the second, third, and subsequent enrollments. It's argued that this tiered pricing exists across the entire public university system, not just at UNED, which is precisely the most common defense: repeating isn't free anywhere.
The problem isn't the mechanism itself, but how it's communicated, according to the student's account. The surcharge appears when opening the enrollment form, not before. Is it an incentive to avoid prolonging one's studies or an automatic penalty for those who already paid once? Some argue for the former, while others retort that the penalty falls equally on the lazy student and the one who couldn't attend due to a serious issue.
The 500 Euros That Vanished Without Stepping into a Classroom
The case that has been shared has an uncomfortable detail: according to the account, there wasn't a formal failure. The academic record was clean until four exams were missed, and 500 euros were gone. Upon re-enrolling, the surprise was doubled. The same courses, now costing a thousand.
From a similar vein of complaints comes another episode: 700 euros lost for being unable to cancel enrollment in September. An appeal was filed. It was denied. And a detail that sounds like administrative jest was added: since the payment wasn't made by card, the refund couldn't be processed. The argument of a serious personal case—the death of a cohabiting family member—also failed to change anything.
The Fraud Accusation That Made Headlines in the 80s
The most striking aspect of the matter isn't the amount, but the age of the complaint. The person reporting it cites press headlines from the early 80s that already labeled this university as a scam, along with various links, from national newspapers to forums. Four decades of complaints, and, according to their version, no revision of the model. This is the point they highlight: it's not a new discovery, it's a national custom.
The Defense: All Universities Charge the Same
Against the narrative of abuse stands the obvious counter-argument: the increased cost of successive enrollments is common to the entire system, and no one is forced to study where they are studying. Other distance learning universities exist—UOC, UNIR—with assignments and exams done from home. While validating credits and transferring isn't always easy, it's argued, it is an option.
The underlying, pedagogical discussion remains. Complaints mention a syllabus of 2,000 pages for five credits, exams requiring memorization of articles and commas, and barely 20% of the grade based on actual coursework. The proposed idea is: if 20% is based on coursework, why not 100%? On the other hand, the argument persists that high standards are part of the institution's identity.
In the end, finishing a degree is still worthwhile. Or so they say. Only at this rate, the degree will cost more than the salary it promises.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (46 replies).
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