Goldsmiths MFA Fees: Students Seek £15,000 Back After 21-Week Disruption

Master of Fine Arts students at Goldsmiths, University of London, are formally requesting refunds totaling nearly £15,000 per person after 21 weeks of industrial action left them with minimal instruction this autumn term.

The demand follows a gathering of affected students last Friday. One international enrollee described the start of the semester as shocking, noting that induction sessions repeatedly turned into discussions about the ongoing dispute. Florence Sweeney, a part-time student, stated that many fine art students have received virtually no teaching. She characterized the situation as a financial drain and observed classmates experiencing distress, anxiety, and depression. Some students had traveled from other continents to join the program, only to find themselves without proper briefings or a structured welcome.

The university currently has 10 of its 12 standard MFA tutors on strike. The conflict stems from a marking boycott that began in April over proposed job cuts. University and College Union members argued that management’s decision to deduct 100% of pay from participating staff amounted to a lockout. Following a formal ballot, a group of union members at the south-east London institution has been on indefinite strike since early June. Joe Newman, a co-president of the Goldsmiths UCU branch, said the action responds to the scale and speed of management cuts. He reported that students were largely supportive of the strike and often aghast upon learning the reasons behind it.

Goldsmiths, an institution known for alumni such as Steve McQueen and Damien Hirst, faces financial pressure from falling applications in humanities and reduced domestic fee income. A staff member described the resulting internal changes as non-stop rounds of redundancies and restructuring. University officials stated that approximately 8.5% of staff are on strike, a figure they described as a small portion of the total workforce. Management said it offered compromises, including a pause on compulsory redundancies, but refused to reverse the 100% pay deductions for the marking phase. A university spokesperson noted that continued disruption risks long-term reputational harm.

Students pointed to the high cost of the two-year program, which charges full-time UK students nearly £15,000 annually and international students £33,000. John Carver, a part-time second-year student, suspended his studies after a dismal departmental meeting at the start of term. He praised his regular tutors but noted that replacement staff did not know the students. James Evans, an international student from the US, said visa and funding restrictions required him to remain enrolled despite the chaos. He reported receiving no marks or project feedback last year and described this year as having no structure and barely any communication.

The university stated it is offering regular updates and meetings with schools to support affected students. MFA students will continue to push for remuneration for the lost learning time.