Open Study College Reviews

I enrolled on the Access to Higher Education (Health Professions) course with Open Study College in Nov 2024 and began in Feb 2025. I deeply regret it and hope this review stops others from making the same mistake. Firstly, I had to withdraw due to major personal life changes, but even in the first month I raised complaints about the terrible course standard, poor support, and misleading info. I was willing to pay for what I’d used and asked for a partial refund, but they flat-out refused. This shows how money-driven they are once they’ve got you signed up. When I first enquired, I was hit with pushy sales tactics, told to enrol that same day. I wasn’t given proper time to think, and key information was left out — like the fact you lose online access if you choose printed materials. You’re told there’s a 14-day cancellation window, but if you’ve been paying before the course starts, they act like you’ve lost that right, even though you haven’t seen any course content yet! I was told 10 hours a week of study, then after enrolling, it was suddenly 20 hours in the paperwork. Do NOT use the finance company either — even banks hesitate to transfer funds to them. They’re useless when handling complaints, don’t call back when promised, and don’t bother properly investigating anything. The course itself is poorly written, full of spelling and grammar errors, with contradictory info that doesn’t align with what you find when researching academically. You’re told everything you need is in the course, but then told to do extra research for higher marks — despite that info not aligning. The online and physical study packs are identical, even though they push the expensive “both formats” option. It’s literally just printed paper booklets — no added value — for £1.6k! Support is non-existent. You’re left to figure everything out alone unless you chase them. I uploaded my first assignment and heard NOTHING until 13 days after the resubmission date — the tutor’s response had gone to my spam folder, and no one followed up. When I raised this along with my concerns, they completely shut the complaint down and refused a refund. They wouldn’t even acknowledge the grammar/spelling mistakes, and refused to give a breakdown of what I’d actually used in the first month. It’s obvious they care more about locking people into payment plans than providing proper education. They offered no meaningful support, refused to address clear flaws in the course, and once you’re in — they ignore you. I now pay over £100/month for something I’ve withdrawn from, and will end up paying £1.8k for nothing. There are Facebook groups and online communities of people like me who feel scammed by Open Study College. I wish I had paid attention to the negative reviews. The Trustpilot rating is misleading, and they often argue with bad reviews instead of learning from them. Photo attached of the first mistake i found in the first half of the first booklet i opened, have not bothered looking at the rest as i am sure the shocking standards remain throughout. To OSC: Since I know you like to respond to bad reviews — please do post proof that you refused to address my complaints, refused a partial refund, and ignored requests for a cost breakdown.

Liz was absolutely amazing on the phone. So helpful and supported me as I was in a bit of a panic. Liz sorted my issue and was very understanding. Highly recommend OSC and Liz thank you for all your help and support on just that one phone call. 😊