University of Newcastle $7.55M Settlement Over Unaccredited Medical Engineering Degree, Who Is Eligible and What Happens Next?

Category: Settlements
Last Updated: October 6, 2026
Case: Andreas Sklavos v The University of Newcastle
Court: Supreme Court of New South Wales, Common Law Division, Sydney Registry
Proceedings No.: 2025/60605

The University of Newcastle has agreed to a $7.55 million settlement resolving a class action brought by students over the accreditation status of its Bachelor of Medical Engineering (Honours) program.

The case was brought by lead plaintiff Andreas Sklavos in the Supreme Court of New South Wales. The court’s public documents identify potential group members as people who enrolled in the Bachelor of Medical Engineering (Honours) between November 1, 2017, and July 31, 2019, and who suffered loss or damage connected with the matters alleged in the proceeding. 

But there is an important point for students looking for their money: a settlement claim form and payment deadline have not been verified from the Supreme Court’s publicly available case documents as of October 6, 2026.

The October 17, 2025 deadline was the deadline to opt out of the class action, not a deadline to submit a settlement claim. (Supreme Court of NSW)

That means anyone searching for a University of Newcastle settlement claim form today should not assume that a third-party website, social-media post or email offering a payment deadline is an official settlement process.

University of Newcastle $7.55M Settlement: Quick Facts

Detail	Verified information
Settlement amount	$7,550,000
Case	Andreas Sklavos v The University of Newcastle
Court	Supreme Court of New South Wales
Division	Common Law Division
Registry	Supreme Court Sydney
Proceedings number	2025/60605
Plaintiff	Andreas Sklavos
Defendant	The University of Newcastle
Degree involved	Bachelor of Medical Engineering (Honours)
Relevant enrollment period	November 1, 2017 – July 31, 2019
Number of students reported in settlement	163
Settlement claim deadline	Not verified in publicly available court documents
Settlement claim form	Not verified in publicly available court documents
Individual payment amount	Not published in the verified court documents reviewed
Opt-out deadline	October 17, 2025
Current status	Settlement reported; distribution details still require verification from the court’s settlement documents

The Supreme Court’s official case page confirms the plaintiff, defendant, proceedings number and relevant court documents. 

Which University of Newcastle Students May Be Eligible for the $7.55M Settlement?

The official Supreme Court public notice identifies the relevant group as people who:

• enrolled in the Bachelor of Medical Engineering (Honours) at the University of Newcastle;
• enrolled between November 1, 2017, and July 31, 2019; and
• suffered loss or damage connected with the matters described in the statement of claim. 

This does not mean every University of Newcastle engineering student is included.

If you studied a different University of Newcastle degree, enrolled outside that period, or did not experience the type of loss covered by the proceeding, you should not assume that you are entitled to a settlement payment.

The final settlement and distribution orders are important because they determine how the settlement money will ultimately be allocated among eligible group members.

What Andreas Sklavos Alleged About the University of Newcastle Degree

Andreas Sklavos commenced the proceeding against the University of Newcastle on February 14, 2025. The official Statement of Claim identifies the proceeding as Andreas Sklavos v The University of Newcastle, Proceedings No. 2025/00060605.

The Supreme Court’s public notice says the proceeding concerned representations about the professional accreditation of the Bachelor of Medical Engineering (Honours) program.

The allegations were made by the plaintiff and group members in the litigation. They should not be treated as findings that the University of Newcastle was legally liable.

The case was resolved by settlement rather than a trial judgment deciding all disputed allegations.

How the University of Newcastle Class Action Was Structured

The Supreme Court treated the proceeding as a class action involving defined group members.

In August 2025, Justice Garling made orders concerning notice to potential group members and their right to opt out. The orders required notice to people who had enrolled in the Bachelor of Medical Engineering between November 1, 2017, and July 31, 2019. 

The court also ordered the University of Newcastle to provide information concerning people enrolled in the relevant program, including enrollment and completion dates and certain study-cost information, for use in the proceeding. 

The court’s public notice explained that people who remained in the proceeding would continue as group members, while people who opted out would not participate in the class action outcome. 

Did University of Newcastle Students Have to Opt Out?

Yes, the court established an opt-out process.

The official August 14, 2025 orders fixed 4 p.m. on October 17, 2025 as the opt-out deadline. A group member wishing to opt out was required to file the approved Form 115 with the Sydney Registry and serve a copy on the plaintiff’s solicitors.

That deadline has now passed.

Importantly, October 17, 2025 was not a settlement claim deadline. It was the court-ordered deadline for opting out of the proceeding.

Is There a University of Newcastle $7.55M Settlement Claim Form?

No settlement claim form could be verified from the official Supreme Court materials reviewed for this update.

The Supreme Court’s public case page currently lists the Statement of Claim, Defence, August 14, 2025 orders, Important Public Notice, Opt Out Notice and related communication. 

It does not currently list a settlement claim form or settlement distribution notice.

That distinction matters.

A class action can have a defined group of people without requiring every person to submit an individual claim form. Depending on the eventual settlement and distribution orders, the court may use existing university records to identify eligible group members.

Therefore, readers should not invent or rely on a claim deadline that has not been published in an official settlement document.

How University of Newcastle Students Should Claim the $7.55M Settlement

At the time of this update, there is no verified settlement claim procedure that can responsibly be given to readers.

Until the court-approved settlement administration documents are publicly available, University of Newcastle students in the affected cohort should:

1. Confirm their enrollment dates. Check whether they enrolled in the Bachelor of Medical Engineering (Honours) between November 1, 2017, and July 31, 2019.
2. Keep University of Newcastle records. Preserve enrollment records, transcripts and other documents identifying the degree and dates of study.
3. Keep accreditation communications. Save emails, letters or other University of Newcastle communications concerning professional accreditation.
4. Keep previous court notices. If you received the 2025 class-action notice, keep it with your records.
5. Do not pay a third party to obtain a settlement payment. Wait for an official court-approved settlement or distribution notice before providing financial information.
6. Check the Supreme Court’s official case materials. The court’s University of Newcastle class-action page is the appropriate primary source for newly published documents. 

Once an official distribution scheme or settlement notice is published, the eligibility rules, payment procedure and any deadline can be updated accurately.

How Much Could Each University of Newcastle Student Receive?

The $7.55 million is the total settlement amount. It is not a guaranteed payment of $7.55 million to each student.

The amount ultimately received by an individual group member will depend on the court-approved method for distributing the settlement and any deductions or expenses approved as part of the settlement process.

It would therefore be misleading to divide $7.55 million by the reported 163 students and describe the result as each student’s guaranteed payment.

No verified individual payout amount has been published in the primary court documents reviewed for this update.

What the University of Newcastle Settlement Does Not Mean

The $7.55 million settlement does not mean that the court conducted a trial and found that the University of Newcastle was liable.

A settlement resolves disputed claims without necessarily establishing that the allegations were proven.

The Statement of Claim records the plaintiff’s case, while the court’s documents also show that the University of Newcastle filed a Defence. 

Readers should therefore distinguish between:

• allegations made in the proceeding;
• positions taken by the University of Newcastle;
• procedural orders made by the court; and
• the eventual settlement resolution.

What Happens Next With the University of Newcastle $7.55M Settlement?

The next important documents are the formal settlement and distribution orders.

Those documents should clarify matters such as:

• the final group definition;
• how the $7.55 million will be distributed;
• whether students must submit individual claims;
• whether university records will be used to identify eligible students;
• deductions for legal costs and other approved expenses;
• the identity of any settlement administrator;
• the payment process; and
• any deadline that group members must meet.

Those details should not be guessed.

As of this update, the Supreme Court’s publicly listed University of Newcastle case documents do not provide a verified settlement claim form or payment deadline. 

Why the University of Newcastle Settlement Matters to Students

The dispute illustrates why professional accreditation can matter separately from simply earning a university degree.

A degree may satisfy academic requirements while professional accreditation can affect whether a graduate can pursue particular professional pathways, depending on the occupation and jurisdiction.

That is especially important for students choosing an engineering program based on what they believe it will allow them to do after graduation.

The University of Newcastle has since obtained accreditation for the relevant program for later cohorts, but the settlement concerns the earlier group identified in the litigation.

University of Newcastle $7.55M Settlement: Key Dates

Date	Event
November 1, 2017	Beginning of the enrollment period identified in the court’s public notice
July 31, 2019	End of the enrollment period identified in the court’s public notice
February 14, 2025	Andreas Sklavos proceeding commenced
August 14, 2025	Justice Garling made orders concerning notice and opt-out procedures
October 17, 2025, at 4 p.m.	Court-ordered opt-out deadline
September 30, 2026	$7.55 million settlement approval reported publicly
October 6, 2026	Settlement claim form and payment deadline not verified in the publicly listed Supreme Court documents reviewed

The court’s August 14, 2025 orders expressly identify October 17, 2025 as the opt-out deadline. 

Frequently Asked Questions About the University of Newcastle $7.55M Settlement

Is the University of Newcastle $7.55 million settlement real?

The University of Newcastle proceeding involving Andreas Sklavos has been reported as resolving for $7.55 million. The underlying court case is officially identified by the Supreme Court of New South Wales as Proceedings No. 2025/60605. 

The settlement should not, however, be confused with a trial judgment finding the university liable.

Who filed the University of Newcastle engineering accreditation case?

Andreas Sklavos is identified as the plaintiff in Andreas Sklavos v The University of Newcastle, Proceedings No. 2025/60605. The Statement of Claim was filed on February 14, 2025.

Which University of Newcastle students may be included?

The court’s public notice identifies people who enrolled in the Bachelor of Medical Engineering (Honours) between November 1, 2017, and July 31, 2019, and who suffered loss or damage connected with the matters in the proceeding. 

What is the University of Newcastle settlement claim deadline?

No settlement claim deadline has been verified from the publicly available Supreme Court documents reviewed as of October 6, 2026.

The October 17, 2025 date was the deadline for opting out of the class action, not a deadline to claim settlement money. 

Is there a University of Newcastle $7.55M settlement claim form?

No verified settlement claim form is currently listed among the publicly available documents on the Supreme Court’s University of Newcastle case page. 

How much will each University of Newcastle student receive?

The individual payment amount has not been verified. The $7.55 million figure is the total settlement amount and should not be treated as a guaranteed equal payment to every group member.

Can University of Newcastle students still opt out?

The court-ordered opt-out deadline was 4 p.m. on October 17, 2025, so that deadline has passed. 

Does the University of Newcastle settlement mean the university admitted wrongdoing?

A settlement does not by itself establish that the allegations were proven at trial. The proceeding was resolved through settlement rather than a trial judgment determining liability.

When will University of Newcastle settlement payments be sent?

A verified payment date has not been identified in the publicly available court documents reviewed for this update.

Where should University of Newcastle students check for settlement updates?

The Supreme Court of New South Wales University of Newcastle Engineering Accreditation Class Action page is the key primary source for documents published by the court. 

Related AllAboutLawyer Coverage of University Education Settlements

For another university-related settlement, see $2.2M Drexel University COVID Tuition Refund Settlement, Are You One of the 16,576 Students Who Qualifies?.

This is a separate case involving a different university and different legal claims. Its eligibility rules and deadlines do not apply to the University of Newcastle proceeding.

Primary Sources for the University of Newcastle Settlement

1. Supreme Court of New South Wales — University of Newcastle Engineering Accreditation Class Action — identifies the parties, proceedings number and publicly available court documents. (NSW Legal Services)
2. Supreme Court of NSW — Statement of Claim filed February 14, 2025 — confirms the court, proceeding number, plaintiff and defendant.
3. Supreme Court of NSW — Important Public Notice — identifies the relevant group-member criteria and enrollment period. (Supreme Court of NSW)
4. Supreme Court of NSW — Orders dated August 14, 2025 — establishes the October 17, 2025 opt-out deadline and notice procedure. (Supreme Court of NSW)

Editorial note: The $7.55 million settlement and its reported approval are the subject of the October 2026 news coverage that prompted this update. The Supreme Court’s publicly listed case page has not yet exposed a settlement distribution scheme, claim form or settlement payment deadline in the documents reviewed for this article. Those details should be added only after they can be verified from an official court document or official settlement administrator.

Disclaimer: AllAboutLawyer.com provides legal information for general informational purposes. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. Court cases and settlement procedures can change, so readers should rely on the latest official court documents for controlling deadlines and payment instructions.