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The end of the university year is looking rather different from what most students were expecting.
Sports tours, leavers balls and graduation ceremonies have been replaced with virtual lectures, online exams and – for many – an early departure to their parents’ homes thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, medical and nursing students at the end of their degrees have been thrust onto the front lines to help fight the deadly Covid-19 outbreak.
It’s an end to the academic year no one could have expected when they filled out their UCAS application.
But students looking ahead to the new semester in September are in a very different situation – they know life on campus will likely be worlds away from the experience sold in the university prospectus.
In May, Cambridge University confirmed there will be no face-to-face lectures for students for the whole of the 2020/21 academic year due to coronavirus, having moved teaching online in March.
While other universities have yet to set out how social-distancing rules might hit student life, few believe the new semester will mark a return to packed lecture halls, crammed labs and busy campus libraries.
But the government has insisted that, even if campuses remain closed and lectures and seminars continue to be held online because of coronavirus, students in England will still be charged £9,250 in tuition fees.
Universities minister Michelle Donelan said universities had been delivering courses virtually for the last few months “at an amazing quality and degree”.
Complaints processes will be in place if students feel like they’re not receiving quality teaching, she added.
The decision by ministers, announced as part of a package of measures for the higher education sector, comes as universities brace them for a significant drop in international students – who pay much higher tuition fees – due to Covid-19.
But what do students – who will likely be paying off their university loans for decades after they graduate – think about the situation?
Will they be flocking back to university this autumn – even if it is virtually – or will they be tempted to hold off in the hopes of getting the “full” student experience the following year?
Lucas Brun, who is due to start a master’s degree in politics at the University of Manchester in September, would like to defer his place at university to avoid all of the hurdles posed by the Covid-19 outbreak.
Not being able to go into university and having lessons via video would feel “like a loss of value”, Lucas said.
But as an EU student, he is worried about how pushing back the start date of his degree to 2021 – after the Brexit transition period has ended – could affect him.
Under current rules, EU students are charged the same tuition fees as home students. But it has not yet been confirmed how this might change after December 31.
“We also currently have access to the master’s loan from the government, which I need to contribute to my education cost,” said Lucas, who is from France.
“And EU citizens moving to the UK before December 31 can apply for settlement and enjoy the same rights as UK citizens indefinitely. But none of these things are guaranteed for students starting in 2021.
“If I had this guarantee, I would have already asked for a deferral so I wouldn’t have to worry about getting ill whilst travelling, and would also be able to have face-to-face lectures and seminars.”
Lucas added: “My options are to study this year – regardless of what kind of arrangements are made – or not study at all.”
Among his main concerns is how students will be able to access facilities that are key to their courses if social distancing rules are still in place.
It’s a worry shared by 21-year-old Matthew Urry, who is due to start a master’s in architecture at the University of Nottingham.
He thinks the government has forgotten about students on courses that require hands-on, practical learning and access to specialist facilities when considering tuition fees.
“I study architecture, which requires access to materials, facilities and equipment which aren’t available at home,” he said.
“I don’t see how it’s fair that I will have to pay in full if I’m losing access to facilities which are a vital part of my course – not only for a grade, but for my career development.”
Matthew is currently working at an architecture firm in London, but has already signed up for accommodation in Nottingham for the new semester.
“If I can get out of that, I will be tempted to continue working for another year and return to my master’s when things are more normal,” he added.
The National Union of Students (NUS) estimates that almost 40% of higher education students are signed up for courses that are “unsuitable for online learning”.
It has called for students who have already been disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak to be allowed to retake the 2019/20 academic year free of charge.
Zaynab, who studies French and Arabic, is already worried about the standard of teaching their university might be able to offer in the new academic year.
“I have had two weeks of online lessons [this year] and they were both disastrous,” they said, describing poor internet connections and much larger class sizes than usual.
“As you can imagine for a languages degree, face-to-face speaking practice is imperative and cannot be replicated online.
“In short, paying £9,250 for an online degree of such poor quality would feel like robbery. My teachers and lecturers have been trying exceptionally hard to maintain teaching standards but it’s just not possible.”
Meanwhile, Zaynab is struggling with the campus library being closed.
“Many students don’t have access to quiet study spaces at home,” they said. “I live with four members of my family and currently don’t have access to a desk because I had to give mine to my sister, who must work from home.
“Students like me who previously relied on libraries to study are under increased pressure.”
For many students, the university experience is also about more than just getting a degree – it’s about the social side of life on campus too.
Christina Wilson, 17, is hoping to start an undergraduate degree in computer science once the summer is over.
“One of my worries in this situation is that I won’t be able to get the full university experience that has been sold to me because I won’t be able to physically meet the people I’m studying with or use the facilities,” she said.
Despite this, she plans to start university in September as planned – whatever the set-up.
“Personally I would prefer to start university by physically being there, but under the circumstances I would still be happy to start if the only option was having to do online classes from home because campus was closed,” Christina said.
“I think that getting my degree done as soon as I can is the most important thing. But I do still have worries that I’ll be missing out on a lot of the social aspects of university.”
Another student, who asked to remain anonymous, added: “Freshers week is part of the university experience. Students make most of their friends during this time and it’s a way to bond with new flatmates.”
Societies and sports teams would be other major elements of university life that students would miss out on if campuses remain closed.
“The pressures of university studies can be intense, so to be part of something outside of the academic platform can not only be a relief, but can bring about life experiences – whether it be learning a new skill, making friends or making a difference.”
For Lauren Cook, who is hoping to start a PGCE course at the University of Lincoln in September, being able to interact with other students is a key part of the university experience students pay for.
“Obviously if it’s safer to be completing lectures and seminars online then I don’t mind it,” she said. “But I think some compensation should come into play.
“We pay £9,250 a year for the full university experience, in university accommodation, and having face-to-face contact with our lectures and having interactions with course mates.
“I strongly believe that if people are not getting this, we definitely should not be charged the same amount.”
Lauren added: “I’m sure there are options to complete degrees online for much less money.
“But I didn’t choose to do that, so I believe the university and the government should consider compensating students, or subsidising tuition fees for each month that lockdown measures are going on in the future.”
The government, though, has insisted that while universities are offering quality online teaching, students are not entitled to reimbursements.
In a tweet, the universities minister wrote: “To be clear, we only expect full tuition fees to be charged if online courses are of good quality, fit for purpose and help students progress towards their qualification.
“If unis want to charge full fees, they will have to ensure that the quality is there.”
Meanwhile, ministers announced that universities could use £46m of their existing finances to boost hardship funds for students, which could be used to buy home IT equipment and pay for internet access.