The University of Cambridge has confirmed its plans for welcoming back students in the new year remain 'unchanged' - including for those arriving in the city from Tier 4 areas. “Students need rent rebates and the opportunity to leave tenancies early,” says NUS Vice-President Higher Education Hillary Gyebi-Ababio. There will be a five-week travel window starting in January, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. But this must be substantial, says NUS president Larissa Kennedy. STUDENTS must stagger their trips back to university over five weeks after Christmas and tested immediately when they return. Please review our, You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. Returning students are advised to get tested before arrival - Leicester Uni for example asks exempt returning students for two negative tests prior to arrival – and students are asked to get tested regularly thereafter. Where students fit into the Government road-map, This year's A-level students are woefully under-prepared for university, When can I return to campus? Leicester estimates fewer than 2000 students – many who remained over the break – are currently on campus. Those who spent the Christmas period in a tier 3 area are expected to take a test using a local community testing programme before they return to university. Can students get a refund if a university stops in-person teaching? After considerable reflection, we have taken the difficult decision to move all teaching and learning for undergraduate and postgraduate taught students online for the entirety of the Lent term. For those who are car sharing, they should only do so with those in their household or support bubble where possible. Study areas and libraries at many universities will remain open, and masks are required. If the PCR test returns positive, the student would be legally required to self-isolate for 10 days after they become symptomatic, or 10 days after their LFD test if they remain asymptomatic. On Monday, Scottish students were told they can return home from university accommodation – as long as it’s on ‘a long-term basis’. South Australia plans to admit 800 international students in July under a pilot program, so students can return to the state’s three universities – The University of Adelaide, The University of South Australia and Flinders University. The government has suggested that where courses in group one can be taught online at the beginning of term, providers should do so, with those students returning with the group two cohort. Some have already seen the new year in their lodgings. Where available, students who have spent the winter break in Tier 3 areas where mass community testing is on offer should take a test before travelling back to university if … Online learning is more likely to continue until the end of March, says the University of Manchester, although the government will review restrictions in mid-February. Similarly, if a student needs to return early, “for example, students who do not have access to appropriate alternative accommodation, facilities, studying space, or that need to return for health reasons”, they should be allowed to do so. Term times will start as normal for all other courses but HE providers should offer the courses online at the beginning of term, with students studying from home. And, for many students, the government's rules will impact whether or not they'll be returning to their uni halls in the Spring Term. Student halls still have to accommodate students who can’t live at home such as care leavers, international students or young people estranged from their families, and many halls have remained open over Christmas. Universities issue codes of conduct, which now include Covid-related clauses such as no house parties and respect for social distancing - with possible sanctions. This is the stage where the Australian government is considering letting international students enter the country again. We know, however, that some international students travelling back to university from outside the UK have already returned, or booked and paid for travel to return to St Andrews. The student travel window will mean students can travel having just completed the four-week period of national restrictions, reducing the risk of … The government has suggested that HE providers should offer mass testing for all students before or when they return in January and inform students where they can get one. Sign up for the latest deals and insider tips. Pity today’s students - they’ve spent New Year with their parents, shelled out thousands of pounds for accommodation they can’t live in and find themselves taking a degree online they could have got for nearly half the price. In-person teaching will only take place for a … The Student Room, Get Revising and Marked by Teachers are trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. Second and third year students at Oxford and Cambridge - who mostly live in university-owned accommodation - won’t be allowed back to university until restrictions ease. Students can find additional information in the Undergraduate Student Guide and Graduate & Professional Student Guide. While not a legal requirement, students should use private modes of transport where possible and book ahead if they’re using public transport. Where students have to car share with people outside of their household or support bubble, they should wear masks and keep windows open and social distance as much as possible. Can students return to university accommodation? “It’s been difficult to know how or when we will return - that’s lead to a lot of uncertainty and no small degree of anxiety.”. Not all students who are allowed to go back to university under level 3 of the Covid-19 regulations have returned. “My university (King’s College London) hasn’t contacted us about what this new lockdown means about returning,” says third year medical student Sam (not his real name), who lives in Lancashire and is planning to return to university this weekend whether he hears or not. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The findings, published by the Higher Education Policy Institute, come as university students across England are allowed to travel back to their families from Thursday. They are then allowed to return to campus in the weeks commencing 25 January and 1 February. They will be updated on a regular basis, so please check back often. Nonetheless nearly nine in ten students said they planned to continue studies after Christmas, according to government research in November. Can a student return to university after dropping out? Most students will take their January exams online – with the possibility to apply for mitigating circumstances, if, say they have tech problems, ill health or caring responsibilities. There are currently no official rules out saying that students who are not under self-isolation cannot leave their accommodation to return … University students can still travel back home for Christmas from Tier 4 areas ... living in a Tier 4 area do not apply to university students … Government guidance states: “If you live at university, you should not move back and forward between your permanent home and student home during term time.”, Planning to travel back to uni in the middle of a pandemic is one of the most stressful things I’ve ever had to do. Otherwise, students are advised to stay put “wherever possible” and study online. If you can, you should stay at home and delay any travel until you are told by us that in-person teaching is due to resume on your course. This will hopefully reduce the transmission of coronavirus, as rates are still incredibly high around the country and there’s expected to be another spike after the Christmas travel period. 21/12/2020. Yes – students who stayed over Christmas, those who’ve returned already, or students who can’t alter travel plans - plus those who plan to go anyway. HS2 protesters say … Most universities contacted wouldn’t commit, and in a briefing (5/01) Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would look at what extra support could be offered. Originally universities planned to stagger returns through January and early February, before the new lockdown was announced. How the student travel window will work in January, Brexit: How travel to the European Union from 2021 will change, ‘Test-to-release’ travel scheme collapses in chaos on day one, Where to find cheap Covid-19 PCR tests for travel, nursing, midwifery and allied health professions, scientific or technology subjects that require time in laboratories or use of expensive equipment (for example, chemistry, physics, bio-sciences, engineering), medical degrees involving lab work, practical instruction and placement inside hospitals (for example, medicine, dentistry and veterinary science), courses that are delivered solely to commuter students (where there are no residential students on the course), courses which require an externally moderated or invigilated assessment, or exams from a professional body which take place during these five weeks and cannot be rescheduled, other courses with clearly defined practical elements, other courses where the student is on placement or in paid employment in January (for example, degree apprenticeships and sandwich placements), students in later stages of study (second year onwards). Advertisement Moving out of home can be a stressful and unnerving period in the best of times, let alone moving away in the middle of a … Most universities went into the new academic year offering a blend of in-person and online teaching. But the vast majority of students won’t be allowed to return early. These pages provide the latest information about COVID-19 for all current Oxford University students and offer holders, from education and student life to travel, visas and accommodation. Here's what you need to know about trying to go back to an institution after making the decision to leave. “Breaches of this ‘stay at home’ guidance could see students subjected to fines,” says Ruth Rule-Mullen, a partner specialising in education at Forbes Solicitors. Students will be split into two groups depending on their course, with their return to university spread out over a five-week period. Official guidance says most students should stay at home but there are exceptions – and some students intend to go back regardless. In a letter to students, universities minister Michelle Donelan confirmed that the stricter travel restrictions for people living in a tier four … Are students able to leave campus? We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future. I am an international student and I have questions about visas and travel. Maybe if you are in student halls, but this will depend upon your university - and money saving expert has described it as a lottery. Lent term: Update 7 January 2021. Nearly all second and third year students live in private lodgings, apart from those at Oxford and Cambridge. The government has outlined how the January student travel window will work. University students can still travel back home for Christmas from Tier 4 areas By Eleanor Busby, PA Education Correspondent. The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. He’s expecting his forthcoming medical placement to be delayed and cut short. If you are an undergraduate or postgraduate taught student and can only travel after the student travel window (10 December onwards) to a country or on a mode of transport where a certificate of a negative test is a requirement then you can request a HALO PCR test … Under the regulations, any student can move from their student household to travel home once during the period 3 December to 7 February and can travel back to university. “It may be that the ‘not returning’ remains guidance only,” says Rule-Mullen. Find out more, Back on track? Can university students go home? Students should avoid interacting with others while they wait for their results. As the situation develops, the Government wants to ensure students continue to leave university with qualifications that have real value, reflect their hard work and allow people to progress. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Last year universities said they sanctioned thousands of students, imposing individual fines of up to £1,500. “I’m still paying rent, so it depends how things are in January.” Many students in England went home for Christmas this week, unsure of when they will return to campus. First year students like Falmouth University's Helena Crate will be wondering if they can return, When will universities open again? Yes - nearly all universities now offer on-campus asymptomatic testing which was introduced late last year, says the Department for Education. Even before the new lockdown announcement, UCL (University College London) had told undergraduates not to return until at least the end of February. However, for HE providers using LFDs, students must be tested twice - once on their return and again three days later. If you are a current student with a Student/ Tier 4 visa, please read the information on visas and travel, which may apply to your circumstances. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Students who need to be on campus for face to face teaching will also need their rooms. Is Gavin Williamson placing his trust in teachers, or setting them up to take the blame? HIs parents are coming to take him back to Norfolk - and the university is running a system of one-hour slots for students to be collected, which he says will mean "not so many leaving at once". The government has not specified the type of test required for mass testing but said it is working with providers to roll out testing using lateral flow devices (LFD). But for the spring term, there will be a five-week period during which students can travel back to university. But for the spring term, there will be a five-week period during which students can travel back to university. Across the UK, coronavirus restrictions are in place to limit the spread of the virus. Fines for previous breaches of legislation started at £200 and doubled for further offences (to a maximum £6400). Here’s what you need to know. Under the regulations, any student can move from their student household to travel home once during the period 3 December to 7 February and can travel back to university. Where available, students who have spent the winter break in Tier 3 areas where mass community testing is on offer should take a test before travelling back to university if … When is the January student travel window? Some of those who did, went only to fetch their belongings from their residences. These are much cheaper and quicker than the PCR test. 806 8067 22 Registered Office: International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE The University and Colleges remain open, and will continue to engage in research, learning and education. But guidance is clear – students in England must begin this term online, and anything like a normal social life is months away. This is what Britain's universities are doing to re-open, Children need normality, not public health 'interventions' that may do them more harm than good. But the vast majority of students won’t be allowed to return early. Except for a small number of courses (which at Leeds means Clinical and Social Work programmes and exceptions listed below), teaching is online and taught students should not return / travel to university until further notice – this will be 8 March at the earliest. If they’d spent the whole year living at home and studying remotely, they’d have saved nearly £7,900 a year (or more than £650 a month) – rising to £9,900 for students in London, according to research by Studee. The idea is to manage the phased return of students after the Christmas break to prevent a mass movement of people at the same time. The government has published the guidance for the student travel window starting in January, which higher education (HE) providers are expected to follow. Sending kids to summer school is like giving them detention for an offence that wasn't their fault, students in England must begin this term online, getting in touch with accommodation advisers or Citizens Advice. In reality this is unlikely - current advice is guidance rather than legislation. “We’ll also support more vulnerable students who don’t have anywhere else to go,” says a spokesperson at the University of Leicester. For those who have tested positive using an LFD test, they will need to self-isolate and arrange to take a PCR test through the NHS. The guidance says students should travel back to university by private transport where possible and avoid car sharing. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. This could largely depend on where and what you're studying. We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism. Practically, say lawyers, this might be difficult to enforce. Police in university cities shut down house parties, and university security staff enforce restrictions. HE providers may also have separate guidance for international students, who may have to self-isolate for 10 days if they’re coming from a country that’s not on the travel corridors list. The only exception is if a student has tested positive for coronavirus using a PCR test through the NHS Test and Trace system in the last 90 days. Although they’ve been advised not to, many say they’ll return to their university home cities, or plan to do so ahead of mid February, contrary to advice. Not until at least mid-February, says the government – unless you are already there, or you study one of a few courses that require face to face teaching; these include medicine and dentistry, health related degrees, veterinary medicine, social work and some education training. Those enrolled on practical courses, which require some sort of face-to-face element (for example because they need access to specialist equipment), are able to return to university between 4 January and the week beginning 18 January 2021. The Scottish Government has updated its guidance on what those studying higher education can do if they wish to change household. The NUS recommends getting in touch with accommodation advisers or Citizens Advice to help with negotiations. You can find general visa and immigration information for current students on our For Students website visa pages. A similar student travel window was introduced earlier this month, which allowed students to return home for Christmas between 3 and 9 December. As news of the second lockdown sunk in, universities have been emailing students instructing them not to return, unless they are eligible to be on campus. Updated University-Sponsored Travel Policy, Travel Guidance, and Compliance Expectations December 16th, 2020 Read more. Following the government’s announcement on 4 January of a national lockdown: Students will not be able to return to university, with students studying from their current residence, where possible, until at least 8 March. Campus and student support services will also operate, at some universities these will only be available for those who are legitimately on campus. In stage three, international travel to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands will also be allowed — this is when most people can go back to offices, pubs and nightclubs. Brexit briefing: How long until the end of the transition period? It’s not essential, but it is recommended - even for those who are asymptomatic. You should check with your HE provider first, but the government has suggested that those on the following types of courses are in group one and should return early: The following will likely be in group two: However, there is a degree of flexibility. Students who need to be on campus for face to face teaching will also need their rooms. English universities must test students returning from the festive brea… In this case, they don’t need to be tested again. Even after they’ve received their first negative test, they should limit their social contact with other students until they’ve received their second negative result. We are following government guidance on the return of students for the Spring term. Students in private accommodation are usually on fixed term contracts - any refunds would have to be negotiated with private landlords, and look unlikely, unless they have a break clause.