Are we expecting universities to re-open in January for students going from tier 4 to a lower tier?

[Bouledeneige]

Just that really. DD is home in London tier 4 and wants to return to Manchester which is in tier 3 next weekend.

Does she need to get her 2 lateral flow tests. One for day she gets back and one 3 days later?

Think they can still travel out of the tier for education

I think they will ask all uni students to stay where they are until after the easter break.

I just wouldn’t bother going back if I were her, you can imagine what’s going to happen if they do say “students go back” - confined to rooms again because of upsurge in cases after Christmas.

It's just she does fine art and really appreciates being in the studios and I'm pretty sure she has not brought all her art stuff and canvasses home. Last term she had to wait 6 weeks to get into the studios and was only given one lecture a week for those first 6 weeks and a large scale assignment to write. Which means very little art practice.

She's in the second year so not stuck in halls but in a private rented house.

She would obviously have more freedom in tier 3 than tier 4 - as long as that stays the case.

Last time I checked the rules, students were allowed to travel to their term-time home. You've paid rent no doubt. It's her primary residence even if only term-time.

About 10% of student's in DD's hall just stayed there over Christmas. They were only offered one LFT before departure window opened.
DD is supposed to do occupational placements this term, but who knows what will really happen.

Education meeting tomorrow we should know more after that

All very quiet on the return for students. Ds is still planning on returning next weekend. That’s from tier 3 to tier 2.

Did you get notification from the Uni that she would be going back then? My understanding (from just after students returned for Christmas) was that there were staggered return dates depending on the course with very few courses returning at the beginning of Jan.

DD2 intends to go back and we haven't heard anything about staggered dates. We are in tier 4 but her uni is tier 2. I am not sure that the uni can stop her from going to an accommodation she had paid for.

Have the university told her her when she can go back? Edinburgh have already told DD the earliest she can go back is 5 February and she'll have two lateral flow tests required in Scotland. DD has been talking tonight about staying on in her job here but needing three days off to travel and clear her room, so thinking she might not get back.If your DD has a term time job, then I guess she can go by, as you can travel work.

The universities will be campaigning for the students to come back. They don't want to give any accommodation refunds. A lot of the students will have paid private rental for the whole year too. What are they going to do about that?

I really want to know what the plans are for unis next term. In some ways we need to hear that more than we need to hear about schools as the logistics of getting students back are so complex. Like everything the announcement is going to be last minute..

I really feel for anyone with dc having to decide what to do. It would be so rubbish to go back to uni but then be locked down and not have any face to face education again like September!

It's highly likely that the surges of transmission we saw in the autumn will recur when students go back, so the government and universities need to be really sure that services in local areas can cope.

As far as I know she's had no notifications about going back. But she's in year 2 and the private house she lives in is all paid for. There were no lateral flow tests or departure dates given she just came home when she felt like it. I think it's very different if you're not a first year. I think she will just go back next weekend.

My first year DC and friends are all planning to go back next weekend. They have paid a fortune for their accommodation and have exams coming up. We are T4 and the university is T3. If they are not allowed to return, they will have to be told ASAP and be guaranteed they won’t be billed for their spring term accommodation-I think that is extremely unlikely!

They can't just tell students to "stay where they are" - they pay rent, some may have part-time jobs they are returning to, etc.!

I think it would be foolish to 'expect' anything. I would advise her to try to wait until information is given before making decisions.

If uni is closed/delayed, will she want to be there or home? I wouldn't go there now if she would want to return if it is shut/online only.

Really she needs to just wait. Unis don't know yet what the government will do - the government have no clue!

It is frustrating being in limbo but that is where we all are.

@Jourdain11
They can't just tell students to "stay where they are" - they pay rent, some may have part-time jobs they are returning to, etc.!
They absolutely can.

@LadyPenelope68 they can maybe appeal but they can't stop them. Moving house was not even forbidden in March. On what basis would students be stopped to move to the residence they're paying for?

@avenueq
On what basis would students be stopped to move to the residence they're paying for?
If they’re in a Tier 4 area they could definitely be stopped from moving back to a lower tier area. You would hope they wouldn’t be as it’s for education purposes, but if they delay Uni starts as well, they will definitely be in a position to day students cannot return.

@LadyPenelope68 even in tier 4 moving house is allowed.

@avenueq
But moving house, a permanent thing, is very, very different to going back to Uni, not comparable at all.

My year 1 D.C. is planning on returning this week and term is starting next week. The uni have said that they may have to book a slot to return.
We are tier 4 as is the uni

dd is returning 4th january, year 2 so in private house.
i guess the issue is with halls, otoh hopefully their Christmas have not been sociable and so should be safer than Sept/oct