Heads up re university-owned accommodation for future applicants

[Hondajazzhands]

Just to be aware that if your student offspring chooses to live in university-owned accommodation rather than private halls or rentals when they head of to university, they can be locked out at any time by Government decision, even if the university wants them to return.

This is the situation for current students now, looks like they will lose at least half the summer term as well as all of the Easter term and all of last Summer term. This is in spite of current very low levels of infection, death and hospital occupancy and high levels of vaccination amongst at-risk groups.

No one can stop students in private accommodation as it is their permanent home.

If future students want to live in university accommodation, they will need to balance the risk that for long periods they will, in fact, be studying from their bedrooms should the virus return.

The DFE's current statement on the situation completely fails to even mention protecting students' learning or mental health. So absolutely no one in Government is prioritising their education. They are ignoring pleas from the universities themselves. The only protest is writing to MPs or signing the students' petition:

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/582345

[Cornishmumofone]

I think this may be specific to certain universities. Where I work, students have been able to return to halls and use campus facilities, but unless face-to-face is essential, teaching is online.

[DoNotBringLulu]

My son's university invited them to return if studying at home is difficult.

[Geranibum]

That is true, but it works the other way too; those who have not returned to university owned accommodation have in many cases been offered a refund / rebate / get out clause on their contract. This is emphatically NOT the case for private providers and landlords.
Dd initially followed the advice not to return after Xmas, but her university has operated with a light touch with regards to accommodation (as have most, judging from her friends' situations) and as more and more of her flatmates did return to Uni halls, she eventually joined them and has had a fun end to the semester, even if technically she could have been working from our family home.
I only know two of her friends (Oxford and Edinburgh) who have not been allowed to return. Most places have said "don't return unless you cannot work from home" but have not policed it in any effective way.

[sashagabadon]

I think you also need to take into account refunds, uni owned accommodation nephew got decent accommodation refund, private accommodation neice still having to argue the toss with her private landlord and will likely get v little.

[TunstallTansy]

My son and all his friends returned to university owned accommodation at various universities across England in January, it's been a godsend for them, one tiny slice of something resembling a university experience. Better to be in with a few of your peers than your parents for some students.

Certainly at my son's university refunds were available for those who didn't return (the minority in his hall).

It's quite nuanced I think but I agree I would look at an individual institution's stance on this to decide if I wanted to go there in the future!

[FrippEnos]

My niece has returned to university owned halls of residence, so its not everywhere.