'Can I get support with my university accommodation rent?' and other student questions answered
For many, university years are supposed to be some of the best of your life.
Making new friends, exploring a new place and developing knowledge and skills in a specific area can be what makes the university experience.
But for thousands of students this year, their experience has been wildly different.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, learning has moved primarily online, with social events following suit.
Some students have since raised concerns about a lack of educational, financial and mental health support, with some calling for a reduction in tuition fees.
On Monday, the Welsh Government announced an extra £40 million for students facing financial hardship.
Universities will be asked to prioritise funding towards the most vulnerable students, as well as strengthening advice and support services for students.
So what support is being made available, and how can students access it?
How much funding has already been provided and where will the latest money come from?
The Welsh Government has already provided more than £40m to help universities this year, including £10m towards student hardship, mental health support and student unions.
The latest funding of £40 million will come from the Welsh Government’s Covid-19 Reserve, which was put in place to support the nation during the pandemic. The money will be given out to universities by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.
Who will be able to access the financial support?
The Welsh Government said the £40m will be handed out to universities who are instructed to use it to support the most vulnerable students.
Students can find out what support they are eligible for by contacting their university or student union.
I’m paying rent for student accommodation that I’m not living in - am I entitled to money back?
This depends on whether you live in privately rented accommodation, such as a house share, or university accommodation, such as halls of residence.
Education Minister Kirsty Williams said Welsh universities have pledged financial support to those paying for halls of residence but are unable to live there.
However, she said “the situation is more complicated” for those renting privately.
She continued: “That’s why we are channelling these financial resources into individual universities’ hardship funds, and students who are finding it difficult to pay their rent at the moment will be able to make an application.
“We’re urging universities to ensure that those students who are suffering most financially are those that are helped first.”
Is there any update on when students can return to campus?
Universities are currently providing a combination of in-person teaching and online teaching, or ‘blended learning’, but some students have raised concerns about the effectiveness of learning from home.
Ms Williams said she “wished she had a crystal ball” to be able to guarantee when students could return to campus, and did not offer a date.
She added that she is open to “creative solutions” to maximise learning, referring to some universities considering lengthening the academic year to enable students to catch up.
Will students get a reduction in their tuition fees?
Ms Williams did not specify whether there would be a reduction in fees, but urged students concerned about the quality of their learning to contact their university and their local National Union of Students representative.
“[Students] are entitled to a quality experience - even though at this stage I acknowledge it is a different experience than perhaps they would have envisaged,” she said.
“The money we’re announcing today is to financially support students both in terms of their own individual financial situation, but also to use additional resources for universities to support them practically, in terms of digital exclusion, mental health and practical support.
“We don’t want anybody dropping out at this crucial stage either because of their financial hardship or because of a lack of support, hence the investment today.”
Does it go far enough?
Some students feel the announcement of new funding has come too late.
Carly Davies, from Aberbargoed, is studying for a masters degree in chiropractic and moved into student halls in September 2020.
"I couldn’t go outside of my flat, couldn’t meet any friends, I was just living alone in my room," she explained.
"I made the hard decision to move home because I couldn't afford to be living in a room and not receiving any of the benefits of being at university."
Carly said blended learning feels more like "99 per cent online learning and one per cent face-to-face learning".
"I've had three lectures in person since September, and I feel like I'm missing out on the best years of my university experience and career in general because of blended learning.
"There's no way that we can learn all we need to, to the quality that we need to learn at, on an online platform where there is a lack of communication, and half the time, everyone is muted and cameras off.
"I think in one sense, it’s good because it will be a safer learning environment, but in a more realistic view relevant to what I’m studying, again I’m missing out on so much in-person learning which has already had a massive effect on my understanding of the topic."
Universities have been providing some students with laptops and other resources where necessary, but for Daisy Plaister, from Bargoed, studying for her degree in occupational therapy from home is still a daily challenge.
"I have a laptop but not a quiet space to do my work," she explained.
"My mother works from home too so there’s a constant noise in the house. There are also other distractions like my dogs and deliveries."
Daisy said she has only been into university once, on her first day.
"My placement training has been cancelled twice, and I am unsure if I will even be able to go."
Many students have also expressed concern about expectations for them to produce high quality work during the pandemic.
Daisy continued: "Everyone’s mental health is decreasing due to lockdown and the lack of support with our work. We are expected to produce the same level of work as last year’s students which weren’t in the middle of a pandemic and had face-to-face learning."
Welsh Government guidance for university students can be found here.