Covid-19 - miss a year if distance teaching but locked in to uni/tenancy commitment?

Northtim

I am sure there must be many students considering their options as more universities are indicating thet they expect distance learning from September and possibly for all the 2020/21 year. However, as many will have already signed up for next years accomodation is there actually any option or are they trapped into a degree/university experience which will be far below their expectations.
My son is entering the final year of an engineering degree.  2020/21 should have been a year out in industry but the placements have all dried up/been cancelled due to Covid-19.  Last month the best option seemed to be to carry on and do his final year, and he moved quickly to sort out accomodation with friends who were in the same position.
This term has been greatly affected by Covid-19, which is of course inevitible.  He came home at Easter so we are paying for rental accomodation which is not being used, and all lectures and exams went online. The university have done their best with this but it isn't the same and although he did well in the exams and studies he is not enjoying the experience. From my memories half of university life is the connections and experiences with fellow students in and around the studying aspect.
If the next academic year is going to be more of the same then I'm sure there will be many students who would want to defer until things were back to normal.  I have such fond memories of my years at university I really feel for the students, both new and continuing, who will have a much lesser experience, and many of them will struggle mentally with the experience.  
I know we are all being impacted to varying degrees (no pun intended) by Covid, but I do feel there needs to be some thought about giving students options to defer a year and break tenancies.  At the moment that would be financially disasterous for students, but I am concerned my son will not enjoy and may not make it through to complete his degree in these circumstances and with fees/accomodation costs of circa £15,000 will have that debt regardless of the much less than hoped for university year.  I am interested to hear peoples views, as I expect there are many other students/parents thinking similar.  I know the effect of mass drop outs on universities/landlords will cause suffering on that side too - there are no easy answers.

silvercar

My son, in his mid 20s, said the same. Uni experience wouldn't have been what it was, if the virus had hit when he was a student. In particular, he wouldn't have met his now fiancee. I wouldn't have met my husband.
That said, I can't see many private landlords foregoing their income as they are as effected as anyone.

sheramber

 If he has signed up for university accommodation there may be an option to break the tenancy contract but if it is a private landlord then he needs to stick any contract he has signed. The landlord has his expenses to cover.
If there is no restriction on travel and If the accommodation is available,  online studying can be done there.
It will depend on the covid 19 restriction which are or no longer are in place in September.
Has the university given any guidance?
has he applied for student finance for living away from home? 
 

Spendless

I feel the same way. My son goes into his third year of being at Uni but yr2 of his degree due to having to do foundation first. I've been relieved it isn't his final year he's going to be doing. He has stopped at Uni with 2 other housemates but his online classes finished last week so will be coming home soon. He does a forensic computer course so more geared up for online learnign than others, but he's still said it's not been the same calibre as usual lessons. We pay his rent as he gets the minimum loan. We've paid a deposit for next year's accommodation already, but when I read about Cambridge saying they would be doing all lessons on-line I did wonder who would follow their lead. If I had one due to start this September I would be suggesting they defer. 

dimbo61

Very worrying times for Students, Universities and Private Landlords.
I think Universities are still asking for Full Uni Course fees of £9250+ even though it's more like an Open University course if like Cambridge university it's all done online !
No foreign students this year which will hit the big Russell Universities very hard.
If the number of UK and EU students also drops there will be huge problems for Universities finances with mass redundancies of staff and many Landlords both huge and small private landlords going bankrupt.
Will students who defer get work with 2 million + people likely to be unemployed. Travel on a Gap year ? Where too ?
Lots of small businesses on the edge with thousands of shops, pubs, B and B,s and hotels unlikely to reopen.
Bleak times ahead and dreadful mistakes made in the Response to Covid19 costing the lives of Young and Old people in the community and NHS 

Northtim

Thanks for replies. I understand it will be tough on private Landlord if we break the contract but obviously my main concern is his degree quality. The university has an amazing engineering department full of machines, wind tunnels & computers with the design software they use. That can’t be fully replicated by remote teaching.
i have found out the accommodation deposit is paid but contract not yet signed so am hoping that keeps options open for now to cancel accommodation.
Some more help is needed for students - I have heard universities saying they will not charge students for the Uni owned accommodation if they are not there, but that can’t work for private landlords.
my son has been home since course went online in March - we have already paid £2000 for a room in a house he has and will not use for 4 months.
Full Uni course fees and accommodation costs for next year if it becomes remote learning is not on. We don’t know how it will pan out but with the uncertainty I am very much leaning to my son deferring a year (in case you didn’t read opening post - he should have been on 3rd year placement but that has been cancelled due to Covid, we did think best to go straight into final year but if remote learning for much of that now think defer is better. He would try and get some relevant work in the gap year - even unpaid).

dimbo61

Well things have moved on in the last 10 days and now on June the 1st more people are back at work, shops opening, car dealers selling and servicing vehicles. 
Some kids back at school and a better understanding of Covid19.
I was in a student area last week where 2 student houses were empty but others were full of students who intended to stay until the end of the contract June 30th.
When I asked why they had not gone home they said Uni has shut but things still going on in Manchester and able to get food delivered, shopping at local supermarkets and Isolating with 7 other students rather than vulnerable parents 🤔 
They also had to pay for accommodation until end of June as they had signed a contract.

silvercar

dimbo61 said:

Well things have moved on in the last 10 days and now on June the 1st more people are back at work, shops opening, car dealers selling and servicing vehicles. 
Some kids back at school and a better understanding of Covid19.
I was in a student area last week where 2 student houses were empty but others were full of students who intended to stay until the end of the contract June 30th.
When I asked why they had not gone home they said Uni has shut but things still going on in Manchester and able to get food delivered, shopping at local supermarkets and Isolating with 7 other students rather than vulnerable parents 🤔 
They also had to pay for accommodation until end of June as they had signed a contract.

The average age of student's parents is probably 50s; so not that elderly. Probably more likely it is more bearable to be cooped up with your mates than with your parents. The restrictions may also be less.
It will be interesting to see what the students do at the end of June. Many will no doubt seek to remain in their university towns and want to take up their new contracts straight away. That could play havoc with landlords intentions of doing maintenance over the summer break.

marytaylor66

Hi
sorry I’m new to this forum but wondered if anyone can help or is in the same position.
we have signed a joint tenancy agreement for my son with 5 others for a private house next year, it’s a 12month agreement starting in July for £600 a month. At the moment my understanding is that non of the student would be allowed to move in and live together. We also don’t know what is going to happen in September......as UWE haven’t confirmed anything....obviously. I don’t really want to be paying rent for a room that he can’t even use. I have contacted the landlord and he won’t compromise. Is anyone else in the same position....and what are you going to do? Please help!
thanks
Mary

daydreamingwonder

I'm not sure this will be helpful but I'm a student that's going to be going into my final year of Uni in September and my University has said they plan to have some face to face teaching. There was a survey of Uni's done and 89 Uni's of the 92 who responded to the informal survey intend to have some form of face to face teaching. Whether that's staggered or social distanced I guess will depend on each University. 

I do know what you mean about the difference in experience and it's definitely been difficult to do things like group work remotely since we all went online but with things opening up a little more and with social distancing I don't see why there wouldn't be options for groups of students to meet and spend time together. I know me and my friends have a few study picnics planned over summer as we're all moving into our new accommodation on the 1st July. It might just be that there isn't as much drinking and partying involved during freshers in September.