1 January 2021

7 min read

The UK Government has shared the below letter for all students, setting out how students will be able to return to campus from Monday 17 May. 

Letter from the Universities Minister 10 May 2021

Dear Students,  

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued resilience and co-operation throughout this challenging time. I am fully aware of the stress and  frustration you may have felt this year at being unable to return to your university for in-person teaching due to the disruptions caused by the pandemic. 

In April, the Government announced that all students on non-practical courses would  be able to return to in-person teaching alongside Step 3 of the Roadmap, when restrictions on social contact will be eased further and the majority of indoor settings can reopen. Following the latest review of the data against the Government’s four tests, I am delighted to confirm that from 17th May there will no longer be any restrictions on  the in-person teaching of students on non-practical courses. Whilst I understand that many universities have now entered periods of assessment and that opportunities for timetabled in-person teaching may be limited for the rest of this academic year, I hope  that this easing of restrictions will provide a chance for you to get involved in cocurricular and other on-campus activities before the end of term and enable you to have the option of engaging with your academic tutors in-person. HE providers have been planning a range of activities for you to engage with which could include in-person career support, society events as well as other social student experiences that have had to remain remote up until now.  

I fully appreciate that many of you have faced financial difficulty due to the delay in being able to return to in-person teaching. When I last wrote to you, I advised you that we were making a further £15m in hardship funding available, bringing the total for this academic year to £85m. Should you need to, please continue to seek this support from your institutions. I also understand that your mental health and wellbeing may have been impacted during the course of the pandemic. Please know that this is always a key priority for me, and I am continuing to work with my colleagues and your institutions to ensure on-going support is available. I encourage you to engage with your provider's welfare services and resources such as Student Space, which is a dedicated platform for students, funded by the Office for Students. You can also access support through the NHS urgent mental health helplines and from Every Mind Matters.  

Now that you are able to return to in-person activities on campus, it is more important than ever to get regular Covid tests and to follow the national restrictions in place. One in three people with COVID-19 do not experience any symptoms and may be spreading the virus without knowing. Regular testing is crucial to combat this and help prevent  outbreaks. Everyone across the country is being strongly encouraged to participate in twice weekly asymptomatic testing. 

This is particularly important for you as you may be travelling to another region for university and will be mixing with new people as restrictions begin to relax. We want to ensure the return to university is as positive as possible and avoid new outbreaks that require the self-isolation of students. 

You should take a test before travelling back to university, either through your local community testing programme or by ordering a home test online via the Universal Rapid Testing Offer. On arrival at university, you should then take three tests (3-4 days apart) at an on-site testing facility where this is available. All students should then test twice a week, either using home test kits or at an on-site testing facility. Where it is not convenient to access tests through your university provider, you can order tests online through the Universal Rapid Testing Offer. Alongside the rollout of the vaccine, regular testing is going to be an essential part of the easing of restrictions as it will help us  quickly suppress the spread of variants.  

It is really important that you report the results of any home tests straight away whether void, positive or negative at https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result. When reporting your results, remember to identify yourself as a student and state which university you attend. Recording all results helps us get a better understanding of the spread of the virus across the country. If we only record positive results, the level of COVID-19 cases will look worse than they really are. Scientists use the information to spot patterns and outbreaks more quickly and accurately; helping reduce the risk of future lockdowns. 

We are aware that those of you graduating this year will have had fewer opportunities to gain work experience (fewer internships, placements, part time jobs) and participate in extra-curricular activities, experiences that traditionally help students develop employability skills. My Department has worked with Universities UK, the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS), the Institute of Student Employers, the Office for Students (OfS) and across the sector to understand what more we can do to support graduates who are looking to enter the labour market or continue their studies at this challenging time. As a result, we have developed the Graduate Employment and Skills Guide, which signposts you to public, private, and voluntary sector opportunities, to help you build employability skills and gain work experience or enter the labour market. The Guide also links to further study options and resources on graduate mental health and wellbeing. 

The Department is also working closely with the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), professional bodies and the OfS to ensure students continue to leave university with qualifications that have real value, reflect their hard work and allow people to progress. Our message to employers is that standards have been maintained and that the  qualifications awarded will be of the same academic standard as in previous years. As a student cohort, you have responded to the pandemic with formidable resilience and motivation and have shown a clear ability to adapt and learn at pace. As a result of online learning and teaching, you have also developed excellent digital and remote working skills and will be well equipped for future ways of working. Employers from across different industries have agreed, assuring that they are confident that the skills you have developed this year will be hugely beneficial as you move into the world of work, even though you may not even have realised you were developing them. 

I am very grateful for your efforts during these challenging times, and I hope this information is useful. As ever, please be assured that I will continue to work with your  institutions and advocate for your education, future prospects and mental health and wellbeing. 

Michelle Donelan MP  

Minister of State for Universities

The UK Government has shared the below letter for students, setting out how teaching at Universities will be able to return to campus for students on all courses. 

Letter from the Universities Minister 13 April 2021

Dear Students, 

I continue to be deeply impressed by the dedication and commitment you have shown to your education under these difficult circumstances. Over the last year, I have worked closely with your providers to try and reduce the impact COVID-19 has had on you and to make sure that the quality of your education remains consistent. 

Last term, we advised that students on certain practical and creative courses could  go back to in-person teaching and committed to reviewing further returns by the end of the Easter holidays. We have recently announced that remaining students will be able to return to in-person teaching alongside Step 3 of the Roadmap, when restrictions on social contact will be eased further and the majority of indoor settings can reopen. This will take place no earlier than 17 May, following a further review of the data against the four tests. A return alongside Step 3 would give  many of you time to receive some in-person teaching before the end of term, as well as engage with cocurricular activities and enjoy the benefits of on-campus  activity in accordance with Government advice. 

The government and I have always been keen for you to return to in-person teaching as soon as possible and this decision has not been taken lightly. It was made to keep you and the wider community as safe as possible. We recognise the difficulties and disruption that this may cause for many students and their families. However, the government roadmap is designed to maintain a cautious approach to the easing of restrictions in the light of public health considerations, to ensure that we can maintain progress towards full reopening. By Step 3, more of the population will be vaccinated, and there is also more time to increase testing to reduce risk further. The movement of students across the country poses a risk for the transmission of the virus – particularly because of the higher prevalence and rates of transmission of new variants. As a result, we will continue  to advise that the number of students who return to their place of study and in person teaching should be limited for now. Our advice remains that some students, such as those with inadequate study space and/or mental health and wellbeing issues, may need to return to their term time address despite their teaching still being online. In addition, we have asked providers to consider appropriate provision to support access to university facilities for all students for the purposes of online learning, to safeguard your wellbeing and to  prevent isolation and mental ill health. In line with wider coronavirus restrictions, this may include supporting access to organised sport and entertainment.

I have spoken to many of you during our student panels, so I am aware this comes as disappointing news for those who had hoped to resume in-person teaching in April. I understand the difficulty that this further delay will create for you and your families. With this in mind, I can announce that the government is making available a further £15 million for providers to address student hardship this academic year. This is in addition to the £70 million already distributed to providers via the OfS this academic year.

I will continue to work to prioritise your mental health and wellbeing, including via the Mental Health in Education Action Group, convened by Minister Ford and me. We have worked with the Office for Students to launch the online mental health platform Student Space, worth up to £3 million, in addition to the £15 million we have asked them to consult on to allocate to student mental health initiatives in the coming academic year. I will continue to ask providers to prioritise mental health support - please do reach out to their support services if you need them. More generally, we appreciate that your experience this year is not what you had expected and so we have discussed with providers the need to ensure you have opportunities to engage in the wider university experience when you have returned to campus. 

Alongside this, we are working with the sector to support those of you who are graduating in the summer and those who are entering HE in the autumn to ensure you feel supported in your transition. We are working in parallel with Universities UK, the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services, the Institute of Student Employers, the Office for Students, and the wider sector to understand what we can do to complement their planned support. This will include signposting you to useful resources and opportunities. 

More broadly, the Government is doing all it can to help people who are at the start of their career journey. Jobcentre Plus work coaches can help you to find opportunities that match your skills. The Department for Work and Pensions has successfully recruited over 13,500 new work coaches as of the end of March 2021 to ensure that high quality work search support is available to those who need it. You can access free information and careers advice through the National Careers Service. The Government is investing additional funding in the National Careers Service up to March 2022 to support delivery of individual careers advice for those whose jobs/learning have been affected by the pandemic (by end of FY21/22). The Skills Toolkit provides online courses to help you learn new skills; we have added additional courses to the Skills Toolkit to develop ‘work readiness’ skills that  employers report they value in their new recruits. 

Asymptomatic COVID-19 testing is key to keeping the higher education environment as safe as possible. If you are currently residing in university halls of residence or other term-time accommodation, it is essential that you participate in your provider’s asymptomatic COVID testing programme. This will help to identify asymptomatic infections and break chains of transmission, helping to keep you and your friends safe, even if you are not currently participating in in-person teaching and learning. As is the expectation across most educational settings, please take two tests every week and, if testing at home, report your results whether negative, positive or void. You should familiarise yourself with testing by doing 3 tests at an asymptomatic testing centre before using home test kits while at university. If you are travelling back to university accommodation you should also get tested beforehand at a community testing centre or by ordering a  test kit online. 

Whilst I have been incredibly humbled to see the resilience you have shown, I am acutely aware of the impact that this disruption may have had on you. As ever, I remain committed to your education, mental health and wellbeing and again would urge you to continue to, where required, use the mental health and pastoral support that your institution provides. 

Yours sincerely, 

Michelle Donelan MP 
Minister of State for Universities

The UK Government has shared the below letter for all students, setting out how the support they are offering for students.

Letter from the Universities Minister 2 February 2021

Dear students, 

This has clearly been a hard and challenging time for all of us in education with an  unprecedented scale of disruption caused by the global pandemic. We made a national decision to prioritise education so that you did not have to delay your academic journeys or lives, but that does not mean we underestimate the fact your university experience has been so very different over the last year. This virus has taken so much from all of us and the impact on young people and students has  been stark. That is why, at every stage, I have worked with universities to prioritise mental health and wellbeing. 

I want to thank you for the patience and dedication you have shown in response to the disruption caused to your studies by the pandemic. We appreciate that concerns about new coronavirus variants and another national lockdown announced on 4th January have affected many people’s sense of wellbeing, especially that of students given the majority are now studying 100% online and not in their term time accommodation.   

Throughout this pandemic I have been working with universities to prevent students getting into hardship. We have ensured that £256 million worth of student premium money could be used flexibly in this academic year. In December we announced an initial £20 million of additional hardship funding and I am now announcing an additional £50 million for this financial year taking funding available to £70 million which can be used by April. We will continue to monitor the situation going forward and look at what impact this funding is having. 

The funding will be distributed by the Office for Students to universities, who will ensure it reaches those in greatest need including international students and postgraduates. We believe Higher Education institutions are best placed to help those of you who are impacted by the pandemic. Support may include assistance for students facing additional costs arising from having to maintain accommodation in more than one location, or those of you who may have been unable to keep jobs based close to your term-time accommodation (if you are not able to access the Coronavirus Job Retention Support Scheme (CJRS)). Alternatively, support may include help for you to access teaching remotely, or for those of you who have already applied for hardship funding previously but now need additional support.

I welcome the decision from many universities and accommodation providers to  offer rent refunds and I am encouraging all large-scale private accommodation providers that have not yet done so to join them and offer refunds or other financial compensation. We are asking all providers of student accommodation, including universities, to make sure that their rental policies have your best interests at heart. We also urge them to communicate their policies clearly and be fair.  

I know how difficult the past year has been and I want to thank you again for your resilience at this challenging time. I want to reassure you that your education, health and wellbeing remain at the top of my agenda. Please continue to access the mental health and pastoral support provided by your Universities, should you need to. I chair a mental health and wellbeing working group which includes the OfS Student Panel and Student Minds along with many sector representatives and we have been working with other government departments to communicate what support is available and are also looking at what more we can do. We have launched the Student Space platform, run by Student Minds. The Minister for Children and Families and I are also chairing a Mental Health Education Action Group which will look at mental issues for students and staff across all stages of education. We have asked the OfS to dedicate £15 million of the Teaching Grant to initiatives to support student mental health especially with the transition from  school/college to university. 

I also want to use this opportunity to reassure you that I am working closely with universities and the professional bodies to ensure that you can all graduate on time and at a world-class level despite the disruption that the pandemic is causing. The Prime Minister recently announced that unfortunately we cannot allow the return of any more students to university until at least the 8th March – this is three weeks after all those most at risk (in the first four priority groups) will have been vaccinated. In the week commencing the 15th February we will conduct a review based on the impact of the vaccine roll out, looking at mortality rates, infection rates and the pressures on our NHS. During the commencing the 22nd February  e will announce the plan for university students and other educational settings.  

As a government we want to get you back to face-to-face studying as soon as possible, but we have to follow the science and prioritise the NHS and saving lives. The scientific advice remains that Higher Education teaching settings are very low risk. The concern is regarding the mass movement of students back to campus, as well as reducing community transmission in general. 

There are exceptions for some students; the guidance for students returning to, and starting, High Education in spring term 2021 sets out that Higher Education providers should also consider supporting the return of students in exceptional circumstances; for example, where students do not have access to appropriate alternative accommodation, facilities or study space, or who need to return for safety or mental health reasons. 

A number of students have contacted me about no detriment policies. As autonomous institutions it is for universities will make their own judgements about how best to ensure students’ achievements are reliably and fairly assessed. Adopting a ‘no detriment’ policy may well be one way for universities to achieve this. We will continue to work closely with the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), professional bodies and the OfS to ensure students continue to leave university with qualifications that have real value, reflect their hard work and  allow people to progress.  

I am also thankful to all HE staff for their tireless work to ensure that young people do not have to put their lives or their academic journeys on hold. We have been clear that universities are expected to maintain quality and academic standards and the quantity of tuition should not drop. I have been impressed by the innovative and dynamic approaches so many providers have taken to online learning. 

However, if you have concerns, there is a process in place. You should first raise your concerns with your university. If your concerns remain unresolved, you can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education to consider your complaint. We expect providers to ensure that continuing and prospective students receive the clear, accurate and timely information needed to make informed decisions. 

Finally, if you are currently attending University, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that you should be tested twice upon your return to University facilities, and providers should now also be offering twice weekly testing to all students eligible to be attending. It is crucial that eligible students engage in this programme so that we can reduce and better manage outbreaks of COVID-19 and work towards the wider re-opening of Higher Education institutions.  

Yours sincerely, 

Michelle Donelan MP  

Minister of State for Universities

 

The UK Government has shared the below letter for all students, setting out how teaching at Universities will continue safely this January.

A full list of courses that the Government has permitted to offer in-person teaching from 4 January is on the Government website.

Letter from the Universities Minister 31 December 2020

Dear Student, 

I hope you managed to have an enjoyable break with your family and loved ones.  

You will be aware of the rising cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) across parts of England, early and concerning evidence on a new variant and the extension of Tier 4 restrictions to a number of regions of the country.  

As a result of the new developments, we are unfortunately having to further restrict the number of courses that can return to in-person teaching as planned at the beginning of  the spring term. This is not a decision we have taken lightly but it is a necessary step given the rate of transmission across England and it is proportionate to the other asks we have placed on all sectors to curb the spread of the virus, protect the NHS and save lives. However, I must stress that we remain confident that teaching and learning environments are COVID-secure for those who do return, but in this time of heightened risk of transmission, we are seeking to reduce numbers who travel at the beginning of term and to and from campus.  

We are prioritising the return of a limited number of subjects, to those of you training for vital public sector roles in health and social care and education, as listed below. We ask that those of you who are not studying on these courses remain where you are wherever possible, and start your term online, as facilitated by your university. This includes some of you on other practical courses who we had previously said could return at the beginning of term as planned, and we recognise that this change will be particularly disappointing for you. This is unfortunately though, a necessary step given the rate of transmission across the country.  

Throughout the pandemic we have seen universities develop innovative and dynamic online learning and whilst we all want to see a return to face to face teaching, it is very much the case that online does not have to mean inferior. The government remains clear that that the quality and quantity of taught hours must be maintained and that all  learning must be accessible. Please also be rest assured that I am in the process of setting up meetings with the different Professional Statutory and Regulatory bodies so that we can work with them to ensure all courses lead to those vital qualifications. 

For all students not in tranche one, we plan to allow a staggered return to university from the week commencing 25 January, at the earliest. As I am sure you will appreciate, the situation continues to evolve, and so the government will review this decision and provide further communication to your university in the week commencing 18 January. We will shortly be updating the Spring 2021 guidance to reflect this announcement.  

Those of you studying in the following subject areas can return to in-person teaching in line with their planned start of term:  

  • Medicine & dentistry 
  • Subjects allied to medicine/health (see detailed list below) 
  • Veterinary science 
  • Education (initial teacher training) 
  • Social work 
  • Courses which require Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB)  assessments and or mandatory activity which is scheduled for January and  which cannot be rescheduled (your university will notify you if this applies to you).  

While we strongly encourage you to remain where you are until your in-person teaching starts wherever possible, we have also asked universities to make provision to provide appropriate support and facilities to the following: 

  • International students who have remained in the UK and those who have arrived and do not have alternative accommodation 
  • Anyone without access to appropriate study spaces or facilities in their vacation  accommodation. This also applies to commuter students who (if not in the first  tranche) should only access university resources if they have inadequate study spaces or require additional support such as mental health provision 
  • Those of you who have remained in their university accommodation over the winter break, but we ask that you only utilise campus resources when you have to in order to reduce footfall on campus
  • Those requiring additional support, including those with mental health issues
  • Those of you on placements where the placement provider has COVID-secure measures in place, is permitted to open based on the relevant local restrictions, and is content for placements to continue
  • Researchers and research students who require access to specialist facilities for their work. If research students can work from home, they are encouraged to do so 

The university resources that will remain open for those in tranche one and the students who fall into the categories above include libraries, study spaces and performance areas. Performance areas have been included because students who have remained on campus – or who have already returned - may not have access to an instrument etc but this does not mean that all performance students should return to university – each of us must play our part to reduce the transmission of the virus. If students have already travelled back to university then they should remain on campus and not return home. 

Testing will be available to all students on their return to university, and you should get tested as soon as you can when you return to campus or access university facilities. Testing everyone will be a key tool to reduce the risk of transmission and outbreaks of COVID-19 at the start of term. If you do not get tested when this is offered by your  university, you should self-isolate for 10 days, to reduce the risk of transmission between home and university.  

Our advice for international students travelling from overseas for the Spring term is to consider whether you, in fact, need to travel to the UK at this time, particularly if your course does not require you to be on campus from 4 January. Those students should consider delaying their travel plans if travel plans can be rearranged without undue costs. For those who do need to travel, international arrivals must complete a passenger locator form on arrival in the UK, and passengers travelling from a country not on the exemption (travel corridor) list will need to self-isolate in their accommodation for 10 days. Your university should advise you of the appropriate local testing facilities  at your institution.

We recognise that in these exceptional circumstances some students may face financial hardship. We have worked with the Office for Students to clarify that providers are able to use existing funds, worth around £256 million for academic year 2020/21, towards hardship support. The Government is making available up to a further £20m on a one-off basis to support those that need it most, particularly disadvantaged students. The funding will be distributed by the Office for Students to universities, who will have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to students in a way that will best prioritise those in greatest need. The funding can be distributed to a wide population of students, including postgraduates (whether taught or  research) and international students. You will be able to apply for this through the usual routes for your university hardship funding. 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your patience and cooperation with  the measures we have put in place to keep you safe, enable you to continue your studies whilst at the same time managing the continuing risks that COVID-19 presents to us all. 

Michelle Donelan MP  

Minister of State for Universities