Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Uni faces calls to refund tuition fees amid virus crisis
Anger over £9k cost of ‘unacceptable’ service
Frustrated students say tuition fees should be scrapped or lowered if online lectures continue beyond the summer.
The county’s two main institutions have axed face-to-face classes amid the Covid-19 pandemic to avoid the spread of the virus.
But one - the University of Kent - says it is preparing to continue offering virtual tuition at the start of the next academic year.
Lecturers at the uni, which has campuses in Canterbury and Medway, will deliver a mix of virtual learning alongside “socially distancing approaches” to any on-campus classes.
Kent politics student Hamish Hallett believes there should be a reduction in fees if there is no face-to-face teaching.
“If lectures have to be online for a while and it’s for safety reasons, I am absolutely fine with that,” the 22-year-old said. “But if we are having to pay £9,250 for tuition I think that is pretty unacceptable.
“If you purchase a service and you’re not getting it, you would want a refund.
“If universities are going to act like businesses they have got to be accountable like one.” Criminology student Alejandro Javierre says he feels a reduction in fees for the past few months is “fair”.
“I still technically have a month left of my course that I pretty much can’t complete because I’m too far away, meaning I’ll have to push finishing that part of it until September,” the 20-year-old added. “Online lectures just don’t really have the same feeling as ones in person.
“It is going to feel like we’re getting less value, but there isn’t really much you can do.” Canterbury Christ Church University - which has campuses in the city, Medway and Tunbridge Wells, has yet to announce when and how it will reopen.
Beth Elwood, who studies tourism at the university’s city campus, says students should only get a discount if they have not been given the right support. “I have been really lucky that my lecturers have been really supportive,” the 22-year-old said. “As long as the students are still getting good quality of teaching, it is not as bad. “I completely understand that it if students are not getting the right support then they should get their fees reimbursed. “To say all fees should be scrapped - then how would universities cover their overheads and how would staff be paid?” UKC says the wellbeing of students and staff will be at the “forefront” of all planning. “Our aim is to ensure that teaching, research and knowledge exchange can be delivered from the start of the next academic year,” they said. “We are preparing for a mix of online delivery alongside socially distanced approaches to any face-to-face delivery. “Our campuses are also being prepared to ensure they comply with social distancing requirements.
“We will continue to work closely with the students’ union, trade unions and staff representatives, as well as drawing on health and safety and national guidance, as we move through this transition period.” CCCU says it is working on detailed plans for how to begin the next academic year. “We are working closely with our students’ union and hope to be able to make a decision soon on when we can start to welcome our university community back onto our campuses.” The University of Greenwich says it is looking at a number of models for September, including a mix of online and face-to-face teaching and support.
‘If you purchase a service and you’re not getting it, you would want a refund’