On the 9th of February, Union Council passed a Tuition Fee Policy which aims to express that the Union believes that a proportion of university fees for students impacted by the pandemic should be reimbursed.
The SU understand that the University of Plymouth has taken measures to alleviate the impact of the pandemic on our students. However, students have still seen a reduced number of contact hours, lack of access to university facilities. They have ultimately missed out on the “University Experience” that many come to university. At this time Union Council also agreed that the Union would join the campaign Students United Against Fees.
Students United Against Fees aims to get compensation on tuition fees for all students enrolled at UK universities and do so without bankrupting universities. This means they are seeking the Government to release funds directly to universities to be distributed among the student body.
This campaign is for every single student enrolled in a UK university. It includes all undergraduate students, taught postgraduates and postgraduate research students, home students, and international students. It considers the different methods and ways students have chosen to pay fees to Universities.
See SUAF's letter to the PM here:
This year, students have been ignored and exploited, left paying full fees for a vastly lessened experience. We deserve...
Posted by Students United Against Fees on Thursday, 29 April 2021
UPSU chose this campaign because it puts the responsibility back in the hands of the Government. We understand that if Universities were to refund out of their own pockets, it could impact other vital services they provide or potentially bankrupt them. We also know that the University has still provided teaching to students and are meeting their learning outcomes; however, this does not negate the fact that students are not getting the same experience that they would be getting in previous years despite paying the same fees.
Today, Students United Against Tuition Fees are launching a digital day of protest where they will be lobbying the Government to give back students a percentage of their tuition fees.
As a Sabbatical Team, we have signed a letter that you can also read and sign here:
Read the officers letter and sign it here
You can get involved by:
Sign up to the SUAF campaign here
Sign the letter to the PM here
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