Royal Holloway has made £200k in library fines since 2012

Our library fees alone cover Paul Layzell’s yearly salary

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The cost of a University degree has been a controversial topic since its dramatic increase in 2012. Students are accumulating more debt than ever, with no expectation that they will ever be able to pay it off in the near future.

With the cost of living away from home, buying food and maintaining a social life at university added onto this, the idea of paying any additional costs is daunting, particularly for something as  trivial as a library late fee.

The Tab has discovered the unexpectedly high amount that Royal Holloway students have been charged by library late fees alone.

Imagine how many more fines will be given out after the new library is open

Since 2012, Royal Holloway has accumulated around £200,000 in library fines from students, with an average of 3,000 students per year fined for returning library books late.

2013-2014 had the highest recorded number of fines given out at 41,740, which amounted to £88,821.82 being repaid by students returning late library books.

The second highest was in the 2014-2015 academic year, where 33,013 were given out and which cost Roho students a lofty £72,030.43.

The academic year with the least amount of fines was in 2015-2016, which came to £47,708.85 and was paid by 26,586 students.

Next time you visit the library and take a book out, keep the late fees in mind. You heard it here first.