Boris Johnson vows to finally look into student rent payments during lockdown three

He also thanked students for continuing to do online learning


Boris Johnson thanked university students in his briefing today and vowed the government would “look at” accommodation costs to make sure universities were making the right arrangements.

In his 5pm briefing, he answered a question about university students and accommodation costs, saying: “We’ll be looking very carefully at what’s happening to students as a result of their course being postponed – the absence of the tuition that they would expect.”

He said that online learning was the way forward, but continued: “Clearly there is going to be issues with the cost of their accommodation that we will have to look at as a government and see what arrangements the universities are making to deal with the reasonable concerns of many, many students.”

He went on to praise students, saying: “I want to thank students for the sacrifice that you are making in staying away from university and learning online as you have to like all other students and pupils will have to over the next few months. I believe it will sincerely be worth it for the reopening of education and the reopening of our lives.”

This comes as thousands of students across over 30 universities sign pledges to withhold their second term rent as they are unable to return to their uni homes. A government petition to cut tuition fees has also recently passed 100,000 signatures, meaning that it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Thousands of students threaten to withhold rent at over 30 unis in historic rent strike

• Every university should be implementing a no detriment policy this term, no questions asked

• Brexit has now happened, but here’s what it means for Erasmus and your year studying abroad