The government has introduced a new £800 fine for students at house parties of 15 or more

But you won’t be allowed back to uni until after Easter so there’s plenty of time to save up


The government has introduced a new £800 fine for people attending house parties of more than 15.

The beefed-up fines are part of updated guidance for universities – guidance which does not mention students’ rent, but specifically singles out halls and tells providers they must “ensure that students are aware of what constitutes their designated ‘household’, particularly if they live within large scale student accommodation.”

Fines will double for each consecutive party, up to a maximum of £6,400.

After Boris Johnson announced the “roadmap” out of lockdown in the Commons this afternoon, universities have been told that students on practical courses can return for face-to-face teaching on March 8th.

For everybody else, the fate of face-to-face teaching will be decided in a review taken at the end of the Easter holidays, with the government promising a week’s notice

“The government recognises the difficulties and disruption that this may cause for many students and their families, but our objective remains to reduce transmission by minimising the number of students who return to university and who access university facilities,” the guidance said.

However, with students facing an even longer time away from university, the government did not announce any additional support. Universities Minister Michelle Donelan instead reiterated that the government had already made £70m of funding available for students “in the greatest financial need, such as those struggling to cover accommodation costs”.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

Nightclubs could be reopening as early as 21st June, Boris Johnson announces

Rich students are somehow paying their tuition fees in physical cash

‘It’s been impossibly hard’: How Dr Alex George went from losing his brother to going head-to-head with the Prime Minister