Hallward’s Half Million

In the last two years, the University of Nottingham has taken a whopping £465,655 in fines from library and parking offences.

A Freedom of Information request made by The Tab has revealed that the equivalent of 120 years worth of pre-2012 tuition fees was taken in library fines alone. All those short loans really do stack up.

Gurl, you got fine written all over you.

Nicki, a third year architecture student, still owes £20 from her first year and thinks the University is being unreasonable:

“Sometimes you forget to take a book back. I understand when people take the mick and don’t take their books back for weeks but when you’re a few days late paying a good few pounds for each book for each day seems a bit too far.”

The current rates for Hallward fines are 30p a day for normal books and a stonking £19.20 for short loans, which many see as an unfair extra burden on students who are already penny-pinched.

With such a slim supply of core texts, The Tab advises hoarding all necessary materials.

“If you manage to get hold of a book, it’s still a nightmare because not only do they have so few, people are recalling them all the time,” said Jen Grant, a Philosophy fresher.

She added: “I’d rather take the fine and be able to do the work I need to do.”

Over £300k in fines, and not a penny spent on decent air con

Uni bigwigs are not only satisfied from taking vast sums in book charges, though, as traffic fines make up over £150,000 of the total money received. These are for all violations on campus, including bike related charges.

Notts security have extensive powers that enable them, among other things, to fine any student caught driving on campus as well as imposing fines of up to £150 for “indiscriminate or excessive sounding of vehicle horns, hooters or sirens.”

Fines laid on by the security department are treated as debts to the University: “If they are not paid, this may prevent the student from re-registering or graduating.”

Not armed and barely dangerous, Notts security pose for action shot

Tom, former Notts BNOC and current Trent wanker, was fined after only leaving his car for one minute: “Security pounce on innocent students to make a quick buck, I was just trying to return all my books which were too heavy to take on the bus.

“They think a Hi-vis jacket gives them the right to punish hard-working students. They’re nothing but a bunch of jobsworths.”

Tom felt targeted by UoN’s security team

The money does go to a good cause, however. Notts supports the Student Crisis Fund who offer emergency interest-free loans to students that experience difficulties due to an unexpected change in circumstance whilst at Notts.

Despite a £24m surplus last year, “the size of the fund means that it is impossible to offer support to students for on-going maintenance costs.”

*Figure initially reported as £526,107, this included drugs related fines