St Andrews Principal says students not liable to pay course fees up to 10 weeks

In an email sent to students today, Principal Mapstone said the University is “extending the period in which students can make their mind up about St Andrews without being liable for any course fees from four weeks to 10 weeks”.

The University is also getting rid of the usual requirement whereby students have to give 28 days’ notice if they want to cancel their accommodation contracts.

In the same email, the university laid out a £500k “Can Do initiative” to help student activities.

The email praises students’ response to new Covid measures and said students “are not to blame for the current crisis”.

The email also stated that if students wished to go home, they could as long as long as they follow the guidance.

It noted a small amount of students request to terminate their accommodation contracts, “fewer than 25 requests to date”, and that students are welcome to do so.

The email encouraged students to stay at the University to “benefit from in-person teaching as we phase it in”.

The Principal said: “If you decide that St Andrews is really not for you and want to withdraw definitively from your studies with us, you may do so without being liable for course fees, until 1 December 2020.

“About 1,000 of our students are currently not with us in St Andrews, and are studying entirely remotely, either by choice or circumstance.

“We will be continuing to provide dual-mode delivery of teaching in semester 2 (for subjects other than Medicine), and to cater for those who can’t make the journey to St Andrews at this time, or may need to self-isolate.”

The St Andrews Can Do initiative is a collaboration between the University and the Students’ Association, and will help students, societies and clubs with resources to help them create Covid-safe activities. The first stage of this new project is the development of a large heated and ventilated marquee, which can be partitioned to create smaller spaces.

“The marquee can be partitioned to provide smaller, separate spaces, will be bookable by students and staff, is free to use, and work to begin its installation will begin next week”, the email read.

St Andrews has a recorded total of 25 cases since 1st September. This total includes four new cases notified over the weekend and yesterday.

Featured image: Remi Mathis / Creative Commons License