Welsh Students Call for Accommodation Refunds

The National Union of Students Wales (NUS Wales) has demanded a partial refund for students that are unable to use their university accommodation.

The union argued that students should not be penalised financially for following Welsh Government guidelines.

The Welsh Government said universities should have staggered returns and students should only return to campus when asked to. Therefore, some students will need to stay home longer than expected, with online learning used at the start of term.

Reports suggest only Cardiff Metropolitan University and Bangor University are offering money back. Cardiff Metropolitan will offer students living in university-managed accommodation rebates for the weeks where all their lectures and seminars are held online. Meanwhile, Bangor University is offering a 10% discount.

Whilst there have been calls for rent refunds, the Welsh government argues that rental agreements are a matter for individual institutions or landlords.