The University of Sheffield have announced that they will not be charging rent to students between January 4th and February 22nd due to the national lockdown.
They’ve said that only students who have been unable to use their University owned or managed accommodations will be free from their rent during the lockdown.
In a statement released on Twitter, the University wrote: “Due to the current national lockdown restrictions, we will not charge rent to students who are unable to make use of their University owned or managed accommodation between 4 January and 22 February.”
Sheffield also urged private landlords to be as “flexible as possible” with students and said that they will work with Sheffield’s student union to lobby for students renting to private landlords.
Sheffield stated that before the winter break they “established a £3 million Covid-19 Support Fund to support students.”
Many students and politicians have spoken out in desire for reduced tuition fees due to majority having online lectures and having their time at university disrupted by the multiple restrictions and different national lockdowns. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also said that something needs to be done for university students.
Mental health has also been a strong topic of conversation as many have questioned what universities are doing to help students’ wellbeing during this time. Students have felt high levels of loneliness, anxiety and depression, as they’ve been left isolating in their university rooms, away from their families who may be vulnerable or in a different country due to being an international student.
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