Student Update: University accommodation fees

Please be aware that this information was shared with students by email and correct at the time of sending. For the latest Covid-19 guidance, please visit our coronavirus webpages: www.wlv.ac.uk/coronavirus. If you are a student who has a query or needs support, please log a helpcall with ASK@WLV in e:Vision (www.wlv.ac.uk/evision).

I hope that you are all safe and well.  Today's communication is an update on accommodation and accommodation fees.     

Who can return to term time accommodation   

The Government roadmap confirmed that students on practical or practise based courses who require access to specialist facilities can return to campus for in person teaching from Monday, 8 March. All other courses will continue to be taught online, and students should remain where they are wherever possible. Exceptionally, there may be students who need to return to their term time accommodation because they do not have access to appropriate alternative accommodation, facilities or study space or who need to return for health or safety reasons.    

Wherever possible, students should remain where they are and should not travel to access University facilities until the resumption of their face to face teaching. Students should regularly check their timetable in the MyWLV app for the most up to date information on teaching for their course before making any plans to travel to the University. Personal timetables are currently being updated for those courses now due to return to in person teaching from Monday, 8 March.   

Students should avoid returning to university to collect any of their belongings they may have left at their university accommodation over the winter break. However, students can travel back to collect any medical equipment or items required for online learning if it essential.      

University owned accommodation    

The University will continue to not charge rent for students unable to use rooms in its University accommodation whilst access to in person teaching on campus is restricted by Government guidance. 

Students who return to their rooms or remained in halls throughout the current lockdown will continue to receive a 25% discount. 

We will review this discount again after Easter (mid-April), in line with Government guidance and the roadmap.  

If you have vacated but left belongings in your room and haven't handed in your keys, the University will not charge you rent during this period due to the restrictions currently in place. Once you are allowed to travel, we will be back in touch to confirm the timeline and booking process to empty your room or return to accommodation to live.      

Other accommodation   

The University of Wolverhampton is strongly encouraging private providers to review what support they can offer to students who have been unable to return to their accommodation.    

Staying safe in accommodation   

We expect our students to abide by social distancing guidelines whilst living in accommodation.  

In line with the current restrictions, students should not bring other students, friends or family into their accommodation. Parties and overnight guests in accommodation are also not permitted.  

The latest Government guidance states:    

The government has introduced a new £800 fine for those attending house parties, including in halls of residence, which will double for each repeat offence to a maximum level of £6,400. These fines will apply to those who attend illegal gatherings of more than 15 people from outside their household. Providers should ensure that students are aware of what constitutes their designated 'household', particularly if they live within large scale student accommodation.    

In student accommodation, your 'household' is the people with whom you share a corridor and communal kitchen area. You must not hold house parties or visit other households – even if you're living in the same accommodation block.   

Face coverings must be worn in all communal areas of your accommodation block; this includes the stairwells and when entering and exiting your household and the building. Please be mindful that some staff and students are exempt from wearing a face covering due to a disability. This includes hidden disabilities, such as anxiety and autism.  

Everyone must understand that face coverings do not replace good hand hygiene and other safety precautions. This includes effective hand washing, hand sanitisers where soap and water are not readily available, and social distancing.   

Failure to comply with these measures may result in you being excluded from the campus. 

Stay up to date with the latest information   

Please keep checking your University emails and reading these updates. We are committed to keeping students up to date. We do this by email, on our social media channels (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook) and the University student news web page.       

If you have any questions about University accommodation and rent fees, please contact the Accommodation Services team.   

Visit our dedicated Covid-19 webpages for information on how you can stay safe and help protect our University community during the pandemic.       

Thank you, and stay safe.      

Professor Julia Clarke      

Deputy Vice-Chancellor