Students who paid up front for college accommodation this semester are demanding their money back.
The Government this week asked all third-level institutions to begin the new semester online with strictly limited access to campuses for the next three weeks.
The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has advised students not to travel to college unless they absolutely need to – and called on the Government to introduce supports for student renters.
Meanwhile, University College cork Students’ Union (UCCSU) has warned that many students have already paid up to €4,000 for accommodation for the next semester.
Rent
Union president Naoise Crowley said many now fear they have wasted a huge amount of money.
“It’s three days before the semester and an announcement has just come out that the first two weeks of classes will be online,” he said. “We don’t know whether that will be two weeks or whether it will be longer.
“We are now in a situation where we have a lot of students who don’t know whether they will need the accommodation. Whether they will be in there for a day a week or for less and for the next few weeks, we have only online classes.
“People have paid €3,000 or €4,000 up front in a situation when they may not need to use that accommodation.”
“Scandalous”
He said students were fearful of a late decision like this all summer.
“We have been saying this and the USI have been saying this for the last six months,” he said.
“We need clarity about whether people are going to be on campus, whether people are going to be online and announcing it three days before the beginning of the semester for the vast majority of students is absolutely scandalous in my own opinion.
“I know public health is the absolute number one priority, we are all behind that, but people should have been given notice about this – not three days before the semester.”
There are also concerns the move to online learning will lead to an increase in student house parties for those who have already travelled to college.
The University of Limerick said it is running a community campaign with senior staff “out and about” in the community over the coming weeks to encourage returning students not to host parties.
