Current and future international students at UK universities can get guidance on many aspects of the impact of Covid-19 on their studies.
An online guide bringing together health, education, travel and visa advice has been set up by the industry body Universities UK: https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/International/Pages/Covid-19-intl.aspx
While it cannot provide formal guidance, it does disseminate government and public health information and signpost to external resources where available.
It covers the following areas:
- Current international students and staff
- Future international students
- Student mobility
- Transnational education
Right to accommodation
Examples of the information provided include that students currently remaining at university should now not travel and that their institutions should provide accommodation for international students who have nowhere else to live and cannot return home due to travel restrictions.
It explains the rules around student visas, extensions to visas and Erasmus+ grants, confirms that international students have free access to UK healthcare, and provides information for student doctors and nurses now working in the UK National Health Service (NHS).
Students due to start in autumn 2020
For students due to start a course in the UK in autumn 2020 who fear they may be unable to travel at that time, it recommends they make contact with the university they hope to study at to find out its contingency plans and receive updates as the situation develops. There is similar guidance for young people unable to take their final year high school examinations.
The Universities UK guide provides links to advice for study-abroad students who are struggling to get home and need emergency help.
Access to remote learning
On the subject of Transnational Education (TNE), it says that students should still receive good quality support and teaching in whatever form it is delivered. Providers who have switched to online teaching should especially consider the impact of any changes on vulnerable students, including students unable or less able to access remote learning.
