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Universities fined students more than £ 170,000 for violating coronavirus safety rules in the first weeks of the new academic year, according to an analysis by The Guardian, as students said they struggled to make friends without circumventing restrictions.
Twenty-eight institutions fined students for violating university, local, and national Covid rules, including home mixing bans, mandatory face coverings, and social distancing, according to responses from 105 universities to Freedom of Information (FoI) requests.
Students at the University of Nottingham paid more than a third of the total amount, and 91 were fined a total of £ 58,865 as of November 12, more than the amount imposed on their student population by the police. The university said the individual fines it issued were up to £ 1,500.
The fines imposed on 1,898 students amounted to £ 170,915. Most of the universities only disclosed the fines imposed in the first two or three weeks of term. Some said the money would be paid into their student hardship fund.
The findings reveal wide variations in the sanctions imposed on students by different universities, as well as in the support provided to those who isolated themselves or sought psychological help during the pandemic.
Fifty-three universities said they disciplined and warned a total of 5,122 students. Nottingham ranked first, with 672 students sanctioned and another 21 pending cases, followed by Leeds Beckett (403), Oxford Brookes (340), Manchester University (334) and Aberdeen (215).
The University of Aberdeen revealed the second highest value of fines: £ 32,250 on 24 November. The university did not disclose how many students this figure covered, but said it had imposed fines of £ 17,750 on 140 students by October 15. Most of the fines were £ 125, but a small number of repeat offenders were told to pay £ 250, it added.
Oxford Brookes imposed the highest number of Covid-related fines: 326, for a total of £ 18,950. The University of Leeds imposed 343 fines, but said it could not extrapolate how many were for violations of Covid regulations and did not disclose their value. The University of St Andrews imposed fines totaling £ 13,240 on 193 students.
The figures do not include the fines imposed by the police separately. Nottingham said police had issued 91 tickets to its students, totaling £ 28,000. In October, four Nottingham Trent students were fined £ 10,000 each by police after more than 30 people were found at their home. A spokesman for the university said it was working with officers to investigate another party at a student house earlier this week and that disciplinary proceedings had begun.
Emily, 20, a freshman at the University of St Andrews, who warned students to “follow all security guidelines to the letter, “he said he had broken Covid restrictions because” otherwise it would have been physically impossible to make friends. “
She added: “I received two £ 60 fines from the university and two strikes on my non-academic record, which means that I can no longer do things like apply for a year abroad. I think it is outrageous that these strikes remain on my record throughout my college life.
“The corridors and the city are full of guards and security ready to shut down anything immediately. It is like a police state. A friend was fined for not wearing a mask properly. This whole experience is incredibly isolating. “
Liz, 18, a freshman at Newcastle University, was fined £ 100 by police for having drinks with friends from her hometown at her student home.
She said: “I had felt really bad and I thought this would make me feel better. It wasn’t a party, but the music was pretty loud. I didn’t appeal because I thought feeling lonely wouldn’t be a very good defense. I have not made any new friends. I’m stuck in my little room all day. I would have deferred if I had known if it was going to be like this. “
Some of the colleges that charged the biggest fines also had the longest wait times for students to see a counselor. The University of St Andrews said the average wait time to see a counselor was five weeks. Manchester Metropolitan University, which issued 156 fines totaling £ 7,800, revealed the highest number of students awaiting advice (280), followed by Northumbria University (81).
Most colleges said they provide counseling online and over the phone, and some also use the services of friends. Many offer food and toiletries deliveries, some for free.
Larissa Kennedy, president of the National Union of Students, said: “It is absolutely unacceptable that universities have found it necessary to issue obscene fines and severe penalties. [They] it should provide aid kits with food, household products, wellness supplies and general needs at no additional cost. “
Newcastle University said it was “well aware” that the pandemic had a limited ability for students to make friends. A spokeswoman added that students had access to a 24/7 mental health helpline and support and could join a student or fellow staff member.
A spokesperson for the University of St Andrews said: “It is grossly false and disingenuous to claim that the only way to make friends is to break the rules. Supporting our students continues to be our top concern. “
The University of Nottingham said it supported police fines against the minority of students breaking the rules, which were reinforced by its own disciplinary action, fines and other penalties.
A spokesperson for Universities UK, which represents 140 higher education institutions, said the universities had encouraged responsible behavior by students through agreements or promises. But he added: “Universities are taking Covid security measures and government guidance very seriously and students will have been informed of the consequences of breaking these rules.”
