The issue
This year has been difficult for many of LSE’s students, and their educational and social experience has been seriously and negatively impacted by the pandemic. LSE must step up to support its students by offering financial redress for tuition fees, ensuring LSE students in Halls of residence are treated fairly, and LSE should improve the access to hardship funding.
Tuition Fees
Students deserve recognition of the lower quality of education and services provided by the university during this year. Whilst we recognise the labour and effort of professional services and academic staff in delivering a strong educational programme to students despite Covid, it is the view of many students that the quality of education and services has been lower than in non-Covid years. For many, class hours were shortened leading to the educational experience plummeting. This is not only due to online education, but also the lack of access to campus, interactive activities, and the general social experience of university. In seeking an LSE education, students have been encouraged to make financially burdensome decisions and been rewarded with more cost than benefit. Both students and the university can agree that students pay for much more than the lectures when they pay for LSE.
LSE should commit to:
• A financial contribution from LSE towards our tuition fees, in the form of a partial refund to be negotiated with students, would redress this situation.
• Lobbying government to help provide financial assistance and student loan write-offs for COVID affected students Halls of Residence We are grateful that LSE has chosen to let students out of their contracts in LSE managed halls of residence. However, this does not go far enough in addressing the needs of LSE students in Halls of Residences
Halls of Residences
LSE should commit to:
• Lobby the University of London Housing association to let LSE students out of their contracts.
• Lobby Privately managed LSE Halls of Residence to let LSE students out of their contracts
• Provide a 30% reduction of rent for those choosing to live in LSE halls of residence, and lobby for the same reduction in UoL & privately managed Halls of Residence
• No repercussions for rent strikers
• No staff redundancies
• Provide quarantine food and mental health support (catering for all dietary requirements)
• Providing accommodation to vulnerable students in need of assistance at no cost.
Hardship funding
The impact of Covid-19, and the announcement of the third lockdown in London has sent an increasing number of students into financial hardship; situations where they need emergency funds to survive until the next month. The SU Hardship Fund is close to running out, and the hardship fund administered by LSE is routinely reported to be slow in making awards to students in urgent financial hardship.
LSE should commit to:
• Ensuring that hardship funds are available to all students who need them, and that these funds are made available in a timely manner, within a week.
• Improve funding of the LSESU Hardship Fund, so it can continue to support students throughout the year.
Actions
Sign the petition to show your support for the campaign and to ask LSE for a tuition fee refund.
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