The return of remaining students to university campuses will not take place before 8th March, the government announced yesterday (04/02).

The guidance had previously stated that most students will not be allowed to return for in-person teaching until mid-February at the earliest, and some Cambridge colleges had begun to make plans for the staggered return of students at that time.

The new guidance should not impact plans at the University of Cambridge for online teaching, as it was announced in January by Vice-Chancellor Stephen Toope that teaching will be online for the entirety of Lent term, with the exception of certain courses outlined in the guidance.

Medicine, health-related courses, teacher training, social work, veterinary science, policing, and a limited number of courses requiring Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) assessments continue to be listed as exceptions to these regulations.

The guidance states that international students, including Erasmus+ and exchange students, who had planned to return to campuses in spring “should consider delaying if travel arrangements can be rearranged without undue costs”, subject to international travel restrictions.

The guidance continues: “[Higher Education] providers should try to be as flexible as possible with international students travelling to the UK from overseas. This is especially the case if students have already booked travel before this guidance was issued and they are unable to rearrange via their travel operator, or the cost of rearranging would be prohibitively high.”

The guidance also states that universities “should consider supporting the return of students in exceptional circumstances, for example, where students do not have access to appropriate alternative accommodation, facilities or study space, or where students need to return for health or safety reasons.”

It notes that “the government has now 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”, in situations where people attend illegal gatherings of 15 people or more from outside their household.

Varsity has contacted the University for comment.