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We as students have failed to be heard through the correct channels, our petitions have fallen on deaf ears in Parliament, and once again we are lumbered with the financial burden as well as attacks by the media.

The university education we were promised has failed to materialise, yet we must pay the same fees as previous years. Our learning is all online, subjects that rely on academic debate are now clunky and forced through discussion boards and zoom meetings. Our learning environment is not ideal, we are relying on our internet connection and our siblings staying quiet long enough for us to work, when this is not what we were promised. We were goaded into attending University this year, under the proviso of mixed learning. Our degree costs £9,250 a year, The Open University charges less than a 1/3 because it recognises the online learning isn’t worth the same. The OU was founded in 1969, and has decades of experience in online teaching, red brick universities have been forced to adapt as the pandemic has progressed which isn’t a fault of the University faculty but the Government’s management of education. Unlike OU we must provide our own text books which comes at an additional cost. We want the Government to recognise that £9,250 a year isn’t reflective of the education we are receiving and demand tuition fees be lowered in line with OU fees.

We are in most cases paying the same rent prices, even in university owned accommodation. The Government ordered lockdown legally forced us to remain at our home address, yet we are still paying for a service we are unable to use. Those that are currently living in University accommodation aren’t able to use all the facilities we are paying for: common rooms, library spaces (without prior booking), event venues and gyms etc. These are all factored into the cost of our accommodation, yet we have seen no reimbursement for their absence.

Students will be receiving a maintenance loan (minimum of £4,168 a year) which does not cover the full extent of student living costs. The disruption students have faced cannot be overstated, Covid-19 has once again forced the service and retail sector to close - an industry fuelled by student workers. Even with the aid of the Government Retention Scheme many students have lost their jobs, jobs they held to cover the cost of accommodation and living expenses.

Students from low-income backgrounds may now be forced to contribute financially to the households they now reside in, after following Government Lockdown guidance.

The Government have shown no compassion, no increase in mental health support, and in fact they have done the opposite. They have berated us in the media and used us as their scapegoats to cover up their poor management. We want to be heard and listened to. The correct channels have not proven to work, so us at Not Your Scapegoats want to take over London - think NHS Brexit bus... but factual. Parliament are able to ignore our petitions with lengthy responses filled with terminology the general public do not understand in attempts to absolve any responsibility. Join our movement #makeafuss and have our voices, the leaders of tomorrow heard.

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