THOUSANDS of people in Berkshire have called for university tuition fees to be cut this year because most courses are being taught online.

A petition states the government should order UK universities to partially refund tuition fees in 2020/21 because “the quality of online lectures is not equal to face-to-face lectures”.

More than 195,000 people, including 2,663 in Berkshire, have signed the petition so far.

The government says universities are responsible for setting fees, but they are expected to provide “high-quality online education” and the Office for Students will uphold standards.

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It comes as thousands of students across the country are in lockdown due to various Covid-19 outbreaks and the vast majority of lectures are online.

Some students are also concerned that they may be prevented from returning home to see their families at Christmas.

The petition states: “The UK Government should care because thousands of UK and international students studying in the UK are going to be going into debt for an education that might not be worth the amount of money universities are asking for.

“Students should get the chance to experience university life in full, with access to societies, opportunities and chances to network.”

The petition has gained enough signatures (100,000) to trigger a debate in Parliament and the government has already responded with a statement.

The government says it expects universities to “offer high-quality online education” that allows students “to progress and to complete their studies within the time period they had been anticipating”.

The statement also says universities have “put in significant resources and worked hard to provide and prepare learning materials for this academic year”.

It adds: “Universities are autonomous and responsible for setting their own fees, up to a maximum of £9,250 for Approved (fee cap) providers.

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“In deciding to keep charging full fees, universities will of course want to ensure that they can continue to deliver courses which are fit for purpose and help students progress their qualifications.

“Any refund would be a matter for universities, so we are not considering a write-off of tuition fee loans.

“The Office for Students, the regulator in England, has committed to protecting students throughout the present crisis whilst ensuring that quality and standards are upheld.”

It adds: “If providers are unable to facilitate adequate online and in-person tuition, they should seek to avoid charging students for any additional terms they may need to undergo as a consequence – avoiding effectively charging them twice.”