Covid in Scotland: Some students face £2,300 hotel quarantine bill
- Published
The National Union of Students has called on the Scottish government to stop a "postcode lottery" when it comes to quarantining international students.
About 3,000 students are expected to arrive from red list countries to study at Scottish institutions this year.
They will be expected to quarantine for 10 days, with some facing a hotel quarantine bill of £2,285.
Many universities are paying this for international students, but some expect students to cover this bill.
The National Union of Students in Scotland has called on the Scottish government to foot the bill, saying it is "unfair" to add this extra financial burden onto students who are already paying vast sums to study in Scotland.
The Scottish government said students facing hardship should discuss it with their institution.
Muhammed Hashim Khan Jadoon is coming to Scotland in September to study computing
Muhammed Hashim Khan Jadoon lives in Pakistan - which is currently on the red list - but will be coming to Scotland on 30 August ahead of starting a computing course at Edinburgh Napier University.
He told the BBC he would struggle to find the money to pay for hotel quarantine.
"It's a huge amount for me - it is very difficult for me to pay," he said.
"I have arrangements for my tuition fees and for my living costs as well."
"Definitely my family will help me - but it's very hard for Pakistanis to pay that amount.
"It's a huge amount to pay for 10 days."
He added that he had already arranged £19,400 to cover his fees and more to cover his living expenses for two years while he studies in Scotland.
He said students at other universities in Scotland were not having to pay the cost - as either the university was covering the cost of hotel quarantine or in a few cases students could quarantine in certain approved university accommodation.
Malaika Muhammad Amin is self-isolating in Stirling
Students at Stirling University will be able to quarantine in university accommodation for free, while those at St Andrews University will only be charged £20 per day.
Malaika Muhammad Amin, who is also from Pakistan, has already arrived to start her studies in Stirling, and is isolating until 30 August.
She arrived for the second year of her masters in finance - having been unable to come to Scotland to study last year because of the pandemic.
But she has been able to quarantine in her university accommodation without the bill of more than £2,300 that those quarantining in hotels are having to pay.
"It was a huge relief when I got the call from the university saying they were offering me quarantine.
"The cost of quarantine is too much for us international students, so [this] is a huge relief for the students."
She is already paying £18,950 in course fees.
Malika told the BBC: "I am in my own university accommodation so that makes me feel more at home."
She said it was good to see her fellow students, even though for now she could only see them through the window for now.
"The staff are very nice, they're always there to help you so that is good."
"So far I am doing good. It's going to pass by very quickly."
Matt Crilly, president of the National Union of Students in Scotland, wants the Scottish government to intervene
Matt Crilly, president of the National Union of Students Scotland, said it was "ridiculous" that some students were having to pay "just to get into the country".
He said he appreciated that it was a UK government decision, but added: "We would really appreciate it if the Scottish government was to intervene to protect students from having to pay it.
He said the Scottish government must not "sit on its hands" - or some international students could be forced to drop out.
They had already paid out a lot of money for all the other costs they faced, he said.
It was "really unfair", he said, that not all universities were covering the cost of hotel quarantine.
"It's really a postcode lottery as to whether you're fortunate enough to go to a university that can afford to pay this surcharge."
A spokesman for Universities Scotland said: "Universities have been working intensively with Scottish government and other stakeholders to ensure there would be enough capacity to offer international students a high quality and safe managed isolation experience if they arrive direct into Scotland from a red list country."
A spokesman for the Scottish government said it had "engaged with the university sector on a number of options for managed isolation of international students".
He added that quarantine was "a necessary part of our fight against the pandemic", and urged international students facing hardship to "discuss this with their institution".
"Student accommodation has been designated for the purposes of managed isolation for international students as long as institutions provide the necessary assurances set out in guidance that the accommodation meets equivalent public health protection assurances as quarantine hotels," he added.
A UK government spokeswoman said the "robust border regime" was helping minimise the number of new variants being imported into the UK.
She added: "Hotel quarantine is keeping people safe and anyone facing financial hardship has the opportunity to apply for a deferred repayment plan when booking their package."
What are the rules for red-list countries?
Red-list countries are those the UK government says present the highest Covid risk.
Dozens of countries are on the red list, external, including Pakistan, Turkey, Brazil and South Africa.
If you have been in one of these countries in the 10 days before you arrive in the UK, you will only be allowed in to the UK if:
you are a British or Irish National
you have the right to remain in the UK- this includes if you have a visa to work or study in the UK
you're travelling to the UK because you have a certain type of job or for essential medical treatment.
When returning from a red-list country - regardless of your vaccination status - you must:
Take a Covid-19 test, external before departure and have proof of a negative result
Self-isolate for 10 days in a government-approved quarantine accommodation, external, booked and paid for in advance.
Which universities are covering the cost?
Aberdeen University - paying hotel quarantine costs, external
Abertay University - paying hotel quarantine costs, external
Edinburgh Napier University - students who can prove financial hardship can apply for up to £1,200 towards the cost of managed hotel quarantine
Edinburgh University - did not respond
Glasgow School of Art - reimbursing students for hotel quarantine costs
Glasgow University - paying hotel quarantine costs
Glasgow Caledonian University - support available to students in financial difficulty
Heriot-Watt University - paying 50% of quarantine hotel costs to new students. Continuing students can apply for financial assistance through hardship funding
University of the Highlands and Islands - considering on a case-by-case basis
Robert Gordon University - discounting tuition fees to the cost of hotel quarantine for new students
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland - paying hotel quarantine costs
St Andrews University - providing accommodation for red-list quarantine for £20 per day, external
Stirling University - providing accommodation for red-list quarantine
Strathclyde University - paying hotel quarantine costs, external
University of the West Of Scotland - did not respond
