Information about Semester 2
The latest information and guidance about our Semester Two plans, returning to Edinburgh in January and accessing support.
To find out more about The University's support and guidance for Semester Two, visit our student webpages:
Please be aware that stay at home restrictions remain in force across mainland Scotland until Friday 2nd April at the earliest.
Under these restrictions, students should not travel away from their term time address unless for essential purposes and a brief visit to see family over the break would not qualify under those conditions.
Please note that this guidance differs from universities in England, since we adhere to Scottish Government restrictions.
Scottish Government guidance on Easter travel
Travelling for essential reasons
If you need to travel for an essential purpose (a list of these reasons have been provided in the FAQ below), you are strongly advised to get tested before leaving your accommodation. You can book a free Covid-19 asymptomatic test using the booking form on our website:
Where possible, you should use a Community Testing Site to test again once you have arrived at your new household. Before you return after the Easter/Spring break, you should book a free PCR test using the details below, and get tested again once you arrive back on campus:
Travel between Scotland and the rest of the UK is not legal other than for specific exempt purposes (such as for education that cannot be conducted remotely).
In line with Scottish Government guidance, students should not return to their term-time accommodation until such time as on-campus teaching resumes, other than in specific special circumstances, for example:
- Your in-person teaching has commenced
-
To participate in an in-person mandatory work placement as part of your course of study
- You are currently in temporary accommodation which you need to vacate
- For employment purposes (for work that cannot be undertaken from home)
- Your home location is unsuitable for study
- You need to access health & wellbeing support which can only be provided in Edinburgh
- You are a PHD student and you are required to be in Edinburgh to conduct your research
- You are an international student and you have already purchased and cannot change travel tickets
We will continue to support those students who are currently staying in our University accommodation.
If, for essential purposes, you must return to campus, please follow Scottish travel guidance as well as travel guidance for other areas of the UK or any country you will be travelling from.
If you are planning to return to campus, you must now notify us before you travel and to let us know why you need to return under the current restrictions.
Teaching, learning and research
Below we have outlined some key points about what the Scottish Government restrictions will mean for you:
As planned, all learning and teaching restarted on programmes of study during the week beginning 11th January 2021 digitally.
Following further Scottish Government guidance - we have made the difficult decision that teaching and assessment for Undergraduate students will remain digital for the rest of the Semester, with a small number of exceptions.
The small number of exceptions include students who have already resumed hybrid education with on-campus elements this semester; and a very small number of programmes where Schools will be in contact with students on these programmes soon.
Schools are working to ensure that their current plans are adjusted to reflect the change in Scottish Government guidance and, in particular, this decision. Please stay in close contact with your School/ Deanery and key contacts such as your tutor or student support team.
From 17th May 2021 we will seek to resume some aspects of teaching and assessment for our postgraduate taught students.
This is likely to be limited to the following activities:
- Resuming some in-person teaching elements, such as dissertation/project supervision
- Enabling some greater access to lab and specialist spaces to support this activity, in line with existing health and safety controls
If you are not currently based in Edinburgh, there is no need for you to travel back to the city – and we would advise against this in any case due to the current travel restrictions and to limit the number of students on campus. We will continue to support your studies digitally and ensure that any students studying remotely will be not be academically disadvantaged by these changes.
Your School will be in touch with you soon if there are implications for your specific programme.
The Scottish Government restrictions do not alter the information we are providing to postgraduate research students and essential research work may continue.
While the current advice is to work from home where at all possible, essential research work may continue in University laboratories and other research facilities if it cannot be undertaken away from campus. If you cannot work from home because the environment makes it impossible, then you are permitted to work in the University in a safe location.
Please speak with your supervisor for further information if you are unsure how the Scottish Government restrictions may impact your work.
If you have current research activities to undertake which require you to be physically present in Edinburgh, (for example, you need access to labs in order to progress with your research) then you are allowed to return to Edinburgh and be on-campus as needed.
Before doing so, please check with your School/Deanery if the particular research space is currently accessible, as some facilities are not open or available to students during the lockdown.
If you are currently in the taught stage of your programme, or you do not need to/ cannot access on campus facilities at this stage, then you should not return to campus until the current stay at home restrictions are lifted.
Please note that due to current Covid-19 restrictions, the Library is not able to give access to research collections. As such, you should not plan to return to Edinburgh solely in order to access the University’s cultural and heritage collections on site.
As teaching and student support continues to be provided by the University, albeit in a different form from previous years, the University will not be offering Tuition Fee refunds for Semester One and Two.
While a different approach to programme delivery has been necessary this year, we have taken steps to ensure that our students’ Course and Programme Learning Outcomes will be achieved by the end of this academic year.
If a student has specific concerns about their programme, they should in the first instance raise this with the programme organiser or other relevant contact within their School.
Should any student wish to lodge a complaint with the University, they can do so via our complaints handling procedure.
We fully recognise the ongoing impact of Covid-19 this year and have introduced a package of measures to ensure that all of our taught students have an opportunity to demonstrate their performance in assessment, and to prevent the pandemic from having an unreasonably negative impact upon your degree outcomes.
Our new ‘Scan and Deliver’ service allows you to request print materials (typically up to a book chapter or journal article) to be provided electronically.
EdHelp remains open for both in-person, online enquiries, and to request laptop loans or a portable Wi-Fi (Mi-Fi) device.
Further information on our digital resources, exams and assessments, and how to apply for special circumstances or an extension can be found on our website.
If you have any questions about your course or programme, please contact your personal tutor or your School's student support team in the first instance.
If you’ve left study materials at your term-time address, you should not return to Edinburgh to collect them. In the first instance, please contact your School/ Deanery to see how they can support your learning until you are able to return once lockdown restrictions ease.
Please be aware that you can also request scanned copies of materials from the library via Scan & Deliver.
We currently plan to deliver a mix of in-person and digital teaching for the academic year starting in September 2021.
We’re monitoring government guidance on Covid-19 prevention measures and we’ll adjust our 2021-22 plans in response to any relevant changes.
Based on current information we expect some physical distancing measures are very likely to still apply when the academic year starts in September 2021.
Field trips and placements
Placements should be carried out remotely wherever possible.
If you are unable to do your optional placement remotely, your placement will unfortunately be unable to go ahead under current Covid-19 restrictions.
If your placement forms a mandatory element of your degree programme and cannot be done from home remotely, then you may be able to attend the placement as this is classed as an ‘essential activity’ and is therefore an essential reason to travel.
Mandatory placements which require in-person attendance will need to go through our risk assessment and approvals process – this includes reviewing the Covid-19 control measures the ‘host’ employer have in place. Students will need to complete their School’s risk assessment alongside a staff member at your ‘host’ employer. Once complete, please share this with your School for consideration. Only once you have received approval from your School will you be able to carry out your placement.
If, following the risk assessment, you are unable to carry out your placement, you will be able to ‘opt out’ of the mandatory placement and will be offered alternative learning from your School.
Please contact your school if you have any specific questions about carrying out your placement.
Due to current Covid-19 restrictions, fieldtrips will not take place between now and the end of April 2021. This includes local visits that students might normally be expected to undertake themselves. This includes taught and research students.
- From May, it should be possible to restart limited, local (to Edinburgh) and individual activity. Students living in other jurisdictions should also be allowed to undertake individual field trip activity from May, subject to any prevailing restrictions in their own jurisdiction.
- From June it should be possible to restart day trips from Edinburgh, subject to risk assessment and availability of appropriate transport. Ongoing restrictions on accommodation mean that overnight trips will not be able to go ahead.
- Between July and September, it should be possible for all domestic (UK) field trips to go ahead, subject to risk assessment.
Schools will be in touch with you to provide further details on fieldtrips that were due to be carried out in your course.
The University is offering flexibility to allow some students on mandatory or optional study/work placements overseas to be considered for travel in Semester 2.
Approval will require an assessment by the Study and Work Away (SWAY) Service and is subject to:
- The completion of a robust risk assessment
- Travel advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
- Whether the activity forms a mandatory or optional component of your degree programme
- Your host’s ability to accept you in person
- Your ability to meet any entry/visa restrictions in place for your host country
- Your host country not being in lockdown, a state of emergency, or under other types of restrictions due to other crises at the time of approval.
Further guidance for students undertaking work/study placements in Semester 2 can be found on our website.
We will share an update on field trips and placements taking place in the next academic year by end-June 2021.
Graduations
The University of Edinburgh must comply with Scottish Government regulations. Any easing of Covid-19 restrictions will be gradual, and our position therefore remains that summer graduations must remain cancelled, due to the likelihood that a number of restrictions will continue to significantly impact our delivery of in-person ceremonies.
Students due to graduate in our summer graduations will instead be invited to an online celebration, but please be assured that you will be invited back to attend a future on-campus event in the future. We truly regret the disappointment caused by postponing these ceremonies.
We are keeping open the opportunity to hold on-campus ceremonies for the November graduations and will continue to review this position as restrictions across Scotland ease.
If you have any questions about our graduations, please contact infopoint@ed.ac.uk.
Travel and returning to campus
If you are planning to return to campus, you must now notify us before you travel and to let us know why you need to return under the current restrictions.
Notify us if you are travelling back to Edinburgh
Students should not return to their term-time accommodation other than in specific circumstances, such as:
- Your in-person teaching has commenced
- To participate in an in-person mandatory work placement as part of your course of study
- You are currently in temporary accommodation which you need to vacate
- For employment purposes (for work that cannot be undertaken from home)
- Your home location is unsuitable for study
- You need to access health & wellbeing support which can only be provided in Edinburgh
- You are a PHD student and you are required to be in Edinburgh to conduct your research
- You are an international student and you have already purchased and cannot change travel tickets
If you do return to campus and have no scheduled teaching or no other extenuating circumstances, then you will potentially be in breach of the law.
In line with Scottish Government guidance, UG and PGT students should not return to campus until such time as on-campus teaching resumes, other than in specific special circumstances.
If, for essential purposes, you must return to campus, please follow Scottish travel guidance as well as travel guidance for other areas of the UK or any country you will be travelling from.
If you are planning to travel back to campus, you must now notify us before you travel and to let us know why you need to return under the current restrictions.
Notify us if you are travelling back to Edinburgh
If you do return to campus and have no scheduled teaching or no other extenuating circumstances, then you will potentially be in breach of the law.
Links to travel guidance for Scotland, the UK and international travel can be found below:
- Scottish Government travel guidance
- International travel and quarantine guidance
- Country exemptions and information on the process for people entering the UK
If you are travelling to Edinburgh from elsewhere in the UK, we strongly advise you to book an asymptomatic Covid-19 test as close to your return date as possible.
For students who are resuming in-person teaching or will be returning to Edinburgh, we are offering asymptomatic Covid-19 testing until 31 March 2021.
Please book a test if you are returning to Edinburgh from another part of the UK. This will reduce the risk of you passing Covid-19 onto others when you and/or your housemates return to Edinburgh.
You should book a test as close to your return as possible - please remember that you must make two separate bookings using this form. You should book your tests to coincide with the date you need to return to your term time accommodation for in-person teaching.
Please be aware that the asymptomatic Covid-19 testing programme is not sufficient evidence to bypass self-isolation requirements if you are returning to Edinburgh from overseas. If you are travelling internationally into the UK, please also be aware that international travel guidance has recently changed. There is now a requirement for all passengers travelling to Scotland to have a valid negative Covid-19 test result, taken no more than three days before the scheduled time of departure.
All students are also being asked to voluntarily restrict their social interactions for 10 days before they return to University and for the same period once they arrive.
When you arrive back at University, you should also minimise your social mixing for 10 days. This is to help minimise the transmission of the virus.
Please familiarise yourself with the latest Scottish Government guidance on interacting with other people. From Friday 12 March, up to 4 adults from up to 2 households will be able to meet outdoors.
In line with Scottish Government guidance, international students should not return to their term-time accommodation until such time as on-campus teaching resumes, other than in specific special circumstances.
You should check with your School in advance to confirm when your course will start and when you should arrive on campus.
Students who are currently overseas should not travel to Scotland until face-to-face teaching begins for them. International students who have already arranged travel should speak to our Student Immigration Service in the first instance to discuss their circumstances.
If you are planning to travel to campus, you must now notify us before you travel and to let us know why you need to return under the current restrictions.
Notify us if you are travelling back to Edinburgh
If you do return to campus and have no scheduled teaching or no other extenuating circumstances, then you will potentially be in breach of the law.
Please note that the asymptomatic Covid-19 testing programme is not sufficient evidence to bypass self-isolation requirements if you are returning to Edinburgh from overseas. If you are travelling internationally into the UK, please also be aware that international travel guidance has recently changed. There is now a requirement for all passengers travelling to Scotland to have a valid negative Covid-19 test result, taken no more than three days before the scheduled time of departure.
Please read the Scottish Government’s international travel and quarantine guidance for the latest information on what you will need to do when entering the UK from another country:
- International travel and quarantine guidance
- Country exemptions and information on the process for people entering the UK
We will continue to support our international students, no matter where you are in the world. If you are affected, please contact the Covid-19 hotline at +44 (0)131 370 0494.
Support will continue for any student who needs to quarantine and for any students who may need to self-isolate.
From Monday 15 February all arrivals into Scottish airports must now book and pay for managed isolation in quarantine hotels to help protect against the importation of Coronavirus (Covid-19). More details can be found on the Scottish Government website:
Students needing to travel to Edinburgh in the coming weeks who are now required to go into quarantine can apply for financial hardship support from the University if needed, and these will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. This includes students flying back into Edinburgh from periods of work or study away.
Please be aware that the requirement to self-isolate in a quarantine hotel is in addition to the requirement for all passengers travelling to Scotland to have a valid negative Covid-19 test result, taken no more than three days before the scheduled time of departure.
Please let us know if there are any changes to the way you will be studying (e.g. online, or on-campus) and let us know if your location has changed.
Change your method of study or location
Advice and further information is available via EdHelp
Accommodation
In line with Scottish Government guidance, students should not return to their term-time accommodation until such time as on-campus activities resume.
Our student accommodation remains open, but only for students who have remained over the winter break and other exceptional returners, where their attendance is critical and time-sensitive to their course or assessment and cannot be delivered remotely or postponed, essential placements or student wellbeing. We will continue to support all students who are staying in our student accommodation.
If you are planning to travel back to campus for any extenuating circumstances, you must notify the University before you travel and to let us know why you need to return to student accommodation under the current restrictions.
Notify us if you are travelling back to Edinburgh
If you do return to campus with no exceptional reason for doing so, then you will potentially be in breach of the law.
We strongly recommend that students take a lease break if you have no more on-campus activities this semester.
A lease break will allow you to permanently end your accommodation contract with the University. You can currently request a break in your lease without needing to give a 28-day notice period.
If you apply for a lease break before the 28th February, once your lease is broken, you will not pay rent for the rest of your contracted period in University accommodation and this will be backdated from 11 January 2021 (if you did not return to campus after the winter break). After this date, lease breaks will be taken from the day that you contact us to advise that you would like to break your lease.
Find out how to apply for a lease break
If you choose to break your lease and then your circumstances change or travel restrictions are eased at a later date, we will be happy to reinstate your contract if you want return to your accommodation (either to your original room or a room of a similar standard and price).
If you have previously applied for a rent pause, but will now need to break your lease instead, please follow the instructions above by 28th February and we will ensure your lease break is backdated to 11 January 2021.
Maintenance Loans
It’s important that you update your student loans account with where you’ll be living each term.
Where you live can also change the amount of Maintenance Loan you get paid. Students currently living in England will need to contact the Student Loans Company if you are applying for a lease break as your location can impact the amount of maintenance loan you are paid:
If you have not yet removed your possessions, you will need to return to collect your belongings (or nominate a friend or packing company to do this on your behalf) on or before your lease end date.
Please follow government travel guidance and guidance on moving home. You will need to book a time-slot to arrive at your accommodation using our online booking system - this will notify us of your planned date for the collection of your belongings to ensure that you can return safely and allow us to notify you if the household you are briefly returning to goes into isolation due to a positive Covid-19 case. Please do not return without booking an arrival slot.
Please follow the links below to the booking system for your accommodation:
Rent pause applications will only be eligible for those students who have previously applied for a rent pause and have now returned to campus, other than in exceptional circumstances.
The rebates will apply for the period between 11 January and 8 February 2021.
Students who won’t be returning for in-person activities and who do not wish to pay for their University accommodation should apply for a lease break. If you apply before 28th February and you have not returned to your accommodation after the winter break your lease break will be backdated to 11th January.
Read our ‘Breaking your University accommodation lease’ FAQ above for further information on how you can break your lease.
Exceptional circumstances
Please be aware that students who have no in-person teaching activities this Semester should NOT be returning to campus. If you do return to campus with no exceptional reason for doing so, then you will potentially be in breach of the law.
If you haven’t yet returned to campus but still need to return at a later date, you can apply for a rent pause under the following conditions:
- I’m currently in temporary accommodation which I now need to vacate
- For employment purposes (for work that cannot be undertaken from home)
- My home location is no longer suitable for study
- I need to access health and wellbeing support which can only be provided in Edinburgh
- I am a PHD student who needs to return to Edinburgh to conduct my research
- I’m an international student and I have already purchased and cannot change my travel plans
Please visit our Accommodation website and follow the instructions on our rent pause webpage.
We will continue to support all students who are staying in our student accommodation.
ResLife support in student accommodation
If you need to self-isolate, please notify the University so that we can support you. If you're staying in University-managed accommodation, you'll receive 3 packed meals each day, regular check-ins with your RA, and we'll be able to help with the delivery of essential supplies to your room.
Notify the University if you are self-isolating
Where students have remained in University accommodation over the winter break, they should remain in their current accommodation where possible. Students should not travel outside their local authority area, unless they have a reasonable excuse. If, with reasonable excuse, you must permanently leave your term-time accommodation, you should follow the Scottish Government guidance on moving home.
Students in privately managed University accommodation (such as Unite) or other private arrangements will need to contact their accommodation provider or landlord.
If you are planning to leave your private accommodation permanently, you will need to give notice to your landlord that you intend to end your tenancy for a Covid-19 related reason. In most cases you will need to give 28 days’ notice. If you wish to break your lease with your private accommodation provider, please speak directly with them to confirm if you can make arrangements to collect your belongings at a later date, when restrictions allow. However, if this is not possible, you can return to collect your belongings. Please follow all travel guidance when returning to Edinburgh.
For further information on returning to term-time accommodation, please visit:
Further guidance on private accommodation is available via The Advice Place.
Services and facilities
All Student Administration services, including the Student Immigration Service, will be available remotely.
However, there will be a physical presence by appointment at Old College on Tuesdays between 9:30-16:30 for any transactions that require students to be physically present (for example, students who need to collect a Biometric Residence Permit).
If you’re studying remotely, you can use the Library’s 'Scan & Deliver' service to request scanned extracts of print materials, or access the wide range of ebooks and other online resources which the Library provides.
For those of you staying in Edinburgh, you can also use our ‘Click & Collect’ service while browsing is not allowed. With libraries reopening for browsing from 26 April, the ‘Click & Collect’ service will be withdrawn according to the following timetable:
- Law Library, ECA Library, New College Library: last requests 19 April
- Main Library: last requests 22 April
Using our libraries and study spaces
The University is increasing the number of study spaces over the revision and exam period.
Dates for the reopening of study spaces are provided below:
- From 6 April, 176 study spaces will open at Murchison House, King’s Buildings
- From 19 April, 57 study spaces will open at the Fire Station, Edinburgh College of Art
- From 26 April, all remaining centrally managed study spaces will reopen
You can find a list of all available on campus study space on our Information Services website.
From 26 April, the University aims to reopen all remaining libraries, remove barriers to print collections and restart self-issue book machines in order to give University library users self-service access to print collections. The Main Library will also revert to its usual opening hours of 08:30am.
Due to the Scottish Government restrictions, the Student Villages and University-managed cafes are currently closed. They will re-open subject to Government guidance.
The Pleasance Gym will be closed to members until at least Monday 1st February 2021.
Advice and support
Our student support services will continue to operate – whether you are on-campus or not. A range of support is available to you, no matter where you are currently living.
The UK government has identified two distinct groups who are more vulnerable to the effects of Covid-19.
Further information on Covid-19 and vulnerable groups, including the medical conditions and other factors within the two vulnerable groups, is available on NHS Inform.
If you believe you are at high risk of severe illness from Covid-19 but do not have a shielding letter, see below, you are advised to discuss your concerns directly with management (staff) or your School (students) in the first instance to consider adjustments to allow you to work from home in the first instance or that may be made to support your return to work/campus, these may be part of Equality/disability considerations.
I have been shielding (extremely high risk)
If you are considered to be at extremely high risk of severe illness from Covid-19 you should have received a letter from NHS Scotland or your GP advising you of this.
The Chief Medical Officer wrote to everyone on the shielding list in the week beginning 4 January to set out advice on the stay at home regulations which came into effect on 5th January 2021.
Any students who are shielding should continue to study from home and not attend classes or placements in person. More information for students with shielded status can be found here.
Further advice can be found on the Scottish Government website:
If you have an underlying health condition or take regular prescription medicines, but you remain unsure whether you fall into one of the more vulnerable groups, you should contact your own GP practice for advice.
Further information on Covid-19 and vulnerable groups is available on the NHS Inform webpages.
Hardship funds are available for students experiencing unexpected financial difficulties.
If you’re looking for information on anything related to your finances, the Advice Place offer advice on all financial matters from accessing benefits through to budgeting and you can also apply for Emergency Loans.
Your school will be in touch with you directly with further details about your course and Semester Two plans as soon as details have been confirmed.
If you have any questions about your course or programme, please contact your personal tutor or your School's student support team in the first instance.