Everything you need to know for the start of term

All our new students will start their studies as planned on 21 September 2020, through a blended learning approach that combines both online and on-campus teaching.

What does this mean?

• Lectures will be delivered online for the first term until at least January 2021. These are interactive sessions where there will be opportunities for you to ask questions and engage with lecturers and other students. 

• As part of Aston’s commitment to a blended learning approach, you will also be invited to attend a number of on-campus small group learning sessions and activities as part of your course.

• Academic staff are keen to support you with your learning, through regular office hours where you can ask specific questions, or via a Personal Tutor allocated to all students 

• You will also have access to a mix of online and on-campus student support and Library Services. We will provide more details about these in a future email, as we take account of the latest health advice.

Our intention is to gradually introduce more on-campus teaching and support as social distancing rules are relaxed/removed and it is safe to do so. Our top priority is the health, safety and wellbeing of our students and staff and we are working hard to ensure your learning experience is of our usual high quality.

Click here to learn about Piyushi’s recent experience of online learning.

If you are in China, click here to learn about Meng’s recent experience of online learning.

If you are not able to travel to Birmingham, or even to the UK, or need to stay at home for health reasons; we will provide online study options to help you continue with your course until you are able to join us.

MBChB students are required to attend in person to achieve all the learning outcomes. Please contact us for discussion, advice, and adaptation of the timetable if possible (a leave of absence will be considered if necessary.) 

You will have access to learning materials and be able to fully engage with tutors and other academic staff on an individual basis. You will also have access to our library, Learning Development Centre (which offers study skills support), as well as student and academic support facilities. As soon as you are able to join us we will work with you to arrange this.

EU applicants should note that following the government announcement, EU students will not be eligible for a Home Fee status from the academic 2021/2022 year (starting from 1st July 2021 onwards). This means they will not be eligible for student finance to cover their tuition fees and will not be paying home fees. The latest information relating to EU fees for 2021 can be found on the UCAS website. The University is currently reviewing EU fees in response to the government announcements and will publish EU fees for 2021 in due course. If you wish to register your interest in Aston University and be kept up to date with the most recent announcements, please review our course pages and leave your details at the bottom of the page of the course you are interested in.

Yes, the UKVI have made a special concession during the Covid-19 period, which means we are allowed to sponsor you to study in this way. 

If you are not currently in the UK, then you do not need to have been granted a visa to start your course online in September.  You will be able to join us online until your visa has been granted. If you are currently in the UK, then please contact one of our International Student Advisers for advice. 

 We will begin issuing CASs in July 2020, but will prioritise those students who will be arriving in the UK in September 2020.

A CAS is valid for 6 months, so we need to have a good idea of when you are going to arrive in the UK before this is issued

Yes, you will be eligible for the new Graduate Route visa as long as you arrive in the UK before 6^th April 2021 and you are awarded your degree in the Summer of 2021 onwards. 

It may be possible to apply for a brand new visa from inside the UK.  Please contact our International Student Advisers for free professional advice and guidance and they will explain your options astoninternational@aston.ac.uk. 

Once you are safely in the UK, you will be required to show you are actively engaging with your studies, as this is a requirement of your visa. For term one, we will allow you to demonstrate this engagement using our online activities, but we recommend that you take advantage of the campus- based sessions as well where possible. Some areas, such as MBChB (Medicine) are required to attend in person to achieve all the learning outcomes, so please contact us for discussion, advice, and adaptation of the timetable if possible (a leave of absence will be considered if necessary.)

Rooms are allocated on a first come first served basis, so we cannot guarantee you will be able to get a room, but it is likely that there will be some spaces available. 

Yes, you will have access to the kitchen to make drinks and cook for yourself, but there are additional safety measure in place for students who are self-isolation.

Steps you can take to reduce risk whilst using shared kitchens and bathrooms: 

• Only use the kitchen when other flatmates aren’t in there 
• Clean down shared kitchens or bathrooms after use 
• Wear PPE if possible when in communal areas 

Unite residence have a range of bedding and kitchen packs available to purchase and can be ready in your room when you arrive.

https://www.unitestudents.com/Products

If you are living off campus, then you may be able to purchase similar packs from your accommodation provider, or arrange for a package to be delivered from Amazon.    

You will be asked to complete an online passenger location form up to 48 hours before you arrive in the UK. The form can be found here:  https://www.gov.uk/provide-journey-contact-details-before-travel-uk

You may not have to self-isolate if you come from one of the ‘Travel Corridors’ listed in the information here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-corridors#updates-to-the-travel-corridor-list

If you are required to self isolate, then you should go straight to the main accommodation where you will be staying, although you are permited to stay overnight in a safe accommodation (such as a hotel) if you have had a long journey. 

You should try to avoid public transport to get to your accommodation, so we recommend using a taxi service to get to your accommodation. If you do use public transport, you must wear a face covering which covers your nose and mouth. We suggest you pack a face covering or scarf in your hand luggage so you are prepared.

Here are some national companies that you could consider using for transport to your accommodation:

https://www.nationalexpress.com/en/help/tickets

https://www.trainline.eu/?utm_campaign=arkadiy&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=network

ttps://www.getasnap.com/

If you are showing any symptoms of the Coronavirus, you will not be allowed to use public transport and you will have to show that your chosen accommodation is prepared for you to self isolate. 

You should self-isolate in one place for the full 14 days, where you can have food and other necessities delivered, and stay away from others. You must self-isolate at the address you provided on the public health passenger locator form.

You should not have visitors, including friends and family, unless they are providing:

• emergency assistance
• care or assistance, including personal care
• medical assistance
• veterinary services
• certain critical public services

You must not go to any on campus sessions or to visit public areas during your 14 day self isolation period.

You should not go shopping. If you require help buying groceries, other shopping or picking up medication, you should ask for help via the Safezone app.  

Aston University has a food delivery service which can be accessed here https://www2.aston.ac.uk/current-students/nourish#food-delivery.

Nourish will also be providing recipe boxes and food parcels should if you want to cook your own meals.

If you live off campus, you may still be able to use the campus based food options, and we can arrange for one of our Aston Support Volunteers to bring the food to you.

You can also arrange for food to be delivered to you from a number of restaurants in the city using the following apps;

• Deliveroo
• Just Eat
• Hungryhouse
• UberEATS
• Food Panda
• EASI

There are also a number of specialist supermarkets who will deliver groceries to your door if you want to cook for yourself. For example:

• https://www.waiyeehong.com/  
• https://www.redrickshaw.com/
• https://wosiwosi.co.uk/

If you require medication or need a supply of toiletries, please out in a request for help via the Safezone app, and we will be in touch to discuss your requirements. 

You will be able to pay for the catering packs or food parcels online using the Aston Shop. We will provide you with details of this service in the next few weeks. 

For those who use WeChat, we will also post updates on our WeChat account ('Aston1895') and in our WeChat group for offer-holders. To join this group, add us on WeChat 'Aston_U' and send us a screenshot of your offer letter. 

• If you hold an offer for an undergraduate (bachelors) or foundation course at Aston University, we will extend your deposit payment deadline to 20th July 2020. Please note EU students applying for a student loan in the UK to cover their tuition fees do not need to pay a deposit. 
• Once you pay your deposit we will be able to issue your CAS. (If you are a sponsored student, instead of paying a deposit you may provide a sponsorship letter which is used instead of the deposit to issue your CAS).
• If you have been asked to attend an interview at Aston University, we can make alternative arrangements so that you don’t have to travel. Please contact Undergraduate Admissions.
• If you are having difficulty paying your deposit due to disruptions caused by Coronavirus, please contact us at ask@aston.ac.uk (please make sure to provide your 9 digit student application ID number).
• If you pay your deposit and the impact of Coronavirus prevents you from travelling to start your course in September, we are able to offer an online start to your course with a plan for you to travel when it is safe to do so. Alternatively, you will have the opportunity to defer your course to September 2021 (depending on your course). All our new students will start their studies as planned on 21 September 2020, through a blended learning approach that combines both online and on-campus teaching. Read about the Aston Student Pledge.
• If you decide against an alternative start date, you may request a refund in accordance with section 11 of our tuition fee charging policy. If you request a refund of your deposit, you should provide evidence that the impact of Coronavirus has prevented you from arriving for your course.

Examples of evidence which you may need to provide under the ‘natural disasters’ category are: 1) documentation showing that the official travel advice from your home country advises against travel to the UK due to Coronavirus or 2) documentation from an official source (e.g. World Health Organisation or Public Health England) advising that if you travel from your current area of domicile to the UK you would be subject to quarantine restrictions.

If you use Facebook, we will post updates in our exclusive Facebook group for postgraduate (master's) offer-holders. To join the group, you will be asked for your name, course and Aston ID, which you can find in the email invite or offer letter.

If you use WeChat, we will post updates on our WeChat account ('Aston1895') and in our WeChat group for offer-holders. To join this group, add us on WeChat 'Aston_U' and send us a screenshot of your offer letter. 

• Accepting your place and paying your deposit for courses starting in September 2020: We would like to encourage you to accept your place online and to pay your deposit  so that you can begin your journey with us. (Please note EU students applying for a loan in the UK to cover their tuition fees do not need to pay a deposit. You will need to send us proof of your loan application at pgadmissions@aston.ac.uk.) 
• International students: once you have accepted your place in full and paid your deposit we can begin your journey by issuing your CAS. We will also provide you with information to enable you to complete your online enrolment.
• If you pay your deposit and the impact of Coronavirus prevents you from travelling to start your course in September, we are able to offer an online start to your course with a plan for you to travel when it is safe to do so. Alternatively, you will have the opportunity to defer your course to September 2021 (depending on your course). All our new students will start their studies as planned on 21 September 2020, through a blended learning approach that combines both online and on-campus teaching. Read about the Aston Student Pledge
• If you decide against an alternative start date, you may request a refund in accordance with section 11 of our tuition fee charging policy. If you request a refund of your deposit, you should provide evidence that the impact of Coronavirus has prevented you from arriving for your course.

Examples of evidence which you may need to provide under the ‘natural disasters’ category are: 1) documentation showing that the official travel advice from your home country advises against travel to the UK due to Coronavirus or 2) documentation from an official source (e.g. World Health Organisation or Public Health England) advising that if you travel from your current area of domicile to the UK you would be subject to quarantine restrictions.