BREAKING: University of Limerick students to have rents amounting to €3.45 million refunded

STUDENTS of the University of Limerick who left their accommodation on foot of the government’s decision to close the university campus in March due to Covid-19 are to be refunded their rent, it has been confirmed.

The Board of University of Limerick subsidiary company Plassey Campus Centre Ltd (PCC), which manages UL’s on-campus student residences, has approved the return of rental income to the students.

Each student will be refunded rent from the date they vacated their student residence to the end of their semester licence term. The full amount being refunded is €3.45 million.

UL students had previously been told they could claim their deposit back early but that rents paid to cover the rest of the semester would not be refunded. This was in stark contrast to other universities, including UCC which refunded students on a pro-rata basis once they left.

The move to refund the students follows a recommendation by the University of Limerick Governing Authority on Tuesday that Plassey Campus Centre Ltd (PCC) return rental income to the students.

Meanwhile, in compliance with Government public health directives, UL will facilitate online, remote, blended and face-to-face learning as well as other forms of interactive engagement for 2020-21. 

Semester 1 of the academic year 20/21 will commence on September 28 for all students. At this point, UL intends to offer students blended delivery of their academic programmes with some on campus face-to-face teaching as well as online teaching and learning.

The feasibility of blended delivery of the education programmes is being explored, keeping in mind that the campus may have to close again at any time. 

The details of UL’s offer of student accommodation will be based both on the nature of the academic offering and the public health advice.