Remote delivery of university course will continue for the rest of this year, the University of Wollongong has said, although campuses will remain open.
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And UOW has announced it would offer a 10 per cent discount on course fees for international and postgraduate students who have been required by the coronavirus pandemic to study online - but not for the majority of Australian undergraduate students.
The 10 per cent bursary is available to full fee-paying students studying domestic postgraduate coursework, international undergraduate and international postgraduate coursework students.
The discount will not apply to Australian and New Zealand undergraduate students enrolled in Commonwealth Supported Places. UOW said they already attracted a government tuition fee subsidy.
Maintaining our remote course delivery for the remainder of 2020 provides certainty for all students while enabling the university to manage that return
- Professor Theo Farrell
UOW had not seen a large number of domestic undergraduate students dropping out of their courses because of remote learning caused by COVID-19.
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Grants of $500 are available to Australian students who are from low socioeconomic backgrounds, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders, and students from remote or country areas, who can demonstrate they have experienced a large drop in income, and can show they have received government support payments.
"We are all in this situation together," Vice-Chancellor Professor Wellings said.
Easing of social distancing rules would trigger a return to campuses, but deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), Professor Theo Farrell said certainty and stability were vital for students.
"We know that any return to campus will not be immediate, and face-to-face skills-based practical and laboratory classes for programs that require these to meet strict accreditation requirements will need to be given priority as on-campus teaching resumes," he said.
"Maintaining our remote course delivery for the remainder of 2020 provides certainty for all students while enabling the university to manage that return within whatever social distancing guidelines the government lays down."