Amelia Hayward’s delight at receiving an offer to learn Chinese as an undergraduate at Soas University of London this autumn was shortlived. With her A-level exams cancelled because of coronavirus, she is nervous about how the pandemic will affect the college’s financial stability and the quality of the course she will be paying for.

Like thousands of other prospective university students in the UK, the sixth former, who studies in Cheltenham, has until June 18 to formally confirm where she will study next year, or whether she will defer her acceptance. However, like most students, Ms Hayward has the right to cancel without penalty at any time before the start of the academic year.

“The [student] debt does concern me a lot, and if teaching is online, I’ll be paying the same amount [as] others have for less,” she said. “I’m going to wait until August when there is more information before deciding whether to go.”