The University of Exeter is hoping to 'accommodate students' for the start of the autumn term later this year to ensure they receive the 'all-round university experience'.

Vice chancellor sir Steve Smith made the claim on BBC News earlier today, but conceded they were making contingency plans in case the coronavirus pandemic prevented this.

Like much of the UK, the Russell Group university is currently on lockdown with teaching and exams taking place online.

According to the University of Exeter's website, the 2020 autumn term starts on Monday, September 21.

Sir Steve Smith, Vice Chancellor of the University of Exeter.
Sir Steve Smith, Vice Chancellor of the University of Exeter.

"We in Exeter are in the process of putting all our programmes online, as almost all other universities are doing, so we are ready for any eventuality," he said.

"Our aim and desire though would be to try and be able to accommodate students for the autumn term to get that all-round university experience.

"We give them a lot of assessment and support at Exeter. All our career support has gone online, we put all our assessment online and on Thursday, 22,040 students took exams remotely.

"What we are doing is to absolutely make sure that, although it is different, we are trying to make sure the quality is what the students quite rightly expect."

Like many other institutions, the university looks likely to suffer a severe financial blow due to COVID-19.

Foreign students contribute significantly to the university coffers. Sir Steve said they were worth around £7b a year in university income alone across the UK - yet their numbers could decline significantly in the next academic year due to ongoing travel bans.

Sir Steve - who is part of a ministerial task force looking at international students in the UK - admitted he would be looking to the UK Government for support.

"We have to find a way whereby we can work with Government to make sure that the rewards that come from those students financially come from another source," he continued.

"International students, as well as doing many other things, subsidise the research base of the UK.

"We will be looking to government for help. Universities UK has put forward a package to ask for Government support.

"We think that £2b is the amount we will lose from international students. Therefore, we very much want to talk to Government about how they can support us."