HUNDREDS of people have signed a petition calling on Aberystwyth University to award an honorary degree to a popular student who died in March.

Stefan Osgood was found dead at a university hall of residence in the early hours of Wednesday, 9 March.

Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

A petition which gained almost 1,500 signatures within days of being launched, claims that Aberystwyth University has denied Stefan’s family “any shred of consolation” by failing to award Stefan a posthumous degree.

The petition reads: “Since his death, conversations have occurred between the university, Stefan’s family and the students’ union, asking for a posthumous degree to be awarded to the family in Stefan’s name.

“This request has been declined in favour of a Certificate of Higher Education. It is unbelievably sad that the argument being used to deny him the degree is that he had failed some modules.

“And the punishment for that failure is that his contribution to the university goes unacknowledged. Due to the personal circumstances and troubles that he faced privately, and alone, he was unable to complete his degree to the best of his ability.

“The refusal to award his degree also means that a Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) cannot be issued. This means that Stefan’s outstanding contribution to the university will go formally unrecognised.

“Stefan spent almost four years at Aberystwyth, away from his family, a family who are currently left with nothing to mark the time he spent here, and nothing to provide any shred of consolation to them.”

An Aberystwyth University spokesperson said: “We are aware of the petition and are keen to recognise Stefan’s contribution to University life.

“We are currently considering the best way to do so.”

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