An extra £5 million is being made available to students facing hardships due to Covid-19.
Students across Scotland can apply for funding through their college or university’s Discretionary Fund for help if they are struggling to meet accommodation and other costs.
The extra support will be distributed through existing Discretionary Funds via the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC).
This brings the total of additional funding for students to £15 million since the beginning of the pandemic.
Further and Higher Education Minister Richard Lochhead said: “We recognise that the Covid-19 crisis has caused additional financial difficulties for many students.
“Those who were reliant on part-time jobs may have found themselves out of work and need additional financial support.
“This extra funding, which adds to the support we have already made available, may relieve some of the pressure for those facing hardship.”
NUS Scotland president Matt Crilly said: “Students have told us that money is one of their biggest worries and we remain concerned that the impact this year may be even greater than last.
“We welcome that the Scottish Government has made an additional £5 million available to further and higher education students facing hardship to meet rental and other costs.”
This extra financial support will be available to colleges and universities in January.
After Christmas, students are expected to return to campuses staggered over six weeks to help reduce the transmission of coronavirus.
After the festive break, students will have a staggered return to campuses over at least six weeks to reduce the risks of transmission of Covid-19. The Scottish Government continues to work with key stakeholders on student accommodation issues.
Enjoy the convenience of having The Sunday Post delivered as a digital ePaper straight to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica.
Subscribe