STUDENTS hit hardest by the coronavirus lockdown have been given a helping hand by a Glasgow University.
Bosses at the University of Strathclyde have launched a Covid-19 Hardship Fund to help those struggling to meet essential needs during the pandemic.
The money is open to people at all levels of study and will be available until the end of September.
It comes as financial experts at the university warned the economic outlook of Scotland will be "very different" when the outbreak is over.
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Matt Crilly, president of Strath Union, said: “The student union had been hearing from a number of students who have been struggling financially during the current crisis.
"Lots of Strathclyde students are employed precariously across Glasgow, and were laid off or had their hours reduced when the pandemic hit.
“This fund is vital in supporting Strathclyde’s working class students get through their education, and helps make-up for the lack of state support for precarious workers.”
In a joint statement with Professor Sir Jim McDonald, principal and vice-chancellor, University of Strathclyde, Matt added: "Many students will, understandably, be worried about their health and that of their family, their studies, their jobs and the financial impacts of the pandemic and the measures to contain the spread of the virus.
"We want to reassure you that the University and Strath Union have been working closely together to support our students and alleviate any money worries you might have.
"Your safety, health and wellbeing – and that of your loved ones – is at the heart of every decision we make. The University and Strath Union will continue to do everything we can to support you as the entire community adapts to a new way of working."
The welcome fund comes days after the university's Fraser of Allander Institute said the economy that emerges on the other side of the outbreak will look very different.
It said many businesses hoped the impact of Covid-19 would be a “V-shaped” recession, with the economy bouncing back as restrictions are lifted.
Universities that rely on foreign students could also endure a reduction in demand in the coming years, the report found.
Strathclyde, the University of Glasgow, and Glasgow Caledonian University welcome a large number of international students from all over the world each year.
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Professor Graeme Roy, director of Institute, said: “The large-scale mothballing of our economy in response to the public health emergency is unlike anything we have seen since the Second World War.
“Businesses and policymakers always knew that a global pandemic represented a major risk to our highly integrated global economy.
“But the pace at which this crisis has escalated has caught many off-guard.”
He added: “The economy that emerges from this, from the shops on our high street through to day-to-day working practices, is likely to look quite different.”
To find out more about the Hardship Fund and apply, visit Strathclyde University's website.
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