Further funds for students facing hardship

The Scottish government has announced new financial support for students facing financial hardship due to the cost of living crisis and rising energy costs.

The government’s Higher and Further Education Minister Jamie Hepburn has announced both a £350 loan uplift for higher education in 2022-23, and the introduction of a new monthly payment option in 2022-23 for higher education students receiving the Care Experienced Bursary – allowing for support over the summer months.

This week more than £5m has been distributed to by the Scottish government to help higher education students in financial hardship with basics like heating and other household costs – as part of a £37m hardship fund launched in June 2021.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) will also meet colleges’ further education student support funding requirements, and have provided a further £6m for financial support for further education students, in this academic year.

Cumbernauld and Kilsyth MSP Hepburn has written to college and university principals, asking them to encourage students most in need to apply and to prioritise allocation of funding.

Hepburn said: “Many students are facing higher energy bills and increased financial hardship as a result of the cost of living crisis.

“I have written to university and college principals asking them to ensure that discretionary funds remain accessible for students most in need and that in distributing funds, they should take account of the impact rising energy prices will be having on students, particularly those in private rented accommodation.

“I have also asked them to add students facing rising energy bills to the priority groups so they can access the funds. Students can also apply for support through the fuel insecurity fund, which is distributed through third sector organisations.”

An instalment of £5.2m has been issued to the sector from the 2021-22 Higher Education Discretionary Funds. At the most recent analysis of funds earlier this year, around £15m of funds remain from the first instalment of the Higher Education Discretionary Fund and the Coronavirus Fund, issued at the start of the academic year.