The applications for an Aberdeen university bursary fund established by alumni to help struggling new students have been described as “haunting”.
Many new students facing severe financial hardship due to the pandemic been thrown a lifeline with a one-off bursary.
The £525 payment will be awarded to 175 successful Scottish and UK applicants to help them with the initial cost of starting university in September.
Launched by the university’s Development Trust in April, the Covid-19 525 Bursary Fund had an initial target of £150,000 but, thanks to the alumni response and a generous legacy donation, it currently stands at just over £180,000.
Many applicants had lost part-time jobs or suffered a loss in family incomes, while others were suffering bereavement.
Sally Middleton, access and articulation manager, said there were concerns students from disadvantaged backgrounds wouldn’t be able to attend university this year due to financial hardship caused by Covid-19
She described the success of the bursary as “bitter-sweet”.
“Reading the applications was personally haunting.
“The stories being told of the effect of Covid-19 on both personal and family finances were difficult enough, but the emotional effects and devastating tragedies made harrowing reading.
“I am so very grateful to all who donated to this appeal, which has allowed us to have been able to help so many offer holders already and to have the ability to continue to do so over the summer and beyond.”
