Term is just beginning for the new academic year. It’s an exciting time as students prepare to work hard to achieve their potential.
Sadly, last year was really difficult for many students as cost-of-living pressures hit hard. Despite the measures the University put in place, many students were living in very cold conditions, visiting food banks and regularly skipping meals.
Thanks to generous donor support, our community was able to react and ensure no student was left without the help they needed, when they needed it most.
- 581 students were provided with emergency funds
- 234 students received supermarket vouchers so they could buy food and toiletries
- 192 students accessed supplies from our Essentials Cupboard (our mini food-bank)
But we are now preparing for another challenging year. The rapid rise in the cost of living means a student loan isn’t enough to make ends meet. Paying the rent and finding money for food and other essentials is now so much harder.
Today’s students are facing financial challenges unlike any generation before them and requests for help are higher than ever. They need your help.
More than 1 in 4 students at Reading are from low-income households and the cost of living crisis is hitting them especially hard. Money worries can impact on academic performance and be a tipping point for wellbeing concerns, so it’s more vital than ever that help is on-hand.
Second year student Phebe is studying to become an Physician Associate to practice medicine. She had prepared for the year and had carefully budgeted for living costs, with the support of her mother, when a health crisis turned her world upside down.
I never expected to need student support funding. But all that changed really suddenly. My mum went into hospital with a headache and then she didn’t come home that day. Before we knew what was happening she was in a medically induced coma. It was really scary.
Phebe is a second year student studying to practice medicine
Phebe received an emergency grant to cover her living costs while her mother was in hospital. The funding enabled her to pay her rent, buy food and spend time with friends again.
Like most of our students, Phebe’s student loan doesn’t cover her living costs. Without additional support, Phebe can’t afford to pay her rent or bills.
Receiving my student hardship grant had a huge impact on my life. It’s so much more than money. It was amazing to know that people really cared so much about students like me and that they were willing to help.
The Student Support Fund provides emergency grants to students in crisis, when they have run out of other options and dropping out of university is a very real possibility. You can provide the necessities when students have no one else to turn to.
With costs on the rise, students have even less room in their budgets for emergencies. Your support will help more students like Phebe to overcome financial difficulties and receive the support they need.
Please give a gift today and help more students like Phebe to overcome financial emergencies.
How your gift will help:
- £400 will fund a month’s rent and get a student in crisis back on track
- £200 will help a student cope with rising fuel bills
- £94 will provide a campus meal plan for a finalist during their exam period
- £50 will provide a supermarket voucher for someone who is struggling
- £30 will help stock the Essentials Cupboard, providing immediate help to vulnerable students
