Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MSP Alasdair Allan has welcomed the Scottish Government's announcement of extra financial help for students facing financial hardship over the summer months.

The Scottish Government has brought forward early access to £11.4 million of discretionary funds - which will be administered by colleges and universities - to support higher education students.

Students are, due to UK government rules, unable to claim Universal Credit or other benefits.

Scottish students studying in Europe as part of EU Portability or historically arranged schemes will also be able to access a £100,000 emergency fund administered by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS).

Commenting, Alasdair Allan MSP said:

“Many students in the Western Isles will have expected to find paid work over the summer, often in our hospitality or tourism sectors, to cover their rent or save for the following term. Through no fault of their own, they are now unable to do so.

"This Scottish Government support will be welcome news for those students who rely on part-time jobs after coming home over the summer months, and who could find it difficult to cover their living costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"No student should face financial hardship as a result of this crisis - and these new measures will support students until the start of the next academic year when bursary, grant and loan payments will begin again."

Twitter latest

Newsletter

Subscribe to Alasdair's mailing list

By ticking this box you confirm you would like to receive updates from Alasdair Allan MSP by

You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at alasdair.allan.msp@parliament.scot. We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our website. By clicking below, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.

We use MailChimp as our marketing automation platform. By clicking below to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provide will be transferred to MailChimp for processing in accordance with their Privacy Policy and Terms.