Coronavirus (COVID-19): student hardship - case studies: report

Annex 3: Policy developments to address student hardship issues

Student hardship: Funding

Stage 1 actions

Higher Education (college and university)

• All HE bursaries, grants and loans continuing to be paid as planned;
• March 2020: £569,000 of re-distributed Discretionary Funds (DFs) made available to support HE Students;
• Upper limit of £4,000 per student removed;
• Guidance adjusted to allow support with ICT equipment or broadband services;
• April 2020: additional £2.2M Emergency Covid-19 HE Discretionary Funding; and
• £100,000 of emergency funding for students studying at private providers.

Further Education (college)

• All FE bursaries continuing to be paid as planned;
• April 2020: Funds previously set aside for travel and childcare costs by colleges to be transferred to support DFs;
• Upper limit of £4,000 per student in DF awards removed; and
• £2M of student support funds made available earlier to support FE students.

Action for Stage 2

Higher Education (college and university)

• New flexibility to carry forward unused DF money;
• Colleges and universities are allowed to continue to access their allocation of the £2.2M ring-fenced Covid-19 hardship fund until September 2020;
• Colleges and universities have early access to £11.4M DFs; and
• SAAS funded students who are studying at a college / university out with the UK will be able to access emergency funding through the previously announced £100k private provider fund.

Further Education (college)

• The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed to the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) that DF payments should not negatively impact benefits applications or assessments, providing those payments are made after the students' end of course date;
• The SFC issued guidance to colleges advising of this, and that payments from DFs can be made to bridge the gap between bursary payments ending and Universal Credit (UC) payments beginning; and
• The SFC will continue to engage with colleges to identify any future additional funding requirements and to identify if any AY 2020/21 funds need to be brought forward.

Student hardship: Supporting Students Most In Need

Stage 1 actions

Higher Education (college and university)

• Extension of the Care-experienced Accommodation Grant so eligible students can access support from early April, 8 weeks earlier than usual, benefiting around 200 students at around £200,000; and
• Suspension of all 'new' debt recovery actions – benefiting up to 600 students.

Action for Stage 2

Higher Education (college and university)

• In recognition of institutions deferring term start dates, SAAS will continue payments (bursaries / grants) in line with original (pre–COVID-19) term dates. This minimises the period of time between final 2019/20 bursary payment and the first 2020/21 payments; and
• Suspension of all 'new' debt recovery actions continued for an additional 3 months - benefiting up to [600] students.

NB: debt recovery and the Care-experienced Accommodation Grant are not applicable to FE.

Student hardship: Repeat Years

Action for Stage 2

Higher Education (college and university)

Students in FE and HE are both able to access funding should they require to repeat a year of study. For those students who have exhausted their funding options and require to repeat a year of studies due to COVID-19, colleges (FE) and SAAS (HE) will consider their requests on compassionate grounds.  

Summer Employment

Action for Stage 2

Higher Education (college and university)

Student Information Scotland (SIS) website has new dedicated job opportunities section

Student hardship: Support With Student Accommodation

Stage 1 action

Higher Education (college and university)

Halls of residence and Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) providers asked to:

• Look sympathetically on requests to extend accommodation, or to break agreements early; and
• Support students remaining in university, college or private sector student accommodation with the vital support and services.

Action for Stage 2

Higher Education (college and university)

• Coronavirus (Scotland) (No 2) Bill came into force, on 27 May 2020. In relation to tenancy arrangements for students in halls of residence and PBSA, there will be a 7 day notice period for those who have already entered into a student residential tenancy agreement and have occupied the property; and a 28 day notice period for those who have already entered into a student residential tenancy but have not yet occupied the property and agreements entered into while the Act is in force. Students would only be able to use notice periods for COVID-19 specific reasons; and
• The provisions of the Act relate to HE and FE students. Guidance on the provisions of the Act may be accessed here.

Student wellbeing: Mental Health Support

Stage 1 action

Higher Education (college and university)

• SFC supporting HEIs to recruit additional counsellors and to offer counselling support to students in an appropriate non face to face format;
• Think Positive, NUS Scotland's student mental health project (supported by the Scottish Government), have confirmed they are refocusing their work and the associated small grants scheme to address COVID-19 issues; and
• We are working with the SFC to confirm funding for AY 2020/21, to continue to support institutions in the recruitment of counsellors.

Further Education (college)

• Actions in HE also apply to FE; and
• SG are committed to achieving equity of access to counselling across colleges and universities and the SFC and Scottish Government will work closely with colleges and universities to work towards achieving this.

Action for Stage 2

Higher Education (college and university)

• Work with the SFC on flexibility as part of our ongoing commitment of £3.645M in AY 2020/21 and to explore how we can further support colleges and universities in the delivery of counselling services including enhancing access to online platforms and sharing best practice across the sector;
• Funding has been agreed to support the extension of the NUS Scotland Think Positive Student Health Project Coordinator role to March 2021, with a focus on COVID-19 mental health support for students; and
• The SFC  will announce funding for AY 2020/21 for counsellors.

Further Education (college)

• Actions in HE also apply to FE; and
• SG are committed to achieving equity of access to counselling across colleges and universities and the SFC and Scottish Government will work closely with colleges and universities to work towards achieving this.

Student communications

All stages

Higher Education (college and university)

• SAAS are working fully remotely and remain open to new and existing students, have been processing applications for AY 2020/21 from 1st April and are providing up-to-date information to students through their marketing, website and social media channels;
• SAAS have published a live FAQ based on enquiries they have been receiving in relation to COVID-19;
• Student Information Scotland (SIS) website is the central point for students to receive comprehensive advice on COVID-19 to students across FE and HE and also has a live COVID-19 FAQ; and
• The SFC is also making advice available on their website.