The Welsh Government have today announced an additional £40m for universities to support students facing financial hardship, helping the students most affected by the pandemic with expenses such as accommodation costs.

Universities will be asked to prioritise funding towards the most vulnerable students, as well as strengthening advice and support services for students.

With most students currently being asked to study at home, the funding will also be used to address ‘digital poverty’ among students, to enable better access to online learning, and costs incurred due to the need to self-isolate.

The funding is in addition to over £40 million the Welsh Government has already provided to help universities this financial year, which has included £10m towards student hardship, mental health support and student unions.

The funding will come from the Welsh Government’s Covid-19 Reserve, to support the national response to the pandemic, and will be distributed to universities by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW).

Click here to read more about this funding on the Welsh Government’s website.