The Covid fund is full again. Photo Shutterstock Since the coronavirus outbreak, nearly 120,000 euros has been raised for students needing financial support as a result of the pandemic.
The coronavirus pandemic has had an impact on a lot of WUR students’ finances. Some of them are facing such serious problems that they risk not being able to graduate. For this reason, an emergency fund was set up soon after the outbreak started, with the aim of offering students financial support. Money was raised for the fund using crowdfunding. ‘The whole Wageningen community joined forces,’ says Arianne van Ballegooij of the University Fund. ‘From students to staff and from alumni to a current student’s grandmother.’
A total of 68,000 euros was raised. Van Ballegooij: ‘We have been able to help 33 students to graduate in spite of their financial worries.’ Students who have received this help tell their stories (usually anonymously) on the emergency fund’s web page, as do a few donors.
At the start of this year, the fund was dwindling, says Van Ballegooij. ‘Yet we were hearing that there are still a lot of students getting into difficulty, especially towards the summer months, when they are due to graduate. So we started a second round of crowdfunding.’
Up to 5000 euros
The aim of that second round was to raise a total of 110,000 euros. More than that has already been donated. ‘That includes the 68,000 we raised in the first round,’ explains Van Ballegooij. ‘We expect that the need won’t be as great after September, as the first-years who started during the Covid period have taken the situation into account. Let’s hope this will be enough.’
Students who apply for help can receive a maximum of 5000 euros from the emergency fund, but most of them ask for less than that. ‘You can help people a lot with just a small amount,’ says Van Ballegooij. It is still possible to donate. ‘The more students we can help, the better.’
Van Ballegooij encourages students with problems to seek help as soon as they can. ‘Don’t muddle along by yourself for too long. Go to your study advisor or your dean and ask them for an intake interview for financial support.’
