The union representing students at Capilano University is committing $75,000 to the post-secondary institution’s emergency financial assistance fund, the Capilano Students’ Union announced Tuesday.
The university will administer the distribution of the new funds, which will be used to ensure that students facing increasing financial pressure due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis have access to assistance, according to Emily Bridge, president of the Capilano Students’ Union.
“We hear that financial uncertainty is one of [students’] top concerns right now,” said Bridge.
On Wednesday morning, the federal government also announced $9 billion worth of measures to assist post-secondary students and recent graduates, many of whom are not eligible for the new Canada Emergency Response Benefit.
“The additional benefit from the federal government is a huge win because there’s a lot of students that were falling through the cracks with CERB,” said Bridge, adding that many students who were preparing for summer jobs in order to pay rent and other living expenses have now found themselves without employment prospects.
The addition of $75,000 from the students’ union will bolster the university’s own supplementary emergency financial aid, which was announced earlier this month in tandem with the provincial Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training and totalled $140,000 in emergency assistance for students experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19.
“Vancouver is an expensive place to live. The funding that we offer through the university is just another option for students to get that support,” said Bridge. “As an organization, I’m really happy we’re in a financial position where we can commit this funding and support students.”
The emergency bursaries are assigned on a case-by-case basis and are intended to support students with short-term financial hardships – which could include everything from paying for childcare, rent, or getting groceries, said Bridge.
With the $75,000 commitment from the students’ union, the university currently has more than $200,000 in emergency bursaries available for students, according to Linda Munro, Capilano University spokeswoman.
“The university is also trying to increase that amount through reaching out to other funding sources and donors,” said Munro.
Visit capilanou.ca/covid-19 and click the “Emergency Assistance Funding” tab for more information on eligibility and applying.
