CDU eases COVID-19 financial burden on students

Charles Darwin University has launched the Emergency Student Appeal to ease the burden on students experiencing extreme financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The purpose of the Appeal is to support the University’s Student Assistant Grant program, which is open to all students, whether they be VET, Higher Education, research, international, or domestic.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Simon Maddocks said that never in CDU’s history had there been a greater need for student support.

“Many of our VET and domestic students had complex lives before the outbreak with full-time work, part-time studies and family responsibilities. Now some of them are among the one million Australians who have lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19,” Professor Maddocks said.

“Our international students are also severely impacted because their part-time or casual work has disappeared. In most cases they are far removed from the support of their families.

“This has prompted the launch of the CDU COVID-19 Student Assistance Grant program, where grants of up to $2000 will be available to students who demonstrate financial hardship as a direct result of the coronavirus outbreak.

“We are offering these grants to ease the stress and anxiety among our students and to enable them to continue their studies and research.”

Professor Maddocks said the CDU Foundation had generously contributed $200,000 in support of the program.

“I’m heartened by the CDU Foundation’s commitment to help students through this unprecedented challenge and endorse the call upon the wider community to support the Emergency Student Appeal,” Professor Maddocks said.

“We ask that those who are in a position to do so, to consider financially contributing to the Emergency Student Appeal in support of the Student Assistance Grant program.

“CDU continues to adapt as effectively as we can to the changes that COVID-19 is forcing on everyday life. The Emergency Student Appeal and the Student Assistant Grant program are very real ways of helping students through these difficult times,” Professor Maddocks said.