The University of Regina is raising money to support struggling students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Vianne Timmons says several students have lost part-time jobs due to COVID-19, meaning they are unable to pay for basic needs, especially if those students are raising children while attending classes.
While the U of R has a Student Emergency Fund for those who need it, the University says that funding is running low. Over
Twenty requests for funding have been made in the last two weeks, and more requests were made in one day than what is normally seen in a month.
Timmons said students really need this funding.
“Our international students are in a very difficult situation, many of them had jobs in local retail to help them through the University year, they can’t go back home, they have rent, they have groceries to buy,” Timmons said. “Single moms that now are home with their kids trying to get through the school year,
Timmons said the U of R has had to move mental health services to online, but they are being used because students are more stressed than usual.
“Not only did they have to change their mode of learning, (for) many of them their courses have gone to remote or distance teaching, so the students have to adjust to that very quickly,” Timmons said. “Many of them lost part-time jobs or have been laid off. They are struggling.”
President Vianne Timmons says she personally feels for the students.
“I grew up in a small mining community, there were six of us kids, we didn’t have a lot of money,” Timmons said. “I got through university from the generosity of donors like bursaries and scholarships, I worked at the university, I worked three part-time jobs at the university to help me through the year, and plus I had two summer jobs every summer.
“I can’t imagine the stress our students are under.”
This comes as the annual University of Regina Prairie Kitchen Party set for May 9th has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
