Queen’s University Belfast announces cost of living financial support package
Flavia Gouveia
Queen’s University Belfast yesterday announced a package of £7.69 million to support staff and students with the cost-of-living crisis, including one off payments to be made in January 2023.
In a statement QUB it said” a total of 3600 students who come from families earning under £25,000 per year will receive a one-off payment of £400 each with all other students receiving a one-off payment of £150”.
The statement added that “university staff, excluding senior management, will receive payments of between £500 - £750 dependent on salary level”.
The package also includes £600,000 student support fund specifically for international students.
Reacting to the announcement, NUS-USI President Chloe Ferguson said, “it is good to see that Queen’s University Belfast has recognised the difficulties students are facing and [has] taken this step to try and support its students during the cost of living crisis.”
Chloe added “the reality, however, is that this payment is a drop in the ocean compared to the real shortfall in living expenses students are dealing with.” Highlighting the problems caused by stagnating student incomes, Chloe urged “those in Stormont and Westminster to see this move, not as an excuse to breathe a sigh of relief and hope that institutions will pick up the pieces, but rather as encouragement to deliver the financial support students really need over the next few months.”
“this payment is a drop in the ocean compared to the real shortfall in living expenses students are dealing with”
Queen’s Students’ Union President, Emma Murphy welcomed the measures adding that this had been the result of “a partnership approach and the strong lobbying efforts of the Students’ Union”.
Cautioning that the “worst months are still to come” Emma said, "the Students’ Union intends to continue to lobby political parties to do more to help and support students in the coming months.”
Featured image courtesy of Abby Davidson
Flavia Gouveia is The Scoop’s Environment and Science editor and a Journalism MA student at Ulster University.