Pandemic Fund
We are very grateful to all the alumni who supported our students throughout 2020, which posed the challenges of remote study, additional financial concerns and increased anxiety for many. Alumni and friends donated over £135,000 to support students affected by the pandemic.
Bioscience Enterprise postgraduate, 2020
“I would like to thank the generosity of the donors in supporting students to continue studying comfortably through the COVID-19 pandemic. Simple gestures such as making the home working station more comfortable make a huge impact and help retain focus and morale. Thank you.”
Through your generosity we have been able to support twelve undergraduates whose household finances were affected, by providing them with additional grants so they don’t have to worry about money. There were examples of undergraduates whose parents were self-employed and contracted COVID, or who were furloughed or lost their job.
Some students were forced to stay in Cambridge because parents were shielding, others were unable to find travel back home. Donations helped these students offset the additional living costs of staying in Cambridge, so that they didn’t have to worry.
We were able to provide additional financial support to four postgraduate students whose degree had to be extended because of the disruption from COVID and whose budget had therefore been affected. We expect more PhD students to be affected in a similar way over the coming years.
Forty-one students also faced costs of self-isolating and quarantining outside College. Support from alumni and friends meant that these unexpected costs could be covered.
Students had to study remotely and there was a disparity in the study environments they faced at home: some were trying to share a desk space and limited internet with parents and siblings. It is important that no-one is at a disadvantage. Your donations made a huge difference to 55 students’ home study environment when they had to work remotely by providing a better keyboard or noise cancelling headphones. It has also enabled them to purchase software for their research.
Thank you for your support.
