University students in the north affected by the Covid-19 pandemic will be able to receive help from a £100,000 fund.
The University of the Highlands and Islands will use the donation from the Barclays 100×100 UK Covid-19 community relief fund to support those experiencing financial hardship and to enhance mental health services.
It will help to create 20 scholarships to allow students to continue their studies.
The university is one of 100 UK organisations receiving £100,000 donations from the fund, which was set up last April to support organisations helping people and communities impacted by the pandemic.
Alison Wilson, head of development at the university, said the funds will make a difference to students across the region.
She said: “Times are tough and we are very grateful to Barclays for their significant donation to directly help University of the Highlands and Islands’ students who have been and continue to be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It must have been a very difficult job for Barclays to choose between so many deserving projects and we are therefore delighted that our application was one of the successful ones.
“It’s a privilege for me and my team to now be managing, along with student services and Highlands and Islands Students’ Association colleagues, the allocation of these funds to make a real difference to many students.”
Highlands and Islands Students’ Association (HISA) president Florence Jansen added: “The Highlands and islands have been disproportionately affected by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, but our students have shown incredible resilience in the face of these challenges.
“This generous donation will enable us to work closely with the university to improve our services and better support our students throughout this uncertain time, as well as providing an opportunity for us to assist those that are not eligible for our current funding criteria.
“The entire HISA team is overjoyed at the awarding of this fund from Barclays and we really cannot wait to see the positive impact it will have across the University of the Highlands and Islands partnership.”
Scott Stewart, head of Barclays Scotland, said the pandemic has had a significant impact across Scotland.
He added: “We are delighted to be making this donation to the University of the Highlands and Islands. We have now deployed over £2 million in Scotland through the fund and we hope that our donations will allow organisations like the University of the Highlands and Islands to amplify their support and help more people as we lift out of this pandemic.”
Last April, the university launched an emergency fund to help students during the pandemic.
Businesses and individuals supported the initiative aimed at assisting a number of the area’s 40,000 students who did not have the hardware or internet connections to access online classes and resources.
The fund provided a range of equipment and services, including laptops and broadband connections.