“Unprecedented” demand for newly improved Covid-19 hardship grants

The recent lockdown saw Massey’s emergency Covid-19 financial hardship fund up and running again with an increase from $500 to $600. 

The fund officially went live again on August 23 and is intended to aid with basic living costs or access to the internet for students. The technology hardship fund, which loans devices to those in need, also resumed on the same date with its own improvements according to Deputy Vice-Chancellor Students and Global Engagement Tere McGonagle-Daly. 

“Last year we were required to provide data directly to students – this year we have been able to grant students money to purchase their own data through a provider of their choice,” he said. 

McGonagle-Daly said the University has received almost 2,000 applications for financial support or loan devices, an “unprecedented” demand for support. 

“We know that the current changes in COVID-19 alert levels will be placing strain on the financial situations of our students and we have moved quickly to put support measures in place. We have used our internal processes and portal to support students in response to this recent occurrence of COVID-19,” he said. 

According to McGonagle-Daly, all of Massey’s student hardship funds were distributed via the student associations until 2020 when Massey was able to develop its own application portal and process. MUSA administered the Covid-19 hardship funds for the first half of 2020 with its own existing infrastructure. 

“Massey has done it themselves this lockdown to avoid stress or pressure on any student association,” MUSA President Fatima Imran said. 

The transition has been smooth with Massey’s addition of a team of support staff to aid students with the application process. 

“We know that financial challenges are often coupled with other stressors, so each applicant has been connected to one of 30 support staff who will be helping them through the grant application process,” McGonagle-Daly said. 

Student Lara said she found the process very easy and straight-forward. 

“I applied on the first day it was available, my assigned support person called me on Friday afternoon, and I had received my grant by Monday afternoon. The support person I was assigned was amazing and left me with her contact number to keep in touch in case I had any questions or just needed a friendly ear to listen if I felt under pressure, so I really appreciated that!” 

To be eligible, a student must be enrolled in the second semester of 2021, or a double semester in 2021, and be studying in New Zealand. An application can be made through the student portal.