Hiruni's Story
Hiruni Fernando is a Psychology student and a beneficiary of the Student Hardship Fund.
In her own words, Hiruni tells us how much the Student Hardship Fund has helped her in her studies.
"I'm in my third year now and I'm currently completing a placement at the university.
"One of the things I've really enjoyed about my course is being able to participate in more research. Over the summer, I completed a research internship at the university and that was really interesting. I was able to work more closely with some of the people that I've been lectured by before. I'm really enjoying my placement as well, learning more about the ins and outs of the university.
"I'm an estranged student, so before I came to university, I wasn't sure of any financial support that I'd be entitled to. I thought that I'd probably have to work alongside my degree, which I would have made work, but obviously it's not ideal, especially when all of my new peers are out enjoying themselves and socialising.
"I received an e-mail to say that I had been awarded the Opportunity Scholarship and it just put me so much more at ease. It meant that I didn't have to get a part time job, I could focus solely on my studies and also embracing all the other aspects of university life, like participating in different societies and meeting new people.
"I found out about the Participation Bursary through the Students' Union emails. I wasn't sure in my first year whether to apply for it, because I wasn’t sure whether I’d be accepted, but then in my second year I thought I may as well try. I got accepted and that put me more at ease in terms of being able to try out different societies and go on trips that are provided as part of that. One of the things I wanted to do was go on a trip with the yoga society and if I didn't have access to that funding, I wouldn't have been able to afford to go.
"My placement is unpaid, so I knew that I'd be in less of a financial position than I was in my previous two years, but my rent has also gone up this year. I think a lot of students in Newcastle have struggled with that. So that was something else I had to factor in, as well as the cost of living in general like electricity, food and travel which are a lot higher than the previous two years.
"I applied to the Student Hardship Fund and got accepted, which meant I didn't have to worry about placement and finding a part-time job on the side.
"Something that estranged students struggle with a lot is guarantors for accommodation. Most people, like a lot of my friends, will use their parents as guarantors, but obviously I didn't have that option available to me. One of the things that you can do is apply to the university to be your guarantor, but there are costs associated with that. So having that financial support, it gave me more stability in terms of applying to that.
"Even deposits for second and third year accommodation, they're so expensive and not many students like me have £500 at their disposal. Maybe some of my peers could ask to borrow that off their parents, but I wasn't in that position. Having that money at the time was one of the major things that the scholarship has helped me with.
"Another thing that estranged students struggle with is housing over the summer period, especially during my first year I was really concerned about where I would go after my tenancy ended in June. I applied to stay in my first year halls for another few months, so if I didn't have that financial support, I wouldn't have been able to afford it.
"To the people who have already donated, I just want to say thank you so much. I can't even put into words how amazing it's been having the support at university. I've also received well-being support from the university in terms of being estranged, but the main thing that has impacted me is the financial support that I’ve received. It's put me on a level playing field with other students who maybe aren't estranged from their family.
"To anyone who is thinking about donating, if you're in the position to do so, I would really urge you to because it does help so many people. Hopefully by seeing the impact it's had on me and lots of other students, it brings the message home of how important it is.
"Thank you for supporting students in need at Newcastle University."