COVID-19: St Stephen's to set up resilience fund for students facing financial hardships

The St Stephen's college in Delhi is setting up a 'Resilience Fund' to support tuition fees of its students facing financial constraints due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to officials.

The COVID-19 Resilience Fund is being set up to support tuition fees of 50-100 students from the college enrolled in different courses, according to an official order.

"The annual income of the family should not exceed Rs 5 lakh and they need to attach a valid income certificate. Applicants should not be receiving any other scholarship or financial aid that exceeds Rs 20,000 from the college or any other agency. Any other achievement that would justify the application," it added.

The college specified that those who wish to apply are required to send in the applications by November 25.

"The heads of departments may scrutinise the applications within the departments and forward genuine cases latest by November 29. All those who wish to avail fees concession must submit an application for College Bursaries," the order said.

The staff association of the St Stephen’s college here had written to the principal last week, asking for the setting up of a committee to reach out to students facing monetary issues after an LSR college student allegedly committed suicide over financial constraints in continuing with her studies.

Aishwarya, a student of the Lady Sri Ram (LSR) College for Women and an IAS aspirant, was found hanging at her Shadnagar house in Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district on November 2. In a suicide note purportedly written by her, the 19-year-old said she did not want to burden her parents with her educational expenses, police said.

The second-year BSc Mathematics (Honours) student had returned to Telangana from Delhi in March after those staying in the hostel were asked to go home by the college authorities in view of the pandemic.