MORE financial support for students hit by the coronavirus pandemic has been announced by the Scottish Government.

Ministers said today that students experiencing hardship over summer could apply for financial support as a result of £20 million of new funding.

It has also been announced that dental hygiene students at the University of Dundee will be given bursaries after their courses were extended by a year because of the pandemic.

The Sunday National revealed last week that the hygienists were being denied help even though students studying dentistry were eligible for bursaries of up to £6750, as well as their student loan, to meet the costs of the extra year.

They have now been told that all students required to extend their course will be eligible for support.

“The pandemic has presented particular challenges to dentistry as the majority of procedures require the use of aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) which carry a substantial risk of transmitting coronavirus,” said a Scottish Government spokesperson. “As a result, there has been a significant impact on the clinical training of Oral Health Science (OHS), some of whom will undertake a repeat year of study.

“Undergraduate OHS, including those studying at Dundee University, are entitled to Scottish Government funded financial support distributed via the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).

“We are also providing an extra £3.17m to universities and health boards involved in dentistry education to help support their students with placement activity.”

The bursary news follows First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s assurance to Holyrood last week that she would look into the issue.

The £20m of new money announced today means that if any student is struggling to meet accommodation and other costs over the summer, they will be able to apply directly to their college or university’s Coronavirus Discretionary Fund.

The Scottish Government has also committed to review the future of summer support and the availability of funds will be monitored to ensure support remains available to students throughout summer.

This latest package takes total support for students since the start of the pandemic to more than £96m.

Higher and Further Education Minister Jamie Hepburn said: “The pandemic has impacted students significantly and not only has there been disruption to their education, but many students have faced financial difficulties with accommodation, associated costs or challenges in getting jobs.

“The Student Hardship Task Force have been a crucial voice in ensuring students are supported this summer and I thank them for their important work.

“The support provided to students over the course of the pandemic has been substantial with now over £96m being provided via hardship funding, digital access, mental health support and for student associations.”

NUS Scotland president Matt Crilly said the Scottish Government had recognised the “dire” situation facing students this summer.

“Many students have already lost crucial part-time jobs, most have received their final student support payment, and are not eligible for Universal Credit, which is why today’s announcement of a summer support review is particularly welcome,” he said. “We need to see a year-round student support system that ensures no student falls through the cracks and is driven out of education and into poverty.”