The lockdown leaves students strapped for cash

Due to the coronavirus pandemic 60% of student jobs have disappeared. As these were the only source of income for many young people, requests for financial support sent to universities have drastically increased since the beginning of the lockdown.

Maxance is studying and normally gets by on CHF1350 ($1390)/month, but without a job, her outlook is bleak. “All of a sudden, everything closes and I’m getting cancellation emails about concerts and entertainment jobs. My employer tells me ‘I don’t know what I’ll do, I’m also living with uncertainty, unfortunately there’s no work at the moment’,” she said.

She can get CHF450/month in unemployment money and her university has stepped in to offer a grant for these unprecedented circumstances: CHF500/month for three months.

The amount and type of financial support varies from university to university, but all major institutions have cleared funds to support their students.