ANUSA recently announced a grant of up to $750 per semester for students who tested positive with COVID-19, awaiting test results, or must isolate as a close contact.

Students who exhibit financial distress from needing to isolate are eligible for the grant. This would mainly include students who are deemed ineligible for the Government payments and experience a loss of income due to isolation. Examples of these government payments include Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment or the COVID-19 Hardship payment which students may be excluded from due to their age, parental income, or residency, among other factors.

Additionally, students who receive assistance from any other outside providers such as the University or other scholarship providers are not eligible for the ANUSA grant.

The grant can be used to cover expenses, such as “medical expenses – i.e. Medical appointments and medical supplies” and “living expenses, i.e. Groceries  rent, utility bills,” as outlined on the ANUSA website.

To apply, students must present a 30-day transaction history from all bank accounts, submit an application form, and provide proof of enrolment at ANU.

The COVID-19 Supplement Grant will be administered from SSAF funds.

In a post to the ANU Schmidtposting Facebook group, Grace King, the ANUSA Wellbeing Officer, called the Government’s decision to limit disaster payments “disgusting [and] heartless.” Moreover, King asserts that the “[F]ederal [G]overnment should be ashamed that an undergraduate student union has to provide this financial support, but if they won’t do it, [ANUSA] will.”

For further information on this grant and the application form, students should visit the ANUSA website.