{"id":3680,"date":"2025-04-14T11:59:04","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T10:59:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/?p=3680"},"modified":"2026-04-20T10:12:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T09:12:57","slug":"students-in-need-because-higher-education-should-be-within-everyones-reach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/students-in-need-because-higher-education-should-be-within-everyones-reach\/","title":{"rendered":"Students in need: a boost for those who with financial worries"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>More and more students are having financial difficulties. Our university launched the <em>Students in Need<\/em> project because financial worries shouldn\u2019t stand in the way of a degree. Every year, many students get a financial boost. \u2018For me, it has made a world of difference,\u2019 says master student Rafal Mahan.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Studying is quite a challenge, and it doesn\u2019t get any easier when you\u2019re struggling to make ends meet. Rafal Mahan (46), an Iraqi refugee and mother of three, knows this all too well. In 2020, she moved to Belgium with her children, following her husband. The start in our country was difficult. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u2018My husband, who\u2019s a doctor, can no longer work due to health problems. I\u2019m a dentist myself, but my diploma isn\u2019t recognised in Belgium. So frustrating. To improve our situation, I decided to go back to studying. But there wasn\u2019t a lot of financial room, with only my husband\u2019s living allowance bringing in some money.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Impact on academic career<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rafal is far from the only person for whom studying isn\u2019t a matter of course. The Social Service team saw a sharp increase in the number of students with financial problems. Rising energy prices, unemployment, death, illness, divorce, international crises: these are all reasons why things can suddenly go downhill financially, according to Dimitri Van Gaever from the Social Service team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018<em>The increased number of requests for assistance may also be partially caused by the fact that students have been able to apply digitally for several years now. But that doesn\u2019t explain everything: we\u2019re also increasingly seeing difficult individual cases. This also has an impact on study results. Students are less able to focus on their studies because they\u2019re experiencing stress or have to spend time on a student job.<\/em>\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"3686\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Dimitri-Van-Gaever-Sociale-Dienst-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3686\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Dimitri-Van-Gaever-Sociale-Dienst-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Dimitri-Van-Gaever-Sociale-Dienst-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Dimitri-Van-Gaever-Sociale-Dienst-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Dimitri-Van-Gaever-Sociale-Dienst-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Dimitri-Van-Gaever-Sociale-Dienst-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 706px) 89vw, (max-width: 767px) 82vw, 740px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dimitri Van Gaever, Social Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Born during the pandemic, needed more than ever<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s no coincidence that the Students in Need initiative came into being during the Covid pandemic. <strong>Many students lost their student jobs at that time, with all the consequences that it entailed<\/strong>. \u2018That\u2019s when the Diversity and Inclusion team initiated this project, which aims to support financially vulnerable students,\u2019 Dimitri explains. \u2018In concrete terms, it\u2019s a collaboration between the University of Antwerp Fund and the Social Service team. <strong>The University Fund collects the financial support, which we then allocate to the appropriate students.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Everything starts with the student\u2019s request for help<\/strong>. Some take the initiative themselves, others may be referred by someone in their network, like a lecturer or a study programme counsellor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dimitri explains \u2018<em>After an extensive financial and social investigation, we offer them tailored support. This often takes the form of financial assistance, but it goes beyond that. Students can, for example, rent a laptop or purchase one on instalments through external partners, participate in a budget management workshop or read the tips and tricks about interesting discounts in our student budget survival guide.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Study grant and support<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rafal didn\u2019t let herself be held back by financial worries. At first, she sought and got support from the Student Counselling Services, which encouraged her to take the plunge and enrol in a new study programme. To this very day, her study counsellor regularly checks in with her to see how she\u2019s doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Rafal goes on \u2018I started the Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the beginning of 2022. The first few months were difficult. I\u2019d learned Dutch, but I wasn\u2019t familiar with the names of chemical compounds, for example. Fortunately, I was entitled to a lot of exemptions.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was also a tough period financially. As Rafal was able to condense several programme years and also had a family, a student job wasn\u2019t an option. \u2018I\u2019d heard that at my age you\u2019re no longer entitled to a student grant, so I didn\u2019t apply for one. It was only after two years that I contacted the Social Service team thanks to a friend\u2019s advice. I learned that I was entitled to a grant after all, and that I also qualified for additional financial support. With that amount I was able to buy a laptop, course material and books, among other things. I also received about 200 euros per academic year to spend at komida. Not a huge amount, but more than enough. All that support made a world of difference to us.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Donations welcome<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Last year, the University Fund received some 20,000 euros in donations for Students in Need. \u2018Which is a great amount, but not enough to meet all the requests for help. T<strong>hat\u2019s why we\u2019re directly approaching our network of alumni and sympathisers to ask them to contribute,\u2019<\/strong> says Eline Joukes of the University Fund. <strong>You can also support the project as an employee<\/strong>, thereby making an impact through community engagement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Dimitri says \u2018For one thing, you can help draw attention to the initiative. <strong>Talk to colleagues about it, mobilise your network and refer students if necessary. <\/strong>After all, the Social Service team aren\u2019t the only point of contact: as a lecturer, study programme counsellor or student psychologist, you\u2019re often a person of trust, too.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"3685\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Eline-Joukes-Universiteitsfonds-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3685\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Eline-Joukes-Universiteitsfonds-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Eline-Joukes-Universiteitsfonds-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Eline-Joukes-Universiteitsfonds-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Eline-Joukes-Universiteitsfonds-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Eline-Joukes-Universiteitsfonds-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 706px) 89vw, (max-width: 767px) 82vw, 740px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Eline Joukes, University Funding<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Celebratory donation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you would like to support the project yourself, you can do so by making a donation via the University Fund website or by adding one, two or five euros to your komida payment. Another option is to make a <em>celebratory donation<\/em>.<strong> If you\u2019re planning to celebrate the completion of a PhD or hold a farewell party, for example, you can suggest to your guests that they make a donation to Students in Need instead of giving you a present.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018We also receive funding through the <strong>sale of ICT equipment and the like<\/strong> <strong>to employees<\/strong>. If they buy a laptop or smartphone, half of the amount goes to Students in Need,\u2019 Eline explains. All these donations and revenues are used exclusively for study-related costs. \u2018So you effectively help students get their degree,\u2019 Dimitri adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He himself has seen many students for whom the financial support has made a real difference. \u2018It\u2019s nice to see how some people, thanks to the extra support, have been able to receive a great education and achieve wonderful results. Personally, I find that enormously valuable.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Focus on studies<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rafal also took full advantage of the opportunities presented to her. After a difficult start, she achieved brilliant results and is now combining a master programme in drug development with a few courses from the bachelor programme. The end is in sight and she dreams of doing a PhD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The past few years have been tough, but she isn\u2019t complaining. \u2018I\u2019ll manage\u2019, she says with conviction. \u2018People sometimes ask me how I do it, studying when I don\u2019t even have a living allowance. But I just focus on my studies. During the week I do my internship at a pharmacy, and on Saturdays and Sundays I study. I simply don\u2019t have time to relax or go shopping. Fortunately, my parents regularly send clothes and other things for me and the children. No, I\u2019m managing just fine. And I\u2019m very grateful to the university for the support I\u2019ve received.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Want to support &#8216;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uantwerpen.be\/en\/centres\/university-fund\/make-the-difference\/make-a-donation\/support-our-projects\/students-in-financial-need\/\">Students in Need<\/a>&#8216;?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Pay a little bit extra <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uantwerpen.be\/nl\/projecten\/usab\/engagement-usab\/giften-usab\/\">when you buy something at komida<\/a> or make a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uantwerpen.be\/nl\/centra\/universiteitsfonds\/onze-projecten_onderzoek\/studentenfinanciering\/\">regular<\/a> or \u2013 if you have something to celebrate \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uantwerpen.be\/en\/centres\/university-fund\/make-the-difference\/celebrate-by-donation\/\">celebratory donation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More and more students are facing financial difficulties. That\u2019s why our university launched the \u2018Students in Need\u2019 initiative \u2013 to ensure that financial worries never become a barrier to earning a degree. Every year, the project provides a much-needed financial boost to numerous students. \u201cFor me, it made a world of difference,\u201d says master\u2019s student Rafal Mahan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":3684,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[233,607,608],"tags":[555,554,388,553],"coauthors":[139],"class_list":["post-3680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-service-to-society","category-working-at-uantwerp","tag-gift","tag-social-services","tag-students-in-need","tag-university-fund"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Students in need: a boost for those who with financial worries - Pintra (EN) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/students-in-need-because-higher-education-should-be-within-everyones-reach\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Students in need: a boost for those who with financial worries - Pintra (EN) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"More and more students are facing financial difficulties. That\u2019s why our university launched the \u2018Students in Need\u2019 initiative \u2013 to ensure that financial worries never become a barrier to earning a degree. Every year, the project provides a much-needed financial boost to numerous students. \u201cFor me, it made a world of difference,\u201d says master\u2019s student Rafal Mahan.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/students-in-need-because-higher-education-should-be-within-everyones-reach\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pintra (EN) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-14T10:59:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-20T09:12:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/pintra-blog-studenten-in-nood-1024x576.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"576\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Annick Deckers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Annick Deckers\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.uantwerpen.be\\\/pintra-en\\\/students-in-need-because-higher-education-should-be-within-everyones-reach\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.uantwerpen.be\\\/pintra-en\\\/students-in-need-because-higher-education-should-be-within-everyones-reach\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ann Segers\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.uantwerpen.be\\\/pintra-en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e460d23b31a9243fd937c5a9c81e63ac\"},\"headline\":\"Students in need: a boost for those who with financial worries\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-14T10:59:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-20T09:12:57+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.uantwerpen.be\\\/pintra-en\\\/students-in-need-because-higher-education-should-be-within-everyones-reach\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1250,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.uantwerpen.be\\\/pintra-en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.uantwerpen.be\\\/pintra-en\\\/students-in-need-because-higher-education-should-be-within-everyones-reach\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.uantwerpen.be\\\/pintra-en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/pintra-blog-studenten-in-nood.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Gift\",\"Social Services\",\"Students in need\",\"University Fund\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Education\",\"Service to society\",\"Working at UAntwerp\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.uantwerpen.be\\\/pintra-en\\\/students-in-need-because-higher-education-should-be-within-everyones-reach\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.uantwerpen.be\\\/pintra-en\\\/students-in-need-because-higher-education-should-be-within-everyones-reach\\\/\",\"name\":\"Students in need: a boost for those who with financial worries - 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That\u2019s why our university launched the \u2018Students in Need\u2019 initiative \u2013 to ensure that financial worries never become a barrier to earning a degree. 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