Coronavirus (COVID-19): student hardship - case studies: report

Annex 2: Interview topic guide and questions

a) Discussion of current employment circumstances for the student .

• How will they have changed since the lockdown was introduced? (to include the number of hours worked prior to lockdown, type of contract student was on, discussion of sector and how these will have changed)
• Is it likely that these circumstances will change again imminently (for example, where a move from furlough to redundancy is anticipated)?

b) What are the alternative employment opportunities available to the student, if any?

• What options has the student explored and why did they decide to pursue them or not?
• Were there any limitations on why the student could not undertake the alternative employment (for example, personal circumstances, having to travel without means to do so, etc.)?

c) What does the change of income mean to the student in practical terms? (As part of this we will try to understand the scale of the change in income without asking about the precise numbers – for example we can probe about a proportion of income lost)

• To what extent does the student rely on this income to support them? 
• What was the effect on student's living arrangements, wellbeing, relationships, ability to continue studies, immigration status?

d) What financial support has there been available to the student since COVID-19 restrictions were introduced?

• Has the student applied for any? If so, how did they find the process and what was the outcome?
• If challenges experienced when applying, what would have helped the student to overcome them?
• Was other supported offered/available to the student? To include assistance with finding work, emotional support, housing assistance.