The Students Representative Council (SRC) has launched the Students Welfare Assistance Fund (SWAF) to support needy students on campus.

With a seed capital of GH¢ 112,200, the Fund seeks to provide requisite support for students' short-term financial needs on campus.

The launch which was well-attended by scores of students was on theme "Mitigating Financial Challenges of Students, the Role of the SRC."

The Dean of Students Affairs, Prof. Koawo Edjah, who launched SWAF, lauded the leadership of the SRC for instituting the Fund to support financially handicapped students on campus. Prof. Edjah, who chaired the function, noted that SWAF would operate side-by-side with the students' handbook.

Consequently, he said, students could be rusticated if they try to mislead the committee responsible for the disbursement of the Fund. Prof. Edjah, whose outfit personally donated GH¢ 18,000 to support the Fund, said prospective applicants should be honest when filling the SWAF forms.

The Dean of Students called on students to disabuse their minds that SWAF was an avenue for the SRC to embezzle money, noting that stringent measures had been put in place to safeguard the Fund. He urged public-spirited individuals and institutions to support the Fund.

For his part, the Vice-Dean of Students, Dr. Eugene Dartey, commended the SRC for the initiative. He lauded the Francis-Arthur-led administration for mooting the idea last year and the current SRC leadership for sustaining the initiative.

Dr. Dartey emphasised that, with the introduction of SWAF, students would not engage in unhealthy lifestyles as a result of their financial problems. He urged needy students to take advantage of the Fund to improve their economic wellbeing on campus.

On his part, The SRC President, Mr. Dennis Larbi Ampofo, hailed the students for their dedication to support their colleague students with the SWAF. He praised the Office of the Dean of Students Affairs for its support for the Fund.

Mr. Ampofo urged students to ignore claims that the leadership of the SRC would misappropriate the money. "As president, I'll not condone any act which will seek to undermine the credibility of this Fund, he added. He advised the students to adhere to the rules and regulations governing the Fund so as to access it with dispatch. The SRC president informed the students that SWAF forms were available at the SRC office and the Dean of Students Affairs office for students to access the Fund. He expressed gratitude to Atlantic Hall, Oguaa Hall, Kwame Nkrumah Hall, SRC Hostel, Local NUGS, SRC and the office of the Dean of Students Affairs for committing financial resources to support the Fund.