The number of students asking for emergency cash nearly tripled between 2018-19 and 2020-21 at 95 UK universities, BBC News Freedom of Information requests have revealed.
Responses also suggest the amount of hardship funding given out nearly doubled last year.
Students have told BBC News they could not afford rent after bar and retail work dried up during the pandemic.
Universities say they have stepped up efforts to help in "difficult times".
In total, 132 higher-education institutions responded to BBC Freedom of Information (FOI) requests about their hardship funds for the past three academic years.
