York University says that it will provide up to $1,500 in support for students who have experienced “extenuating financial circumstances” as a result of a strike that is nearing the end of its seventh week.

The university said that the bursary will be made available to any student who was enrolled in undergraduate courses in the current school year and experienced difficult financial circumstances as a result of the ongoing strike by contract faculty and other staff.

Some of the eligible circumstances cited by the university include costs to change travel plans, extend a lease or pay for child care over an extended period.

The university says that students applying for the bursary will have to provide “supporting documentation.” Online applications for the bursary will open on Monday.

It is included among a list of things that the university is doing to assist students affected by the strike.

York University says that it will also offer a tuition credit to any student who withdraws from a class between March 5 when the strike began and Dec. 31 of this year. They would be able to use that credit to complete the class sometime before the end of 2019. There will also be no penalties on the students’ transcripts for withdrawing.

For students wishing to finish a class that has been suspended due to the strike, the university says that it will take approximately four weeks to do so upon the end of the work stoppage.

Alternatively, York says that students can apply to receive an assessed grade in a given class if they had completed 70 per cent of the course work included in the original syllabus.

That option, however, is not available to graduate courses or courses in some specific faculties.

Strike began on March 5

About 3,000 members of CUPE 3903, which represents contract faculty, teaching assistants and other staff, have been off the job since March 5.

Last week members of CUPE 3903 voted overwhelmingly to reject York’s latest offer following what the union called a "forced ratification vote."

Negotiations have not been held since they broke down on March 20.

In a letter to students on Thursday, York University's interim provost and Vice-President Academic Lisa Philipps said that its “highest priority at this time is to help students resolve their current courses and move forward with their plans for the summer and beyond.”

“We recognize that these uncertainties have been immensely stressful for students and their families,” she says.

York University has previously said that about half of all classes have been put on hold as a result of the strike.

The main points of contention in the labour dispute have mostly revolved around job security for part time and contract workers.