LONDON, ONT. -- Help can’t come soon enough for international students who are stuck in limbo and far from home.

They’re a little-known financial casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

International students like Fanshawe College student Jay Jossi, from India, find themselves running out of money, and worried about what’s next.

“We are scared,” says the 22-year-old, who leases a downtown London apartment with three other international students.

“We don’t even know how we will get our groceries two weeks after. We’re not sure, because it’s obvious that we don’t have that much funds right now, and we cannot get that fund back home as well."

Bhavin Patel, the president of Indian Culture of South-Western Ontario, told CTV News most international students don’t qualify for federal emergency funding, and most who did have part-time jobs haven’t worked enough hours to qualify for employment insurance.

“No doubt the parents want to send them money, but due to the lockdown in their own country they cannot go out because all the businesses are closed, everywhere everything is closed.”

He urges those who need help or who are in a position to help to reach out to his centre at www.gujaraticulture.ca.

There are still about 150 students living at Fanshawe College student residences, and many more are staying at accommodations throughout the city. What most have in common is they don’t have anywhere else to go.

Some help is on the way. Fanshawe College has announced an emergency fund to support students in need of quick assistance. Both international and domestic students are eligible.

Students can receive up to $500 says Fanshawe spokesperson Wendy Curtis.

“Our agenda is really to keep people engaged as we offer our online learning platforms and to keep students here in the city so that when we do recover to whatever that new normal might be we have that qualified labour market ready to go.”

The $1.5 million emergency fund was established by the college and student union, along with a number of donors. Students can apply starting Monday.