NOIDA: The strain on household incomes caused by two waves of the pandemic that have hit India so far has pushed many students to the brink of dropping out mid-course. Hundreds of students pursuing degrees have appealed to their universities for financial bailouts because their households no longer have the resources to pay the course fees because of salary cuts and earnings plummeting due to the lockdowns. University officials said without a bailout, these students would have no option but to drop out of college. For some students, Covid has cut deep, resulting in personal tragedies like losing a parent, officials said.