Founded by Treasure Island author Robert Louis Stevenson in 1887, The Student has been printed continuously for 136 years, with current print editions released fortnightly.

Financially independent from both Edinburgh University and its Students’ Association, the paper relies on advertising and fundraising to remain in print.

The Student’s president, Lucy Jackson, told Printweek that this arrangement allows the paper a lively editorial independence.

“But,” she added, “it also means that when it comes to finding money, we don’t have much support."

The loss of a major advertiser in spring put the title in a difficult position. In October, at the start of the autumn semester, the paper launched its fundraiser.

Print was a legacy the paper was not prepared to let go of, Jackson said.

She said: “We’ve been a constant source of news throughout both world wars, and have tirelessly reported on university strikes.

“Our students deserve a place to explore journalism, in an industry that is extremely competitive and inaccessible. Writing at a newspaper like ours is often the first chance students will get to experience what it’s like to be in a newsroom.”

She added that having a printed presence was vital in embedding the newspaper into the local community.

“We want residents of Edinburgh to be able to pick up a copy and understand what’s happening; we want to inform and entertain them.”

The paper has managed to raise £1,200 since launching its campaign on 5 October, meaning it will be able to print until the end of the semester in December.

“We’ve been blown away by the support we have received so far,” Jackson said.

“Our initial goal was £1,000, essentially covering two print editions. This means we are now financially secure until December, but after that point we don’t yet have the funds to print. 

“On top of this, we are running other fundraiser events and are securing more permanent advertising.”

The Student is run by a team of 25 volunteers, with more than 100 regular contributors, illustrators and photographers, and is printed in Dundee by DC Thomson's contract printing company Discovery Print.

Update: 

Shortly after publication, Discovery Print donated £730 to The Student's campaign, taking the fundraiser past its £2,000 goal.

Craig Bertie, production manager at Discovery Print, told Printweek: "We've been printing The Student since 2018, and when we heard that they were in danger of stopping publishing after 136 years in print, we thought we would try to help where we could.

"The future of journalism depends not only on creative enquiring minds reporting on subjects that matter to them, but also on audiences appreciating the value of quality journalism.

"The Student exemplifies this, and their determination to keep going is something we heartily support."

Jackson said the team had been blown away by the support from the journalism and print community: "Our printers DC Thomson have shown extreme generosity and have been our biggest donation so far, getting us over the £2,000 mark. We are so grateful and, honestly, a bit flabbergasted that we've had such a reaction.

"Not only that, but overnight we've raised over £3,000! I am overwhelmed by the support that's been shown and it really does emphasise how important student journalism is to the print industry.

"We've had coverage in the Scotsman, the Guardian and the BBC as well - to name just a few. Now we can't wait to get stuck into the stuff we're really here for, reporting, reporting, reporting!"