Jean Floud (a member of a longstanding Communist family and the aunt of Birkbeck economic historian Roderick Floud) was relief secretary for the International Student Service.

She pleaded with Birkbeck to take more Polish, French, Belgian, and Czech refugees. The fact that the College did accept many either by offering free places or the remission of fees is indicated by the fact that, in 1940, one quarter of Birkbeck students were refugees.