The leader of Norfolk County Council has pledged the authority will do what it can to help the troubled University of East Anglia - but said that support will not include a financial bail out.
The turmoil at the UEA emerged last month, when it revealed it needed to make £45m of savings in the next three years.
Staff are facing redundancy, while the UEA's vice-chancellor Prof David Richardson has resigned, to be replaced by Prof David Maguire.
READ MORE: UEA financial crisis: Bosses urged to bring in £100k pay cap
At a meeting of Norfolk County Council, Graham Plant, standing in as leader, said the Conservative authority was ready to help - but not with money.
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He said: "I think the UEA is a key partner and a key element of what makes Norfolk what it is today.
"It has an international reputation and we need to maintain that. We will work, as a county council, with the UEA to help them get wherever they need to go to get over this period they are in.
"They are in a difficult situation but, with friends' help - and we are a friend of the university - they will get over this situation.
"We will work together with them to ensure they get to a better plan than they are in now.
"Obviously, I cannot promise any individual finances on that score, but we will work with them as we always have in the past."
His comments came after independent councillor Ed Maxfield, a former UEA student, asked whether the authority was in a position to help.
Mr Maxfield said: "Like many thousands of others, the UEA allowed me to live a life that has been full of opportunities that were not available to members of my family who came before me.
"Many people will be very worried about what they see reported about UEA's financial position."
