Last Friday, UTRGV President Guy Bailey announced the Student Emergency Fund, which provides limited emergency financial support to students due to a temporary or unexpected hardship.
The purpose of the Student Emergency Fund is to provide limited, last resort financial assistance to currently enrolled students who are experiencing a sudden emergency, accident or unforeseen event that requires additional emergency money, according to the UTRGV webpage.
“I can tell you the average amount that students are receiving is about $500,” said Griselda Castilla, associate vice president for Strategic Enrollment. “There are a few that, you know, they have extreme circumstances and we’ve given them up to $1,000.”
According to Castilla, about 500 applications have been received and every day they get more applications. Depending on the volume of applications, it takes around three to five days for the application to be processed. Once they receive the funds, the students do not have to pay back the money.
Mass communication senior Clarissa Diaz said this fund will greatly help students who have lost their jobs and need to provide for their families. It will also help them to stay focused on school.
“This is a really great opportunity during this time,” Diaz said. “There is no harm … in educating yourself and trying to apply because it really is something that students should take advantage of.”
The Student Emergency Fund cannot be used to cover any of the following expenses: tuition, lab fees, study abroad costs, parking tickets and other university-imposed fines, application or test fees, costs for entertainment, recreation and non-emergency travel.
The application process is simple. The student needs to provide a reason for the request of the fund and a detailed description of how the funds will be used. Students need to explain how these expenses affect their capability to stay enrolled in the university and they need to provide documentation related to the request.
Theatre and English senior Damarys Ventura said this fund will benefit students who were not prepared for the quarantine.
“This emergency fund, and all of the things that they are doing at UTRGV, seems to be really be helping those who may not have been able to finish their classes if it wasn’t available to them,” Ventura said. “Take this opportunity and don’t be embarrassed or ashamed about it because this is available to those who need it.”
The Student Emergency Fund also accepts donations of any amount. Anyone can donate by visiting www.give.utrgv.edu.
For eligibility criteria and more information, visit UTRGV’s web page on the Student Emergency Fund or email dos@utrgv.edu.
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