Here at UCSB, we care about your overall financial wellness. There are many different resources available to help, should you find yourself facing financial insecurity during school.
Financial Crisis Response Team
The UCSB Financial Crisis Response Team exists to assist students who are facing a financial crisis or urgent financial need. Our team assists undergraduate and graduate students who are facing significant financial difficulties that jeopardize their path to graduation through emergency funding and resource connection. We work closely to evaluate, respond, and support students in crisis in a streamlined and timely manner.
Basic Needs Advising Center
The Basic Needs Advising Center is a connection point for students to the basic needs resources both on and off-campus. Basic Needs Advocates are ready to assist students with all aspects of basic needs concerns, including (but not limited to) food, finances, and housing.
- CalFresh: Students who are interested in applying for CalFresh, can also make an appointment to speak with a CalFresh Advisor, who can help answer questions about the process.
- Location: The Basic Needs Advising Center is located in the University Center, right across from the campus bookstore.
- Contact: For more information or to speak with someone directly, visit the Basic Needs website.
Student Medical Emergency Relief Fund (SMERF)
The Jack Canfield Student Medical Emergency Relief Fund (SMERF) provides grants to students with expenses related to medical, dental, psychological, and optical emergencies.
- Definition: For the purpose of this fund, a medical emergency is a condition, injury, or illness that poses a risk to a person’s life, long-term health, or well-being and requires timely intervention. Prescription or medical care costs related to on-going, non-emergency conditions are not covered.
- More Info: Visit the SMERF website for eligibility requirements and more information.
UCSB Graduate Student Association (GSA)
Emergency Relief Grant
The GSA Emergency Relief Grant was approved by the UCSB graduate student body in 2011 and is designed to help graduate students who are experiencing sudden financial distress due to unforeseen circumstances. Examples of this type of hardship may include but are not limited to, the loss of an immediate family member, medical emergency, or an unexpected loss of employment.
More Info: For eligibility requirements and more information, visit the UCSB GSA Website.
Associated Students/Educational Opportunity Program
AS/EOP Grants
The AS/EOP Grant funds are to be used to meet unusual educationally-related expenses that are incurred by regularly enrolled student members of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP).
- Eligibility: Student must be an EOP member, enrolled at least half time, have need-based aid, EOP follows the by-laws of the Associated Students of UCSB in this process.
- Contact: If you are interested in applying for the AS/EOP Grant, speak with an EOP counselor or email eop@sa.ucsb.edu. For more information, visit the AS/EOP Grants website.
FAQs
If you know a student who is facing and immediate financial, housing, or food related crisis, please refer them to the Financial Crisis Response Team. If you are unsure if the FCRT is the right resource to send a student to, refer them to us anyway, and we can connect them with the best supports.
To refer a student, have them email financialcrisis@sa.ucsb.edu. In the initial e-mail, please have them include their preferred name, PERM Number, and any details of the situation that will help us develop a plan of action. If you want to refer a student anonymously, simply email financialcrisis@sa.ucsb.edu with the students name and contact info, and we will outreach to them.
The amount of crisis funding administered is determined on a case by case basis. Several factors impact student support such as a student’s current financial situation, their Student Aid Index, unmet need, and other available options.
Emergency Housing Grants and Basic Needs Grants do not need to be repaid to the Financial Crisis Response Team. Institutional Loans do, however, need to be repaid to the university
Funding allocated from the Financial Crisis Response Team is administered through BARC. Students who have signed up for direct deposit with BARC should expect to receive funds within 3-5 business days.