Bruin Emergency Fund
Our students are strong, resilient, resourceful, and inspiring, but many face housing and food insecurity, along with other barriers that cannot always be anticipated. A financial hardship of just $250 can derail a student from staying in school.
The Bruin Emergency Fund provides compassionate assistance to students who face serious financial disruptions due to emergency circumstances including assistance with rent, food, utilities, child care, and other critical issues.
A Lifeline for Students
“It’s a lifeline to these students.” That’s Candida Mumford’s description of the Bruin Emergency Fund, a fund created by donors that assists students dealing with unforeseen circumstances that place them in dire financial need. Candida, assistant vice president and dean of students at SLCC, administers the fund.
The need is significant. Candida explained that as soon as her office advertises emergency fund support, the funds are spent within a few weeks. “We could double what we receive from donors and still would not meet all the needs.”
“The emergency fund was developed during the pandemic,” Candida said. “A donor, who chooses to remain anonymous, stepped forward with a significant gift. We used it to assist students struggling with housing costs as well as food and health insecurity.”
That donor has continued the gift annually and several other gifts are added to it, allowing SLCC to help students year-round. In 2023, 146 students received emergency assistance, 51 in the spring, 25 in the summer and 70 in the fall semester just completed.
“Any student is eligible to receive up to $750 in support each semester,” Candida said. “We had a student navigating intimate partner violence,” Candida recounted. “Her partner was sent to jail and it left her caring for children, trying to pay for food, rent, and other expenses. The fund gave her a bumper that took some pressure off for a month, allowing the time to apply for services.”
Often the emergency fund solves a problem – covering the cost of an unplanned expense like car repairs, medical bills or groceries; but in many cases it gives students the time needed to find a long-term solution.
“We recently helped an undocumented student facing eviction,” Candida explained. “The award provided the time to find a better solution and remain in housing.”