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The UNI Alumni Association Board of Directors will give $2,500 in support of the Student Emergency Fund if the project reaches 250 gifts by October 31. Gifts of any size count. Make a difference today!
The Student Emergency Fund provides aid at critical times to UNI students facing emergency situations such as accidents, illness or the need for temporary housing. These situations can derail a student's education, often forcing them to choose between handling their emergency and continuing their education. Thanks to generous alumni and friends, the Student Emergency Fund helped 17 students during their emergency situations and enabled them to stay enrolled at UNI in 2018-19. Sashay and Cierra are a few of the students who have experienced the immense impact of the Student Emergency Fund on their lives.
Students who were awarded grants from the the Student Emergency Fund were provided the opportunity to serve as an ambassador to help raise awareness about the fund.
Sashay
Senior | Communications major | Iowa City, IA
When Sashay's car broke down, she faced a difficult situation: she was no longer able to get to school or work, and she was unable to pay for car repairs. With nowhere else to turn, she applied for the Student Emergency Fund, which covered the cost of repairs and enabled her to drive to work and classes at UNI. "My situation was not related to school, but it would have affected everything else in my life... I am very appreciative of the Student Emergency Fund," said Sashay. "Future donors really might be helping someone in need, someone who truly needs it." Now a senior, Sashay is serving as a resident assistant in Rider Hall and interning at the Job Foundation in Waterloo.
Emmett
Senior | Psychology major | Des Moines, IA
Emmett, a senior psychology major, depends on his car to get to work. The first time it broke down last school year, he was able to cover the repairs with some short term loans. The second time, however, he found himself with nowhere else to turn and missed several days of work. He applied for the Student Emergency Fund, which helped cover repair costs and got him back to work. "As a financially independent student, covering one emergency situation was a challenge," he said. "When another emergency situation came up, I had already exhausted all of my options." Emmett has been heavily involved on campus, serving as the president of UNI Proud and as a senator in the Northern Iowa Student Government (NISG). After graduation, he is considering graduate school for clinical psychology or student affairs.
Cierra
Senior | Family Services major | Des Moines, IA
As a first generation college student, Cierra understands the difficulties of paying her own way through school. When she did not have the means to afford temporary housing, the Student Emergency Fund was able to cover her cost of housing for two weeks, bridging the gap between moving off campus and into a new apartment. "I honestly don't know what I would have done," said Cierra. "When I received Student Emergency Funds, I felt very, very blessed and I am very grateful." In the future, Cierra hopes to work with adolescents and youth after she pursues a master's degree in social work.
To learn more about the Student Emergency Fund and its criteria to help students, please visit deanofstudents.uni.edu/emergencyfund.