Frequently Asked Questions - Basic Needs Emergency Fund: Staff & Faculty FAQ

Students can fill out the Basic Needs Assistance Form and provide financial need information when asked for it.

Staff and faculty can submit the Assistance Form on behalf of students they are supporting and let the BNC know if it is necessary to coordinate care between our teams.

Filling out the Assistance Form guarantees that someone from the BNC will reach out to the student and provide direct support and/or other relevant resources. It does NOT guarantee that a student will receive funding.

There is no one-size-fits-all criteria for eligibility. Instead, our team will assess each student’s individual needs, available resources, and financial aid profile to determine whether funding is both possible, necessary, and in alignment with the scope of the program.

All enrolled students are eligible to request support, including grad, undergrad, international, and undocumented students. Unfortunately staff, faculty, and visiting scholars are NOT eligible to receive financial support, but can access other resources like Food Pantry and CalFresh.

However, being eligible to request support does not mean students are guaranteed financial assistance.

Basic needs challenges are complicated and not always fully addressed by one-time financial assistance. This new model allows the BNC to better serve students by providing coordinated support from all of our programs and stronger connections to long-term support.

Instead of being singularly focused on financial assistance, this process opens the door for students to connect with the most relevant programs and resources. This will include emergency financial awards when possible and necessary, and emphasizes other forms of supporting students as well.

Students have the option to only request support with direct financial assistance by opting out of Care Coordination when filling out the BN Assistance Form.

Students who are only interested in financial assistance must fill out the financial needs section of the assistance form to be considered for funding.

For students who opt out of Care Coordination, our team will still share relevant resources and may reach out for clarification on their needs, but we will not provide in-depth support.

No, we are moving away from an application process and towards a needs assessment and Care Coordination model.

Instead of reviewing applications, our Care Team will review form submissions and meet with students when needed to determine the most relevant resources and level of care for each student case.

The BNEF is the current iteration of the BNC’s financial assistance programs, and it is intended to provide emergency financial assistance in the areas of rent, food, housing security deposit and other emergency and safety needs to students who have exhausted their financial resources.

The BNEF was redesigned in 2022 to be better integrated with other Basic Needs Center services. Instead of an application, students submit a request for assistance through the Basic Needs Assistance Form. For these requests, students will now receive Care Coordination services, where emergency funding is only one option among many resources students can qualify for.