UB Emergency Fund

The UB Emergency Fund is a collection of financial assistance programs at the University at Buffalo designed to support students facing unexpected hardships. These funds provide small emergency grants to eligible students who encounter unforeseen personal crises or expenses that could jeopardize their education. UB's emergency funding program covers a range of qualifying situations - for example, a death in the family, being a victim of a crime or accident, sudden loss of income or housing, or other critical emergencies. The goal is to help students with "crossing the finish line" by removing short-term financial barriers, thereby enabling them to remain enrolled and on track toward graduation.

Program History and Development

By 2018, the university's emergency funding efforts had been in place for nearly 20 years, primarily managed by Student Life. In the 2016-2017 academic year, UB only about one-third of student requests for emergency assistance could be funded due to limited resources. Recognizing the importance of these grants, UB sought additional support, and, in February 2018, received a $100,000 grant from the Gerstner Family Foundation and the Heckscher Foundation for Children to support its emergency aid program. This grant, administered through the SUNY Impact Foundation, made UB one of seven SUNY campuses selected for enhanced emergency funding. It led to the creation of the Gerstner & Heckscher Student Emergency Fund at UB, focused particularly on aiding undergraduate students with sudden financial crises, making the Student Life Emergency Gift Fund available to graduate and professional students.

UB's emergency funds are intended as grants, not loans, meaning they don't have to be paid back. They are for one-time assistance for immediate needs and not a form of ongoing or recurring financial aid. The funds can cover eligible expenses such as off-campus rent to prevent eviction, utility bills, medical bills, childcare, or replacement of essential personal belongings after theft or disaster. Notably, however, the funds cannot be used for tuition and fees, on-campus housing and meal plans, or other university billing expenses. It also cannot be used to pay off credit card debt or parking tickets. This ensures the money goes directly towards stabilizing the student's living situation and well-being. To apply, students need to detail their circumstances and may need to provide documentation (e.g. an eviction notice or medical bill) to show the unforeseen nature of the expense. The Dean of Students Office oversees the application process and aims for a response time of 3-5 business days for completed applications. UB cautions that grants over certain amounts may have tax implications, such as IRS 1099 tax forms for students who had received over $600 in emergency aid as of 2023.

UB has developed multiple specialized emergency funds. As of the mid-2020s, there are emergency funds tied to some UB schools or student populations, such as the School of Dental Medicine Student Emergency Fund, the Graduate School of Education Hardship Fund, the School of Law Emergency Assistance Fund, the School of Nursing Julia Buscaglia Support Fund, the School of Social Work Students Helping Students Fund, and an International Student Emergency Fund (Steven L. Shaw Memorial Fund) for F1/J-1 visa students. Students are encouraged to the one fund that best fits their situation, and if they don't fall under a particular school's fund, they can apply to the broader Student Life Emergency Fund. Portions of the Student Life Emergency Fund are allocated for students in certain colleges (including the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Architecture and Planning, School of Management, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Professions, and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences). These funds share the goal of helping students get through a short-term crisis without dropping out. The UB Fund for Student Life and a "Random Acts of Kindness" endowment contribute to the Student Life Emergency Fund.

Emergency Funds During COVID-19 Pandemic

The global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 significantly increased the need for student emergency aid at UB. In Spring 2020, as part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, UB received $23.9 million in federal relief funds, of which $11.9 million was designated for direct emergency financial grants to students. These one-time CARES Act grants were intended to help students cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations, such as housing and meals, books and supplies, transportation, and healthcare. UB distributed the CARES emergency grants by automatically allocating funds to students with the greatest financial need (those who met federal Title IV aid eligibility and had need indicators such as Pell Grant status). Students saw these grants appear in their financial aid HUB accounts and could choose to accept, reduce, or decline them. Those who were not automatically awarded could apply with documentation through a UB CARES Act application.