An avalanche of responsibilities hit students as soon as they enroll at the University of Utah. On top of balancing things like class schedules and work/life balance, students must also find a way to economically survive in one of America’s fastest inflating markets. With large amounts of full-time students taking upwards of 17-20 credit hours per week, students are having a hard time finding meaningful work that can assist them in meeting rising rent and other costs of living.

With that in mind, the University established its Student Emergency Fund. The goal of the Fund is to offer students a means of financial support as they move throughout their academic careers at the U. Since the Emergency Fund was founded, over 1,200 students have received assistance, with 5-7 students applying each day.

One of those 1,200 is Cristina Velasquez, a senior, double-majoring in economics and political science. She applied for the Student Emergency Fund and received over $800 in assistance towards her tuition.

“I found out about it on the scholarship site,” she said. “It helped a ton with COVID relief and helped me with tuition costs.”

Among the other benefits of the Emergency Fund, Velasquez made sure to mention how much the Fund helped her mental health through the pandemic. “It helped ease a lot of my anxiety with paying remaining tuition balances,” she said.

The Student Emergency Fund has been providing a vital means of assistance for years, and the need is growing. Donating to the Fund ensures students have access to the information, technology, and scholarship support they need to reach their academic goals.

Spreading the word

If you are not able to give, there are still things you can do to spread awareness and promote #GivingTuesday to peers, friends and family. Using the hashtag #GivingTuesday to share our vision or one of our campaigns on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram helps us spread the word and encourage a larger culture of giving around the holiday season. Let us use this season of gratitude and giving as a time to encourage and thank the U’s amazing community of donors!