California College Student Emergency Support Fund Launches in Response to COVID-19

During these challenging times, it is more important than ever to help the most vulnerable students stay in school, earn their degrees, and build a better future for themselves and our communities.
 
The California College Student Emergency Support Fund has launched to give one-time $500 hardship grants to students. Administered by Mission Asset Fund (MAF), the Fund is a statewide philanthropic response to address emergency needs for the state’s low-income college students, including undocumented immigrants, foster youth, and those who are housing insecure.
 
As colleges and universities respond to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, students find themselves facing a wide variety of challenges and costs. The Fund was created to cover unplanned financial expenses such as housing, technology, and more to support educational continuity, persistence, and degree completion for California’s college students through this crisis.

Am I Eligible?

To be eligible for the California College Student Emergency Support Fund, students must:

  • Be currently enrolled full-time (12+ units) as an undergraduate at a California Community College, California State University, or University of California campus
  • Have earned at least 24 semester units or 36 quarter units (i.e., one academic year of coursework)
  • Be low-income, with a maximum Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) of $5,576 (equivalent to eligibility for Pell Grant) or eligible for a California College Promise Grant Fee Waiver (formerly known as the BOG fee waiver)

After approval, students can expect to receive the money via electronic transfer within 72 hours.

How Can I Apply?

Students can apply for a grant online at bit.ly/covid-student-grant.
 
Applications and grant payments to students will be processed by MAF. MAF is a well-established non-profit organization that carried out a similar emergency fund effort in 2017 to pay for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients’ renewal fees.

We encourage interested students to apply as quickly as possible as these funds will go fast.

It will help to have the following items at the ready: your transcript, financial aid eligibility (any financial aid statement or award letter* that shows EFC or California College Promise Grant Fee Waiver), and electronic banking login information (not required).

Major Donors to The California College Student Emergency Support Fund Include:

College Futures Foundation - Ballmer Group - Stuart Foundation - Tipping Point Community - Weingart Foundation 

*award letters can be printed from myCuesta email (sent out 1/27 and 2/27). If you need a duplicate please email michelle_evans@cuesta.edu.