Many students face unforeseen financial challenges such as a car repair, medical procedure, job loss, family issues, etc. Such surprises can prevent a student from having enough money to cover their rent, buy books, purchase food for a few weeks, pay for utilities, and so on. These expenses can lead to students withdrawing from the university. To combat this, we set some funds aside for these emergencies that unexpectedly arise. Key staff members from across campus have access to this fund, and after meeting with the student, are able to award a small emergency one-time retention grant up to $2,000 (although the amount is typically closer to $200-$300) to help retain a student. Before deciding to distribute such funds to the student, the staff member will find out if the student is employed (if not, why), how many hours a week the student is working, loan status, whether or not the student applied for scholarships and Pell grants, if the student has family who can help, and how the student is spending their money each week.
