Basic Needs Emergency Funds
What are Basic Needs Emergency Funds?
The basic needs emergency fund program is designed to provide emergency funding to students experiencing crises and financial emergencies impacting their basic needs. Most commonly, this centers food and housing emergencies. These funds are used as an escalated resource in conjunction with alternative resources and/or referrals. Other avenues will be explored with students prior to assessment for distribution emergency funds and following distribution as this is not a recurring resource.
Please note that if eligible, the level of funding awarded to a student will be assessed based on documentation of the expense or in some cases, our department will follow standardized costs assessment. For example, food cost is estimated for this resource in alignment with the monthly CalFresh benefit household caps and would be distributed in increments depending on the situation the student and their household is navigating.
Examples of expenses that can be considered for basic needs emergency funds cards are below. This is not an exhaustive list, and every request will be assessed for eligibility.
- Emergency Food Access
- Emergency Housing Need
- Parenting Supplies (if unavailable from department resources)
- Transportation Support (when OneCard transportation benefits are not active)
- Emergency Healthcare Cost (such as unexpected medication or lab cost)
- Housing Application Fee Assistance
Eligibility requirements:
- A student must be enrolled at San Francisco State University in the current semester as a matriculated student demonstrating progress towards graduation.
- A student must be experiencing an unexpected financial crisis or emergency associated with their basic needs, that has the potential to derail their educational opportunities.
- A student must explore other forms of support or resolution beyond Basic Needs emergency gift card funds and demonstrate commitment to stability planning.
- A student should be in good conduct standing with the University.
How do I request support from the basic needs emergency funds?
Please complete the Care & Support Request Form, select the area of support that is your most urgent need, and provide information on the financial need you're seeking support for.
How long will it take to hear back after I submit my request?
HPF requests are reviewed in the order received. Please allow at least 2-4 business days for a response.
For all grant request outside of the scope of food and housing security, please see the Hope Crisis website for support.
HOPE Crisis Fund
HOPE connects SF State students experiencing a financial crisis, that could potentially derail their educational success, with resources, referrals, and solution pathways. HOPE’s goal is to help students overcome an unexpected financial crisis and remain on track to graduate.
HOPE is a collaboration between the Dean of Students Office, Financial Aid, Basic Needs, and other key campus service providers. The committee meets once a week to review cases.
As a reminder, the following expenses are expected as part of your academic journey and do not automatically qualify for HOPE Response support:
- Tuition and fees
- Housing/food/Living expenses
- Books and school supplies
- Technology for school
- Travel/transportation/commuting expenses (check out the Gator Pass for info on transit benefits!)
This means that students are asked to consider expected costs of attendance related to the request, and be able to demonstrate unexpected financial crisis within their request.
The HOPE Crisis Fund is closed during the following windows: Fall Break, Winter Break, Spring Break, and the Summer Terms.
HOPE FAQs
HOPE provides support based on a student’s individual needs. Common support includes:
- One-time emergency funding
- Referrals to on-and-off campus departments, programs and resources
- Support navigating University barriers
Please note HOPE emergency funding provides small, one-time awards.
We encourage all SF State students in need to reach out for support. HOPE Response is here for students experiencing a financial crisis that could derail their path toward SF State graduation.
Basic eligibility requirements for most services include:
- A student must be enrolled at SF State University in the current, or upcoming semester
- A student must be experiencing an unexpected financial crisis, that has the potential to derail their educational opportunities
- A student must explore other forms of support or resolution prior to requesting HOPE support, and demonstrate attempts to resolve your crisis independently.
- Other eligibility requirements may apply
As a reminder, the following expenses are expected as part of your academic journey and do not automatically qualify for HOPE Response support:
- Tuition and fees
- Housing/food/Living expenses
- Books and school supplies
- Technology for school
- Travel/transportation/commuting expenses (check out the Gator Pass for info on transit benefits!)
HOPE Response encourages students who are experiencing a financial crisis to reach out for referrals and resources. The team will review and respond to all applicants
Applications are open with the first review being on the second Thursday of classes. Please note that there will be no application review over mid-semester breaks, or the Winter and Summer Terms. For more information, visit: https://dos.sfsu.edu/hope-crisis-fund
It may take up to a week for the committee to review your request, and a few more days depending on the volume of requests that week. Depending on the nature of your request, we will assign your request to one or more staff members, and those staff members will be responsible for communicating with you.
If you are experiencing a crisis that needs immediate attention, for example, you do not have a safe space to sleep tonight, please email basicneeds@sfsu.edu. **
**please only email basicneeds if you are actively houseless, not to check on the status of your application. When more emails reach our inbox, it is hard to address the urgent cases. Basicneeds does not oversee all HOPE cases, and requests are addressed on a case-by-case basis. It depends on the staff member assigned to your case, and oftentimes it is not a Basic Needs staff member. Thank you. **