When campuses closed in the spring, everyone was struggling to get clarity from the colleges about what was going on because things were changing so quickly.
From the schools’ communication to students, it wasn’t clear. Without on-campus housing or resources, students became concerned about basic needs and they couldn’t wait for information from the schools.
We had to be proactive, compiling information about the CARES Act and emergency funding, and disseminating it to students ASAP. Eligibility and applications were different across the board—even for schools within the same system. We also had to think of how to support students who may not be eligible for federal funds but could access emergency grants from their school. Students needed that money immediately, so it was on us to figure out what’s the process and when it is going to happen.