Entering his final semester majoring in kinesiology, Ryan Hatcher 麻豆精品 S�23 found himself homeless.
His legal guardian 麻豆精品 S� the woman who raised him and whom he considers his mom 麻豆精品 S� was notified in June that her property manager had sold the home they were renting, and they had 30 days to move out. He bounced around a bit, living in his car briefly and with another family that proved toxic, before he was able to secure a room in UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 NorthView.
It came with a cost: That was the first time in his four years in college that Hatcher, who paid for both Valencia and UCF with the Department of Children and Families 麻豆精品 S� Foster Child Tuition Waiver, had taken out a student loan. He needed the money to cover the cost of his apartment.
UCF Day of Giving is April 10. Consider supporting UCF students through difficult times .
Then, he learned he also needed an emergency root canal.
麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 someone who doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 really like to ask for support until I really feel like I need it, 麻豆精品 S� Hatcher says. 麻豆精品 S淚 try to do things by myself as much as I can. But I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 have insurance, and I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 have the money to pay for a root canal. 麻豆精品 S�
It 麻豆精品 S檚 exactly the type of unplanned predicament that UCF’s Student Emergency Fund is designed to help with.
麻豆精品 S淭he purpose of the Student Emergency Fund is to ensure that students have the financial support they need when faced with those short-term crises or emergencies, which can look different for each and every student, 麻豆精品 S� says Tammie Nadeau, director of Student Care Services. 麻豆精品 S淥ur role is to ensure that those basic, short-term needs 麻豆精品 S� whether it 麻豆精品 S檚 housing, food, transportation or medical 麻豆精品 S� are met by the Emergency Fund Committee so that students can be successful and move forward. 麻豆精品 S�
According to Nadeau, her team receives roughly 100 requests a month for assistance. Typically, they 麻豆精品 S檙e in response to an emergency, such as the loss of a job or a natural disaster, including when a nearby apartment complex flooded and students needed to find 麻豆精品 S� and pay for 麻豆精品 S� temporary housing. But there are also simply random events, such as when a student 麻豆精品 S檚 car caught on fire and she lost her textbooks and laptop and didn 麻豆精品 S檛 have the money to replace everything.
That 麻豆精品 S檚 when students can apply for up to $2,500 per degree for assistance. Every Thursday, a committee comprised of Nadeau and staff members from Student Care Services, financial aid, the Registrar 麻豆精品 S檚 Office and Student Accounts Services gather to review applications and ensure students have exhausted every other resource. Not every student will qualify for financial aid reasons. Those that do are invited to meet remotely with the committee and review their request. For Hatcher, that included sharing his X-rays, the cost of the procedure and how he had used his other funding.
“It 麻豆精品 S檚 nice to know that as a student, UCF provides a security net in the form of the Student Emergency Fund. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Ryan Hatcher 麻豆精品 S�23
麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 remarkable how this fund has been elevated to a place where we 麻豆精品 S檙e not only able to support our students with their basic needs, but also to respond to emergencies and crises as they occur, 麻豆精品 S� says Nadeau, who says they often receive calls from other universities asking how they 麻豆精品 S檙e able to get so many different departments to the table and award funds so quickly. 麻豆精品 S淏ecause it 麻豆精品 S檚 so easy to get derailed when something unexpected comes up. Without this funding, many of our students probably wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 still be at UCF 麻豆精品 S� or in college. Many times, this fund is a last resource for students who have nowhere else to go.
For Hatcher, the funding helped ensure he completed his bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 on time 麻豆精品 S� as the first person in his birth family to earn a college degree. He 麻豆精品 S檚 now in his second semester of grad school at UCF, pursuing a master 麻豆精品 S檚 in public administration because he wants to 麻豆精品 S渉elp others like myself. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 corny to say this, but the people at Student Care Services really do care, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淭hey 麻豆精品 S檙e consistently at the forefront of making going to UCF the best experience possible for students. And it 麻豆精品 S檚 nice to know that as a student, UCF provides a security net in the form of the Student Emergency Fund. 麻豆精品 S�
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