This fund seeks to assist SEA postsecondary students in overcoming emergency short term expenses, in order to minimize completion barriers in their postsecondary paths. For the purposes of this grant, emergency expenses should be unexpected, unforeseen, and unavoidable. Additionally, students should only apply after they’ve exhausted all other funds and resources.
Postsecondary students from SEA’s member programs will be eligible for micro-grants of up to $500 in an academic year. Students may apply for a grant each semester (fall and spring) but their total awarded amount in a given academic year may not exceed $500. Candidates will be evaluated based on their academic standing at their college/university or enrollment in a professional certification program/trade school, along with a short essay or video describing how their emergency expense is unexpected, unforeseen, and unavoidable and how they’ve exhausted all other funds and resources.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, as funding allows. Candidates will be contacted within two weeks of their application submission to determine if they have been approved for a micro-grant.
Eligibility
Enrollment:
Candidates must meet one of the following criteria:
- Candidate will have completed, at a minimum, their first semester of an accredited university (4-year college/university or 2-year college/university)
- Candidate is enrolled in a professional certification program/trade school
Academic standing:
All candidates in good standing at their college or university are eligible to receive funds. (SEA defines good standing as not being on academic probation.) If candidates are currently on academic probation at their college or university, we still invite them to apply to the fund. They will be asked to share further details about their journey, and their applications will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Application
Candidates must submit one of the following with their application:
- College transcript (unofficial transcripts are acceptable)
- Confirmation of enrollment of professional certification program/trade school, a letter of recommendation from their teacher and/or a report of grades
150 word short-essay application submission (bullet points are acceptable) or a 2-3 minute video (please describe how this emergency expense is unexpected, unforeseen, and unavoidable and how you’ve exhausted all other funds and resources. Please provide the $ amount in the gap you are trying to cover for this expense)
Eligible Expenses
Micro-grant funds may be used for the following expenses but certainly not limited to the list below:
- Tuition or Required School Fees
- School Expenses (e.g. books, bedding, etc.)
- Food
- Rent or housing
- Transportation
- Clothing (e.g. if a student is relocating to a colder environment and needs a winter coat, professional interview or internship clothing, etc.)
- Technology (e.g. computer, tablet, phone, internet)
- Medical (e.g. mental health services, emergency room expenses, etc.)
- Child Care
- Other