Officials said this could include food, past due utility bills, unpaid rent, child care and course materials, helping students focus on their health and their academic pursuits.
“COVID-19 has disrupted the very fabric of our day to day lives,” President Juan Sánchez Muñoz said in a press release. “Our student population is no stranger to rising above challenges, but this pandemic continues to be an evolving situation. The Gator Emergency Fund is an important initiative in addressing their financial struggles and helping them continue their academic journeys.”
Donations will be matched up to $50,000 by university benefactor Marilyn Davies and the Virani Family Fund, according to university officials. Students can begin applying for assistance through the fund immediately.
Other initiatives launched since the coronavirus outbreak began include partially refunding student parking costs and distributing computers to students who did not previously have the ability to continue their coursework online while campuses are closed.
Officials with the University of Houston-Downtown also announced this month new financial assistance opportunities available for students facing financial hardships during the coronavirus pandemic to use for summer courses.
New scholarships and grants will cover up to two summer classes or semester credit hours.
“It goes without saying that UHD students, like so many others across the city and nation, are facing many hardships right now,” Vice President of Enrollment Management Jimmy Jung said in a statement. “Nearly 80 percent of our full-time students work while going to school, and this pandemic is likely affecting their earnings. These scholarships are just one of the ways our institution is helping them work through the challenges of this unprecedented pandemic.”
