Help us reach our $10,000 goal for student support programs at UT Dallas

October is National Dropout Prevention Month and UT Dallas Alumni is observing this month by highlighting student support resources here at UT Dallas

Alumni and UTD supporters help play a tremendous role helping support students and enabling these vital services to meet the needs of UTD students.

Did you know that UTD conducts a Basic Needs Survey of it’s students? This critical tool allows UTD to learn more about student well-being and allocate resources where most needed. For example, 16% of respondents reported needing to miss or underpay rent in the previous year, 37% reported needing to borrow money from friends or family to cover an unexpected cost and 31% reported skipping a meal or being worried about where they would find their next meal. You can learn more about the survey and challenges facing UTD students here. 

Learn more about critical resources like student emergency funds, the Comet Cupboard and our new Basic Needs Resources Center that help students overcome these and other challenges and succeed while on campus below: 

THE BASIC NEEDS RESOURCE CENTER

The Basic Needs Resource Center (BNRC) is a new office aimed at addressing the basic needs of all UTD students, ensuring they have access to necessary resources to succeed academically and personally. The center connects students with a range of services including access to nutritious food, housing support, financial assistance and both on-campus and off campus resources. It serves as a crucial support system for students facing challenges and who need assistance to be able to continue their studies at UTD. BNRC helps make sure that these barriers do not impede their education or well-being.

The Basic Needs Resource center re-organized student support efforts from across campus in one location to improve coordination, increase awareness, and best support students. The Center manages:

• Temoc’s Closet
• Menstrual Access
• Pregnant and parenting student support programs
• Foster Care Alumni Program

CENTER FOR STUDENTS IN RECOVERY 

The Center for Students in Recovery (CSR) helps students seeking recovery from substance and alcohol use, eating disorders, and other addictions and compulsive behaviors. The CSR helps UTD students affected by these issues or individuals explore the impact of addictions or compulsive behaviors within their lives. The CSR offers one-on-one recovery planning sessions provided by a mental health professional, several peer-led open support groups for students, and psycho-educational outreach programming around recovery. CSR’s mission is to provide a safe, supportive community to enhance students’ ability to thrive socially and academically while living in recovery. 

Donations to CSR will help

• UTD students access treatment and services in the community that are not available on campus.
  
• Students in recovery to meet basic financial needs in order to stay in school.
• Expanded collaboration with Residential Life to support students in recovery and create sober-living opportunities that enhance sustained recovery and personal and academic success.

You can learn more about the Center for Student Recovery and the services they provide at https://recovery.utdallas.edu/

COMET CUPBOARD 

To meet the needs of on-campus students experiencing food insecurity, the Comet Cupboard continues to serve the UT Dallas community. The Comet Cupboard experiences high levels of demand year-round and is anticipating food and personal care item shortages during the coming weeks. We hope you’ll help us continue to feed our hungry Comets! 

The Comet Cupboard could not exist or grow without your help.

The Comet Cupboard food pantry, an on-campus student-led initiative, began operations in 2012 and is dedicated to helping students in need achieve academic success by alleviating their food insecurity challenges. Additionally, undergraduate Comets are able to engage in volunteerism and leadership with the Comet Cupboard as a service-learning experience that helps students value community over individualism.  

Food insecurity compromises a student’s ability to achieve academic success. According to college students surveyed in the College and University Food Bank Alliance’s Hunger on Campus study, 53% or respondents report missing a class, 55% did not buy a required textbook and 25% dropped a class because of hunger or housing problems. 

We value each student and want to ensure they have their essential needs met in order to achieve their full potential during their academic journey. Please join us to continue the mission of feeding hungry Comets. Let’s create a #HungerFreeUTD!

You can learn more about the Comet Cupboard, along with how to donate the cupboard's most needed items, at https://oue.utdallas.edu/cupboard

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND 

This fund is managed out of the International Student Services Office and was established to support F-1 international students at UT Dallas. The UT Dallas International Student Emergency Fund (UTDISEF) exists to offer limited financial assistance to UT Dallas international students experiencing unforeseen and unexpected circumstances that require financial resources to solve and which, if not addressed, could prohibit the student from remaining enrolled and persisting toward graduation.

By supporting the UTDISEF, you can assist UT Dallas students contending with financial challenges such as:

• USCIS application fees for critical immigration applications (economic hardship, extension of stay, temporary protected status).
• Medical expenses such as hospitalization or medication expenses.
• Unexpected emergency travel.
• Unexpected housing expenses.
• Food insecurity.
• Loss of financial resources due to being a victim of crime (i.e., scam, theft, etc.).

You can learn more about the International Student Emergency Fund and the application process at https://isso.utdallas.edu/isef/

STUDENT COUNSELING CENTER

The Student Counseling Center (SCC) offers free and confidential mental health services and resources to UTD students. The SCC provides brief individual counseling, group counseling, relationship counseling, psychiatry services, skill-based workshops, outreach and education, referrals and crisis services to all enrolled UTD students. The UTD SCC utilizes a short-term model, and services are goal-focused and brief. The SCC provides a safe, affirming and non-judgmental environment in which students can openly explore their concerns, work towards treatment goals and ultimately achieve overall better well-being.

By supporting the Student Counseling Center, you can support initiatives such as:

• An Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) to address the increased emotional distress experienced by students nationwide. Housed at the SCC, an IOP would allow students to receive a higher level of care mental health treatment while maintaining their lives and academics on campus.
• The creation of a trauma response team to respond to increasingly frequent tragedies seen across the nation, including mass violence and high suicide rates. Trauma response team members would be made up of licensed counselors who will play an active and critical role serving and supporting UTD students in moments of crisis. This would include daily walk-in crisis sessions as well as support following larger on- or off-campus crises.
• Providing funds to mitigate the cost for UTD students who do not have the financial resources to pursue treatment or psychological assessments in the community. There are many students seen at the center who would greatly benefit from neuro-psychological testing or a higher level of care. Many of these students do not have insurance and are unable to pay for such treatment out-of-pocket. The SCC would like to increase access to these resources for UTD students who have the potential to improve their mental health and do better academically with appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

You can learn more about the Student Counseling Center and the services they provide at https://counseling.utdallas.edu/

STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND

The UT Dallas Student Emergency Fund supports all UT Dallas students experiencing financial hardships. It is managed by the Division of Student Affairs and Office of Financial Aid, and financial support is based on immediate needs. 

The Student Emergency Fund was created during a time of unprecedented uncertainty. Unfortunately, many UT Dallas students continue to face difficulties. Unexpected financial hardships may limit students from continuing their academic journeys. 

To date, 2,895 students have been served and over $1 million in emergency funds have been disbursed. The Student Emergency Fund represents the resilience and generosity of the Comet spirit. Its creation was driven by alumni and friends asking how they could help current students, and provides a way for our community to continue meeting student's emergent needs.

By supporting the UT Dallas Student Emergency Fund, you can assist UT Dallas students contending with financial challenges such as:

• Housing and food insecurity.
• Medical care and prescriptions.
• Emergency travel costs.
• Elimination of jobs and/or reduction of income.
• Other unplanned expenses.

You can learn more about the Student Emergency Fund and the application process here: www.utdallas.edu/deanofstudents/emergency