Michigan Tech Financial Resources
Michigan Tech and its Alumni are committed to providing support to students who are experiencing a financial emergency due to unforeseen emergency circumstances; these funds are not intended to meet an unmet Expected Family Contribution (EFC) or to pay for school supplies. Three funds are available depending on student type:
Betty Chavis Emergency Fund: Available to domestic undergraduate and graduate students.
International Student Emergency Fund: Available to international undergraduate and graduate students.
Graduate School Emergency Fund (Loan Program): Available to domestic or international graduate students.
Husky Emergency Assistance Fund: Available to domestic or international undergraduate and graduate students who are experiencing financial hardship, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.
If your needs cannot be addressed with one of the support resources listed below,
please complete the request for funds from either the Betty Chavis, International
Student, or Graduate School, or Husky Emergency Assistance funds. Although grants
typically do not exceed $500, during the outbreak of COVID-19, other amounts may be
considered on a case-by-case basis. Funding can be granted once per calendar year.
If you received money from one of the above funds during this calendar year, you may
not qualify for additional funding.
Documentation will be required to support your request. Documentation of situations arising due to COVID-19 may include the following:
- Notification (email, text, letter) from an employer who is reducing your hours of work because of COVID-19 and a description of how that will impact you financially.
- Notification of services being disconnected because of COVID-19 (child care, assistance with elderly) and a description of how that will impact you financially.
During this time of uncertainty ( COVID-19), Michigan Tech recognizes there may be higher needs among students than normal. We plan to be as accommodating as possible. Students will still need to complete the necessary forms to request support from the funds listed above.
Food Resources
- Husky FAN: Food pantry and emergency meals,
- Western UP Food Bank (Houghton),
- Meals for children: Houghton-Portage Township Schools are providing meals by order each Wednesday (email sturnquist@houghton.k12.mi.us or 906-369-0449) to children 18 and under,
- BHK Community Action Agency can provide monthly food options to those in need: 906-482-5528,
- FoodPantries.org will help you find food in any state,
- WhyHunger also has an option online to help you find food where you are or a hotline to call 1-800-548-5679,
- Feeding America works with a network of food banks, including Western UP Food Bank, to help people find food,
Utility Resources
- Utilities: Some area utilities (electric, gas, water) can assist customers with payment plans or assistance with paying bills,
Medical
- Medical: hospitals can offer payment plans or other assistance for payment,
Storage
- Uhaul: Offering free storage for students for 30 days,
- Enterprise is helping students rent cars more easily in order to travel home,
Non-Michigan Tech Financial Resources
- Student Relief Fund helps students identify resources and solutions for financial help,
- One Fair Wage assists those who are restaurant workers, delivery drivers or other service workers who are losing wages during this time.
Job opportunities
- Area businesses are hiring extra workers during this time for deliveries, additional cleaning and stocking.
Michigan Residents
- MI Bridges is a site for Michigan residents to register and utilize resources for healthcare, food assistance, emergency relief, etc. While some students may not qualify for these benefits, parents of students may
Other
- Aunt Bertha is a comprehensive site that provides links to many services (food, housing, money,etc.) depending on your area code,
- Depending on your area of residence, there may be other options available to assist you. Please refer to your city's webpage or local news,
- National Emergency Library: a temporary suspension of waitlists allows you to check out any book until June 30, or end of the US national emergency.