Emergency aid offered to UWT students

Being a student is difficult, but life circumstances can add additional stress. Fortunately, UW Tacoma has emergency aid to help.

Students looking for a place to start can access an Emergency Aid Request Form offered through the Office of Student Financial Aid. The request form is a way for students facing financial hardships to reach out for assistance. Students need only to provide basic contact information and then an on-campus representative will reach out to the student within 48 hours to connect them with the appropriate support.

Out of UWT’s many resources for students, one important resource is the Student Counseling Center, located in MAT 354. Cassandra Nichols, director of the Student Counseling Center, explained that the Center is a place where students can go to deal with pressing concerns.

“Students may approach the Student Counseling Center first when they are in a crisis situation and struggling with financial, medical-related or other similar concerns. They may present to us first because they may be struggling with stress, anxiety, depression or other similar issues either as a result of or partially because of these concerns,” Nichols said.

The Center provides short-term counseling that includes individual and group sessions, workshops, support groups and consults. Nichols said that in addition to addressing immediate student needs, they are able to connect students with the necessary sources to help further assist them.

“Our role is to assist students first with their most immediate concerns,” Nichols said. “Often this is helping them to connect the Office of Student Advocacy and Support, the Food Pantry, housing assistance or other resources.”

Other great starting points and resources for getting aid on campus include the Office of Student Advocacy and Support, The Pantry, the Office of Financial Aid, and Campus Safety and Security.

The Office of Student Advocacy and Support — located in MAT 209 — can assist students in setting goals and connecting them to on- and off-campus resources to achieve these goals. This is initiated via a referral form that is available online through Catalyst or an email sent to sstusuppt@uw.edu.

The Pantry is a food pantry — located in Dougan 104 — that provides not only food, but hygiene items as well.

The Office of Financial Aid — located in MAT 213 — helps students with funding their education, and gives general money management advice.

Campus Safety and Security is a liaison for emergency services in Tacoma. To report suspicious activity, non emergencies or to request a security escort, the UWT community can call 253-692-4416 or email uwtsafe@uw.edu.

There are also many off-campus resources accessible to students and some of these include UW SafeCampus, shelters and food resources. UW SafeCampus handles potential emergencies and emergencies that have already occurred. Students who are concerned about issues such as violence, harassment, stalking or suicide can call 253-692-SAFE(7233) or email safecamp@uw.edu to talk with a trained professional to guide them through a situation and take follow-up action. The UW SafeCampus website also provides a list of community resources, with additional links to a list of shelters throughout Pierce County, and food resources provided on UWT’s emergency aid website.

This a quick guide to assistance. Many more resources such as childcare and disability services are available on UWT’s website, through the links provided and throughout campus. For emergency situations, please remember to call 911 first.