WHEREAS, Under the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF I), Merritt College was allocated $1,497,284, with no less than 50% ($748,642) required to be distributed as direct Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students, and the college reported disbursing $448,533 to students during the initial phase of the pandemic [1];
WHEREAS, The California College Student Emergency Support Fund demonstrated the effectiveness of $500 emergency micro‑grants in supporting California community college students experiencing housing, food, and technology crises [2];
WHEREAS, The Foundation for California Community Colleges’ Student Relief Grants program demonstrates that emergency aid can be rapidly deployed to students affected by natural disasters, economic hardship, and unexpected crises across the CCC system [3]; and
WHEREAS, The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Basic Needs Services Center Report confirms that the 2021 Budget Act allocated $30 million annually for every California Community College to establish a dedicated Basic Needs Center and Basic Needs Coordinator, and that as of July 2022, all colleges were providing basic needs services, including food security, housing security, transportation, technology, mental health, and childcare support [4]; Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate for legislative and budgetary action to establish a permanent, statewide Emergency MicroGrant Fund accessible to all California community college students experiencing unexpected financial crises;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate for the inclusion of this Emergency MicroGrant Fund in the California State Budget and/or the California Education Code, including the establishment of dedicated, ongoing funding to ensure the fund’s long-term sustainability across all colleges;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges recommend that the Chancellor’s Office develop systemwide guidelines for the Emergency MicroGrant Fund, modeled on proven programs such as the California College Student Emergency Support Fund and the Foundation for California Community Colleges Student Relief Grants, to allow for rapid, equitable, and scalable distribution of emergency aid; and
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges prioritize this issue in meetings with legislators, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, and statewide partners, with the goal of implementing a uniform emergency microgrant program that prioritizes urgent student needs, including housing, food, transportation, childcare, and technology.
Citations:
[1] https://merritt.edu/financial-aid/cares-heerf
[2] https://www.missionassetfund.org/ & https://www.missionassetfund.org/alma-fund/
[3] https://foundationccc.org/resource-development-map/
[4]https://www.cccco.edu/-/media/CCCCO-Website/docs/report/CCCCO-Basic-Nee…