BMCC COVID-19 Emergency Fund Receives $150,000 Grant from Robin Hood

Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) has received a $150,000 grant from New York City’s largest poverty-fighting organization Robin Hood to fund the college’s COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund.

Established in April 2020, the BMCC COVID-19 emergency fund provides financial assistance to students so they can pay rent, utilities and other essential needs so their studies are not interrupted. At least 70 percent of BMCC students are from families earning $30,000 annually or less. Because of the economic fallout from the pandemic, many of these same students have lost employment, childcare options and are also facing food insecurity. Some are undocumented and many other have faced insurmountable hurdles accessing federal aid.

The additional funds from the Robin Hood Relief Fund will allow the college to assist many more students who are facing these extraordinary financial challenges and help them to continue to focus on completing their education.

“We are grateful for our partnership with Robin Hood and for their generous support,” said Interim President Karrin Wilks. “Our students were disproportionately affected by COVID, and many will continue to struggle with the long-term economic impact of the pandemic. BMCC’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund is a critical component of our commitment to addressing students’ basic needs.”

“Education is a critical path to economic mobility; a college degree increases lifetime earnings by nearly $1 million. The COVID-19 crisis has upended our economy, imperiling many students who rely on a steady paycheck to finance and complete their college education,” said Wes Moore, CEO of Robin Hood. “This is an especially difficult time for undocumented students who are barred from receiving federal financial aid and were deemed ineligible to receive a federal stimulus check. We are proud to be able to support BMCC students with emergency cash assistance to ensure that they can continue to pursue their dreams, earn a college degree, and prepare to be our country’s next generation of leaders.”

A strong network of student support services

BMCC has a strong network of student support services, many of which are administered by the Division of Student Affairs’ Single Stop Office.

Services include the administration of the COVID-19 emergency grant fund, referrals to social services, health care, the college’s food pantry, assistance with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications and housing referral as well as general counseling around resource acquisition and resolution of issues with landlords. Referrals are also made for legal services through the Legal Aid Society.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Single Stop has been able to provide several hundred BMCC students with life-sustaining emergency funds.

“We have been consistently communicating with our students,” said Single Stop Director Deborah Harte. “Our funders, including Robin Hood, have been very generous and that has allowed us to extend life sustaining funds to even more of our students facing financial emergencies. The students are very appreciative.”

One BMCC student’s story

Business Administration major Luis, an undocumented full-time student who lives in Brooklyn with family and roommates recently benefited from the BMCC COVID-19 emergency fund.

Before COVID-19 wreaked havoc on New York City’s economy, Luis had been working in a busy restaurant, getting by financially and also staying busy with school.

But when the restaurant closed due to New York’s Shelter in Place order, he was let go from his job. Since Luis is undocumented, he is ineligible for federal financial aid for tuition. He also doesn’t qualify for any government assistance such as stimulus checks or enhanced unemployment benefits.

“I wasn’t able to pay my portion of the rent and I was close to being evicted,” said Luis. “This was all happening as the spring semester was coming to an end, so dealing with the uncertainty about my stability and trying to focus on school exams was stressful, to say the least.”

As the first member of his family to attend college, Luis has been doing his best to excel in his classwork. He has also received some help paying for school through scholarships and internship opportunities.

“I’ve always been an A and B student, I’m vice president of two student clubs, I volunteer for various programs and I serve as a mentor to incoming freshman students who need guidance,” said Luis. “But, now when there’s the choice between putting food on the table, paying rent and staying in school, needless to say, this is not an easy journey.”

Luis and other students are grateful to donors such as Robin Hood for their generous support.  Because of the COVID-19 Emergency Fund, Luis was able to catch up on a portion of his rent, and focus his energies on his classes.

“I hope the fund continues to grow, because there are so many other students in similar predicaments who for whatever reason, have not been able to access government aid,” said Luis.

To learn more about the BMCC COVID-19 Emergency Fund, including ways to contribute, visit the website.

About BMCC

Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) and enrolls close to 24,000 degree-seeking and 11,000 continuing education students a year, awarding associate degrees in more than 50 fields. BMCC ranks #5 among community colleges nationwide in granting associate degrees to minority students, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education. Visit: http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu.

About Robin Hood

Founded in 1988, Robin Hood finds, fuels, and creates the most impactful and scalable solutions lifting families out of poverty in New York City, with models that can work across the country. Robin Hood invests nearly $120 million annually to provide legal services, housing, meals, workforce development training, education programs, and more to families in poverty in New York City. Robin Hood tracks every program with rigorous metrics, and since Robin Hood’s Board of Directors covers all overhead, 100 percent of every donation goes directly to the poverty fight. Learn more at www.robinhood.org; and follow Robin Hood on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.