Basic Needs Services

Basic Needs provides services to support students experiencing food insecurity, displacement, an emergency, crisis and/or health-related or medical expenses. Please review our services below for additional information. Then click on the "Basic Needs Application!" button on the right side to complete your application for service(s). Once your application is submitted, you will be contacted by a Basic Needs staff member via phone or your CSULB email within 24-48 business hours. 

Services

  • Meal Assistance Program

The Meal Assistance Program allows us to virtually add meals to students' ID cards to eat hot meals at the dining halls on campus. 

  • Student Emergency Grant

The Student Emergency Grant is available to students who have exhausted all of their aid and find themselves in an unforseen circumstance. 

  • Health-Related and/or Medical Costs (LEADS Grant) 

Unexpected medical bills can make it difficult to afford other basic necessities. CSULB has received funding to provide students financial resources with health-related and/or medical costs. These may include unexpected medical expenses such as deductibles, co-pays, specialized treatment, emergency care, and other health-related costs. The grant award must be a current enrolled CSULB student with a minimum of six (6) units.

LEADS Medical and Well-Being Grant Criteria: 

  • Must be a current enrolled CSULB student with a minimum of six (6) units
  • Must demonstrate financial need
  • Max award up to $500 (only one award per student during CSULB enrollment) 
  • Funds to be used for health-related or medical costs and may include unexpected medical expenses such as deductibles, co-pays, specialized treatment, emergency care, and other health-related costs
  • If awarded, student must submit a thank you letter and photo addressed to Ms. Ukleja highlighting how the funds assisted them. Thank you letter and photo may be submitted via email to Evelyn.Klaus@csulb.edu, DSA Development Office. 

 

  • Short-Term Emergency Housing

We utilize the on campus dorms for emergency housing for students who have been displaced. They are able to stay in the dorms for 2-3 weeks and may have meals provided to them through the Meal Assistance Program.

  • Rapid Rehousing

Rapid Rehousing is a new program that has started for the 2020 - 2021 academic year. We are partnering with a local nonprofit called Jovenes to provide long term housing solutions for students who go through emergency housing such as rapid rehousing and bridge housing. We have an in house case manager that assesses students in collaboration with Jovenes to see if they would be a good candidate for the program. Space is currently limited as it is a pilot program.

Eligibility

  • Be an enrolled CSULB student
  • Be able to demonstrate urgent financial need (Supporting documentation is helpful where appropriate)
  • Emergency Grant applicants only: Must have exhausted all aid for the semester. 

Qualifications

  • Displacement: Living in your car; Temporarily staying with friends or family; Living on the street
  • Medical expense due to hospitalization or severe illness
  • Car Accident: car repairs/loss of transportation
  • Unforseen emergency and/or circumstance