Gender and Women’s Studies Basic Needs Fund

 

Purpose: Gender and Women's Studies faculty decided to launch a basic needs fund to provide undergraduate and graduate students with financial support. The fund aligns with GWS’s approach to radical collective care.

Eligibility: The fund is open to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at UIC who meet any of the following criteria:

  • Gender and Women's Studies major
  • Gender and Women's Studies minor
  • Social Justice minor
  • Gender and Women's Studies graduate student concentrator
Basic Needs Fund flyer

Guidelines: Depending on the availability of funds, a student can receive up to $500 in a calendar year based on a single application or multiple applications. There are no restrictions on how the funds should be used once awarded.

Funding Updates: GWS launched the Basic Needs Fund in Fall 2023. We received 16 applications with a total request of $7000 for Fall 2023. We had $4000 in our Basic Needs Fund and made the decision to distribute all of it, with each applicant receiving $250.

Thanks to a very successful Giving Tuesday 2023 Fundraising Campaign and the very generous support of donors, GWS raised $4000 to replenish the Basic Needs Fund for the Spring 2024 semester.

During the Spring 2024 semester, GWS received 4 applications with a total request of $1750. GWS fully funded all 4 applications.

Application Due Dates:
Fall 2024 Application Deadline November 1, 2024
Spring 2025 Application Deadline March 3, 2025

Contact: gwsinfo@uic.edu with questions.

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