Gender and Women’s Studies Basic Needs Fund

Application Information

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

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

Application and Funding Cycle: Effective academic year 2025-2026, GWS will open the Basic Needs Fund once per academic year in the spring semester. We anticipate reopening the application form in January 2027. The application form will be available at go.uic.edu/GWSBasicNeedsFund.

Questions: Please contact gwsinfo@uic.edu with questions.

GWS Basic Needs Fund History

  • GWS launched the Basic Needs Fund in Fall 2023. GWS received 16 applications with a total request of $7000 for Fall 2023. GWS had $4,000 in its 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 $4,000 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 $1,750. GWS fully funded all 4 applications, leaving $2,250 remaining in the fund for the start of the 2024-2025 academic year.
  • During the Fall 2024 semester, GWS received 7 applications with a total request of $3,000. GWS divided the available funds among the applicants. Each applicant received $320, which left $10 remaining in the fund.
  • Through the Giving Tuesday 2024 Fundraising Campaign, GWS raised $3,585 from supporters. These critical donations raised the Basic Needs Fund to $3,595.
  • During the Spring 2025 semester, GWS received 5 applications with a total request of $2,500. GWS was able to fund each application in full, leaving $1,095 remaining in the fund as we enter the 2025-2026 academic year.
  • Through the Giving Tuesday 2025 Fundraising Campaign, GWS raised $3,131.35 from supporters. These critical donations raised the Basic Needs Fund to $4,226.35 and allowed GWS to reopen the Basic Needs Fund for the Spring 2026 semester.
  • During the Spring 2026 semester, GWS received 7 applications with a total request of $3,400. GWS was able to fund each application in full, leaving $826.35 in the fund as we enter the 2026-2027 academic year.