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
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: The GWS Basic Needs Fund is closed for the 2023-2024 academic year. Please check back in fall 2024 for a link to the application for the 2024-2025 academic year.