NASPA Emergency Aid Microgrant Initiative

Unexpected and emergency expenses remain a persistent barrier to on-time college completion and student success. A staggering number of students, particularly those enrolled in public 2-year and most Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), report they would be unable to come up with $500 within a month. NASPA has a deep commitment to addressing basic needs of college students, and we recognize the importance of emergency aid grants in supporting the persistence of students facing unexpected financial crises. This year, NASPA is awarding 2-and 4-year accredited institutions with emergency aid microgrants. Sponsored by TIAA, NASPA is awarding selected institutions with up to $10,000 to provide emergency aid resources directly to students. 

APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Award Results

Congratulations to the recipients of this year’s emergency aid microgrants! 

TIAA-Microgrant-School_CCA
TIAA-Microgrant-School_GSU
TIAA-Microgrant-School_LAGCC
TIAA-Microgrant-School_SoLACC
TIAA-Microgrant-School_UHD

View Official Press Release

Selection Process

NASPA received more than 300 applications from non-profit accredited two- and four-year institutions of higher education that have emergency aid programs in place.

Applications were assessed based on a range of criteria, with detailed consideration to the extent to which institutions answered addressed the following questions: 

  1. Completeness of the Application: To what extent does the institution demonstrate commitment and attention to detail as evidenced by completeness of the application?
  2. Institution and Student Demographics: To what extent does the institution’s emergency aid approach identify and address needs of first-generation and low-income students?
  3. Impact Potential: To what extent does the institution demonstrate that the use of the microgrant will advance its emergency aid efforts? How well can the institution gather and use data needed to understand the microgrant impacts on student success? 
  4. Institutional Readiness (Distribution Capacity): To what extent does the institution have the necessary processes and policies in place to directly provide microgrant emergency aid funds to students? Does the institution have a communications plan to inform students and campus constituencies about the emergency aid microgrant? 

About TIAA

This Student Emergency Grant was made possible by the generous sponsorship from TIAA. TIAA is a leading provider of secure retirements and outcome-focused investment solutions to millions of people and thousands of institutions. It is the #1 not-for-profit retirement market provider.

If you have any questions regarding this application, please contact research-policy@naspa.org