PLU Student Emergency Fund: COVID-19 Response

Thank you! During 8 Days of Care at the end of May, over 100 additional Lutes came together to support students with emergency financial needs and to show #LutesCare. The support of the PLU community will continue to go directly to PLU students during summer term and into fall — as long as students still have emergency need because of the COVID-19 crisis. 

Because of you: 

• Even more PLU students with urgent financial needs have access to financial support
• Current PLU students and the newest PLU alumni — the class of 2020 — can connect with more alumni for care and support through LuteLink, PLU's online networking platform
• Current and recently graduated students are feeling the care from your messages of encouragement

However you are continuing to care for PLU students during this critical time, thank you. 

Only 50 more donors are needed to reach the 8 Days of Caring goal. Will you encourage your friends and family to make a gift of any size to the PLU Student Emergency Fund? When you do, their gift will be MATCHED!

PLU alumni, have you signed up for LuteLink yet? LuteLink is PLU’s online networking community through which you and the 40,000+ alumni Across the PLUniverse can come together to support students and recent graduates with mentoring and career advice. Plus, you can connect with other alumni who could do the same for you. Learn more at www.lutelink.plu.edu.

Over the course of GivingTuesdayNow, you and 212 other PLU alumni, parents, friends and employees added over $25,000 to the PLU Student Emergency Fund. Wow! Combined with the matching gifts, a total of $39,388 is now available to students who need emergency funding for groceries, rent, distance-learning costs and more.

Thank you for being part of this success! 

Earlier this week, 175 PLU students had been awarded emergency funding. Today — because of you — even more students can receive the help they need. 

As more caring community members join you in making a gift to the PLU Student Emergency Fund, aid will continue to go directly to students who have applied for help — until students no longer need emergency aid. 

Thank you for your generous heart and for your participation in GivingTuesdayNow!

Will you share your care and encouragement for PLU students facing challenges right now? You can post on the PLU Alumni & Friends Facebook page or upload a short video of yourself to this page. To upload your video, go to the Advocates tab and click on Upload Your Personal Plea.

Thank you for taking the time to support PLU students!

May 5 is #GivingTuesdayNow, a global response to the urgent needs caused by COVID-19. PLU is participating because PLU students are experiencing emergency financial hardship.

We know and understand that not everyone can give right now. Join us, if you can.

And if you can, you don’t have to wait. Your gift of any size before May 5 will be matched with $100 for PLU students in need right now. 

We hope you’ll join us on behalf of students for this global day of generosity.

PLU is excited to announce new support for the PLU Student Emergency Fund from PIERCE COUNTY CONNECTED. Thank you! 

As the public health response to COVID-19 in Pierce County escalated, United Way of Pierce County (UWPC) and Greater Tacoma Community Foundation (GTCF) launched the PIERCE COUNTY CONNECTED fund. PIERCE COUNTY CONNECTED provides rapid response funding to the urgent needs and the disruption of basic human services to Pierce County’s most vulnerable populations due to COVID-19. With community input, initial funding has been prioritized for entities and organizations serving vulnerable populations and addressing one or more of the following issues: homelessness/ shelter, childcare gaps (for first responders, front line providers, and essential workers who need to go to their jobs), and food access. 

PIERCE COUNTY CONNECTED's gift of $37,500 will provide additional support to PLU students facing emergency financial need right now. 
Please join us in expressing your gratitude for PIERCE COUNTY CONNECTED and in continuing to encourage others to support PLU students during this time. 

This is a challenging time for current PLU students — especially graduating seniors. To share a personal note of encouragement, head to the "Advocates" tab where you can upload a video of yourself. Here's how:

1. From the Advocates tab, click on “Create your Personal Plea”.
2. Log in or sign up for a GiveCampus account (be sure to select Pacific Lutheran University as your school). 
3. Record a short video from your phone or computer.
4. Upload your video.
5. Share your video with your friends on social media using the hashtag #LutesCare.

Will my donation go directly to students? 

Yes, these funds will be disbursed in the form of a scholarship and will not be applied against any owing balances on a student’s account. Students must apply for emergency funding and funding will be distributed on a rolling basis beginning in April based on support available. As of right now, the maximum award is $750. 

What do students need the money for? 

Student needs are varied. Many emergency funding requests relate to lost jobs — students who have lost their job(s) and/or family members who lost their job(s) and who were supporting a student. In many cases, these wages were covering basic needs like rent. Other examples of need include: 

• Food security. A student with children and an unemployed partner needs emergency funding to provide groceries for his family.
• Access to learning. A student had previously been using the public library near her house for Internet access. With public libraries now closed, she needs emergency funding so she can pay for Internet access at home and keep up with her courses through distance-learning.
• Reduced health risks. A student with a chronic medical condition feels trapped working despite his increased risk. He needs emergency funding so he can stop working temporarily and quarantine at home until his risk of contracting COVID-19 is reduced.

Won’t students receive unemployment benefits? 

PLU continues to closely monitor unemployment guidelines to support student workers. So far, most benefits still have an hours requirement, though some support has been extended to part-time workers because of COVID-19. Unfortunately, most students haven’t met the minimum hours requirement to receive unemployment benefits. For students who have met the requirement, the receipt of benefits is expected to be somewhat long because the system is so bogged down with a flood of requests.

For those who qualify, emergency funding provided by PLU donors will reach students much faster than unemployment benefits are expected to arrive. The emergency funding will also support students who do not qualify for unemployment benefits.

Which students will receive help?

As many students as possible. Student applications for emergency funding will be prioritized based on financial need and criteria including factors such as:

• Job loss due to COVID-19
• Family income
• Unmet need
• Remaining loan eligibility

How many students need emergency funding?

As of April 3, 287 PLU students had requested emergency funding. If each student were to receive the current maximum PLU aid of $750, the total emergency funding would be $215,250. Student need is expected to continue to increase.

How else is PLU supporting students during this time?

In addition to emergency financial assistance, PLU is:

• Supporting non-financial student needs through the Student CARE Network
• Supporting academic student needs through distance-learning, various adjustments and outreach
• Refunding student expenses, as eligible (for instance, room and board)
• Providing virtual student services through Alumni and Student Connections; Campus Ministry and University Congregation and Chapel; Counseling, Health & Wellness Services; and other student-serving offices 

How else can I support students during this time?

• Reach out. Students are going through a difficult transition and grieving the spring semester they expected to have. Graduating seniors will miss out on commencement in May and are facing a working world that has dramatically shifted. Any PLU student you know would be grateful for a word of encouragement right now — whether via email, phone, text or video chat. 
• Participate in the Check5 initiative. Check5 is a social media campaign with one simple goal: to remake a network among all displaced Lutes to help us care for and connect with each other during the coronavirus crisis and beyond. 
• Sign up for LuteLink, if you’re a PLU alumna/us. LuteLink is an online networking platform where you can make yourself available for students who want to connect about mentoring and career guidance.

Where can I learn more?

For the latest updates, please visit the PLU COVID-19 website, which also includes messages to the PLU community.