RCC Emergency Fund

Rockland Community College recognizes that emergencies and/or extenuating circumstances may occur at the least opportune moment and may dramatically affect a student’s ability to continue his or her education. As a result, the College created the Emergency Fund to aid enrolled students who are experiencing temporary, unforeseen, or extraordinary circumstances in their personal lives. The Emergency Fund’s purpose is to provide one-time awards for non-direct educational costs* so students experiencing financial crises affecting their mental/physical health or ability to attend college may remain enrolled at RCC and progress in their program of study.

*Non-direct educational costs are those costs other than tuition, fees and books.

Award Amounts

Emergency Fund awards range from $50 – $500.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible students must be currently enrolled in a credit or credit free program at Rockland Community College. Full-time and part-time students are eligible to apply once a semester.

Eligible Emergencies and Expenses

Examples of emergencies that would typically qualify for assistance from the Fund include but are not limited to:

  • the threat of eviction or sudden homelessness
  • a medical, dental or mental health emergency
  • the loss of property due to a natural disaster
  • an incidence or threat of domestic violence
  • the loss of employment
  • the loss of a federal needs-based public assistance program like TANF or WIC

Examples of eligible expenses that the Emergency Fund could assist with include but are not limited to:

  • rent or a mortgage payment
  • utilities other than cable
  • food
  • clothing
  • medical, dental or mental health expenses
  • child care
  • transportation to/from college including car repairs

Expenses that are NOT eligible include:

  • tuition, fees, and books*
  • credit card or student loan debt
  • cable bills
  • travel expenses other than to/from college
  • parking tickets or other moving vehicle violations

*President’s Student Support Funds are reserved for this type of expense.

Documentation

The Emergency Fund application may generally be completed without providing supporting documentation; however, RCC reserves the right to request such documentation from the student prior to disbursement if a particular circumstance warrants it.

Application

Eligible students may apply once a semester using an online application. Applicants need to indicate the emergency condition, the expense, and the amount requested within the application. Decisions on funding typically occur within one to two business days from the date the application is submitted. All award decisions will be announced via the student’s RCC email account and the award will be viewable in the student’s financial aid menu in Banner Self Service.

Apply for the Emergency Fund

Payment

Emergency Fund awards are paid out via the student’s account using the student’s preferred refund method (check or ACH bank deposit transfer).