Growing the Future Opportunity Fund

The Growing the Future Opportunity Fund will provide support for students overcoming financial barriers through emergency assistance and grants that create a path that leads to lifetime benefits and personal well-being.

Students should apply for consideration for funding when they have exhausted all other resources, including but not limited to personal credit, payment plans, additional student aid, assistance from family and friends or other personal resources. This funding is generally not intended to reimburse for expenses that have already been paid or supplement existing financial aid.

Managed by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success (EMASS), the Growing the Future Opportunity Fund is made possible by generous donors and grants*. It is intended to provide one-time, short-term relief for students experiencing immediate financial hardship, including critical technology needs.

About the Awards
The goal of the fund is to assist students who experience unexpected financial emergencies that might otherwise negatively affect their academic progress. Emergency funds are typically awarded no more than once per academic year on a case-by-case basis and are not intended to provide relief for a student's recurring expenses. The funds are not loans but awards that are not expected to be repaid back to the fund. Funds awarded do not need to be repaid, however, they may be subject to federal taxes. The amount of each award is in relation to individual needs and in most cases does not exceed $500. Technology awards will typically be loans of equipment, which must be returned in good working order when the student graduates or otherwise separates from the University.

Eligibility and How to Apply
Applicants must submit a detailed application with appropriate supporting documentation and meet the eligibility requirements. Each application is considered based on the applicant's unique circumstances. A case manager may follow up with the applicant to discuss the need and offer referrals to additional services and resources, if applicable.

Typically an applicant must be currently enrolled as a full-time student at Morgan State University. However, during this COVID-19 crisis, any enrolled degree-seeking student can apply. Students are expected to have exhausted all other possible financial resources and must demonstrate an immediate need due to a financial emergency or other unforeseen circumstances. In most instances, applicants may not have received emergency funds previously in the same academic year. Undergraduate and graduate students may apply.

Apply to the Growing the Future Opportunity Fund!

Examples of Eligible Expenses

• educational related expenses due to the transition to remote instruction, including loans of laptops and mobile hotspots
• safety needs - emergency lock changes, emergency vehicle repairs
• replacement of essential belongings, due to fire, theft, or natural disaster
• travel costs related to the death or illness of an immediate family member
• helping cover unmet financial costs due to loss of employment
• providing food, toiletries, and funding necessary medications
• costs related to emergency medical care not covered by insurance
• temporary housing
• assistance with essential utilities: water / electricity / gas
• in exceptional circumstances, "last-dollar" assistance with tuition and fees. For fall and spring terms, students should first seek funding through the institutional aid application and are expected to have accepted all other available aid, including loan

Typically Ineligible Expenses 

• parking tickets
• credit card debt
• student loans or any kind of loan debt
• health insurance
• study abroad costs
• home furnishings not related to damage or theft
• entertainment, recreation or non-emergency travel
• expenditures resulting from poor financial management

Awarding Criteria

Each application will be reviewed by the Vice President's office regularly, as they are received. Many factors are taken into consideration in making a decision to approve or deny a request and in deciding amounts. These factors include, but are not limited to:

• The amount of requests received relative to the funds available at the time.
• The nature and urgency of the student's emergency.
• The specific and immediate impact the emergency may have on the student's living and academic circumstances.
• Other resources or support that the student may have available to them.

More Information
For more information, contact the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success at emass@morgan.edu.

*Funds as of May 2020 include The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Morgan State University Foundation, and US Department of Education CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund-Student Aid.