Basic Needs Microgrant

The GPSC BNM grants are intended to cover up to $200.00 to alleviate some of the financial burden students might be experiencing by helping cover healthcare, academic, hygiene, childcare, transportation, and/or housing-related essential costs.

The requested items may include, but are not limited to:

• Technology for remote work (computer equipment such as keyboards, video cameras, office equipment, printers, ink, etc.)

• Personal hygiene products (feminine products, soap, shampoo, hand sanitizer, etc.)

• Childcare products (diapers, formula, medication, maternity/postpartum products, etc.)

• Health (reproductive health needs, first-aid supplies, prescription drugs, copays for health services, band-aids, face masks, etc.)

• Automotive (windshield wipers, subsidy towards replacement parts, oil changes, etc.)

• Housing (replacement keys, late fees for housing payments, groceries, etc.)

• Parking and Transportation (parking passes, bus/train tickets, etc.)

• Academic (glasses, learning equipment, notebooks, textbooks, laptops, pencils, pens, etc.)

• Tax needs

Prohibited items include:

• Tuition and fees

• Professional development / social club membership dues

• Any items that are already covered under one of the other GPSC grants (travel, research, project-related expenses, etc.)

• Applicants must be University of Arizona graduate, undergraduate, or professional students at the time of award. 

• Applicants may only submit one application at a time. 

• Applicants are only eligible to receive one BNM Grants per academic year.

• The number of awards offered each grant cycle is contingent upon availability of funds and the number of applications received. BNM is not a guaranteed source of funding.

• The BNM grant will be offered twice a semester, and four times a year. Due to GSPC staff capacity and budget constraints, there is a capped number of applications that can be submitted each cycle. All eligible Basic Needs Microgrant applications are administered on a first come, first serve basis. 

• For information regarding the necessary components of a BNM Grant application as well as the criteria used by judges to evaluate BNM grant applications, please refer to the GPSC BNM Grant Evaluation Rubric.

GPSC BNM grant will be offered four times a year, twice a semester. All required materials must be submitted to the online portal by 11:59 PM Arizona Time by the day of the deadline. No exceptions will be made. Due to staff capacity, the number of applications GPSC accepts each cycle for the BNM grant is capped. All eligible applications will then be determined via a lottery system. 

• An automated submission confirmation email is generated once an online application is submitted.

• Applicants will be notified via email when their application status changes (Accepted, Declined, etc.). Applicants may also check the online application portal for status updates. 

• Applications are reviewed after the application deadline closes. Award decisions will be sent 2-4 weeks after the deadline.

• If awarded a BNM grant, the applicant will be asked to accept or decline the award. Upon accepting the award, the approved amount will be distributed through the awardee's Bursar's account as a stipend within two to three weeks after award notification. Stipends are considered taxable income and may affect financial aid status. 

• Applicants who were not awarded are encouraged to reapply during subsequent rounds, provided that all eligibility criteria are met (see the “Eligibility” section above).

• If you are awarded a BNM Grant but would like to decline your award, please notify the Grants Office at gpscgrants@arizona.edu immediately for instructions on how to return unused funds. If taxes were automatically withheld from your award, only the award amount released to you is to be returned to the GPSC. 

• Any funds being returned to GPSC must be returned prior to June 1 of the fiscal year in which you were awarded.

• Each GPSC grant application is reviewed and evaluated by GPSC staff.

• Any undergraduate, graduate or professional student may volunteer to serve as a judge. Serving as a GPSC Grants Judge allows would-be applicants to obtain an insider's perspective on the evaluation process. Other reasons to be a judge include:

  • Formulating a more competitive application by reviewing actual applications

  • Additional service or volunteer experience for the relevant sections of your CV or resume

  • Obtaining an insider's perspective on an evaluation process similar to how major granting agencies (NSF/NIH/NEH) award research grants

  • Being involved in a central part of student governance

• If you are interested in serving as a judge for GPSC Grants programs (ReaP, Travel, POD, PPG), please sign-up here.

Confidentiality Requirement for GPSC Applicants and Reviewers-

Purpose:

The Graduate & Professional Student Council (GPSC) at the University of Arizona takes seriously our responsibility to maintain confidentiality throughout the review process. This policy serves to remind GPSC Officials, GPSC Directors, and Peer judges of their responsibility concerning confidentiality in the application review process.

Measures to Ensure Confidentiality:

• GPSC Grants & Funding policy directs applicants to not include any personal identifiers in their application documents.

• Applicants may need to identify in grant applications information that the applicant considers being trade secrets, information that is commercial or financial, or information that is privileged or confidential.

• When such information is included in the application it is with the understanding that the information will be used or disclosed only for the evaluation of the application.

• The information contained in applications shall not be used or disclosed except for evaluation purposes unless disclosure is mandated by University Policy or applicable law.

• An applicant may not contact student reviewers/judges or Council members who potentially may be involved in the evaluation of an application. Applicants may request information and clarifications only from the Grants Director or the Funding Administrator.

• Student reviewers/judges and Council members are instructed to direct all such inquiries to the attention of, and notify directly, the GPSC Grants Office.

GPSC is committed to protecting such information, including measures to ensure confidentiality in the review.

1) Before participating in the initial review for grant applications every individual involved in the process must certify a Confidentiality and Non – Disclosure Rules [Click Here for Confidential Agreement] before gaining access to information about the applications, proposals, or review. GPSC is not liable for the intentional breach of confidentiality by reviewers.

2) Data Security

• GPSC uses a third - party platform Submittable for Grants application, submission, and management.

• GPSC is not liable for any third-party security breach and hacking of our emails, computers, cloud, and servers.