Delaware State University is helping its most vulnerable students during the coronavirus pandemic with an emergency relief fund.
The Student Emergency Relief Fund was started by DSU ten days ago. Already the university has raised $250,000, with a goal of $1 million.
University spokesperson Carlos Holmes says the fund will help address a variety of student needs.
"Some students don't have a home to go to, so that created a rental cost for them. You had students that were on meal plans that are no longer have access to that food supply that they normally had, so that's created a food cost for them," said Holmes. "[And] because of the closure of everything except for essential businesses, most of these students are not working."
Holmes says another issue for students is technology, especially with the university using remote learning for the rest of the semester
"Some students left their laptops or their iPads or their Macbooks in their rooms and they could not come back and get them because we could not allow the students to come back and collect their belongings for public health reasons," said Holmes. "So they have a technology problem, that is part of some of the requests we're getting."
Holmes adds the university has received a lot of applications from students.
"We've had over a thousand students apply for relief through this fund."
The fund is not only for the 200 or so students Holmes says remains on campus, it’s for all DSU students in need.
The public can donate money by going to DSU’s website and clicking on the light blue banner near the top of the page.
