Bulldog Basic Needs Alliance (BBNA)

The Bulldog Basic Needs Alliance (BBNA) is a committee comprised of volunteer members of the Ferris State University campus and Big Rapids community, who work collaboratively to ensure the academic and personal success of our students.  We understand that when a student is hungry, or does not have a secure place to live, they cannot reach their full potential. The BBNA committee members are uniquely placed in departments across campus and in the community to ensure that students facing food or housing insecurity can be provided assistance as quickly and confidentially as possible. 

Ferris State University is committed to the academic and personal success of our students and understand that basic needs have a direct impact on the well-being and success of our students. The Bulldog Basic Needs Alliance provides emergency assistance to current students facing food or housing insecurity which would otherwise jeopardize their ability to stay in school.

The Bulldog Basic Needs Alliance WILL:

• Be human centered. Remembering that students are humans first, all outreach, communications, paperwork, and processes will be handled with extreme confidentiality and sensitivity.
• Act quickly. Emergency aid needs to be delivered fast to be meaningful for students. We will aim for no more than a 48-hour turnaround from application to distribution.
• Minimize barriers. Unnecessary hurdles harm students and we will work to eliminate this concern by ensuring the eligibility criteria are clear and as easy to meet as possible.
• Reach for equity. In reviewing cases and making determinations, we will consider if the student has access to other grant resources (perhaps based on academic merit) and help them pursue those instead, saving the emergency fund for students lacking similar advantages.
• Emphasize community awareness. By advertising widely and creating a physical presence on campus, we will ensure that all students are aware that there is confidential emergency assistance available to them.  
• Provide additional resources. We understand that financial assistance is important but should not be given alone. Students who receive assistance from the Alliance will also be provided with additional information and resources in areas such as food, housing, benefits access, childcare, FEMA or other emergency relief programs and counseling.  

Founded in 1884, Ferris State University was built on the vision of our founders, Woodbridge and Helen Ferris, that anyone who wished for a college education, could obtain one here. We are proud of this heritage and the mission of our founders continues to drive our focus on collaboration, diversity, ethical community, and opportunity. The Bulldog Basic Needs Alliance provides emergency assistance to current students on our Big Rapids campus who find themselves in a situation where they are food or housing insecure. The type of assistance provided by the BBNA depends on many factors, but briefly, we pledge to provide meal swipes, short term housing assistance, resources for additional food/housing assistance and the follow up necessary to ensure a long term solution.

• You must be a current Ferris student on our Big Rapids campus. 
• You must be able to demonstrate that you have unmet financial need which has resulted in, or will shortly result in food or housing insecurity.
• In such cases where we must prioritize assistance, priority will be given to full-time students, with the exception of students taking a reduced course load to accommodate a disability.
• How can I apply?
  
  Food Assistance

  Housing Assistance

• The Bulldog Basic Needs Alliance is unlike other grant and scholarship programs. We serve students facing an immediate need who may not have time to file applications for scholarships or grants. We do not require our recipients to provide testimonials or thank-you notes. This is a fully confidential assistance program. However, as it stands right now, the BBNA does not receive any ongoing funding, instead relying upon donations and grants from outside entities. We welcome and encourage support from our Ferris community. Support may be monetary, or it may be a donation of your time through assisting with a swipe drive or grant-writing. If you wish to engage with the committee, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. 
  
  
• To Donate to the Bulldog Basic Needs Alliance visit our Mobile Cause site, or by texting BBNA to 41444.
  
  
• You may also contact Dining Services and designate the purchase of a meal plan specifically for the Bulldog Basic Needs Alliance. We will then allocate those purchased meals into our “swipe fund”.
  
  
• You may donate your own unused meal swipes using the same method outlined above.
  
  
• You can purchase items for the BBNA's Amazon Wish List

• I am embarrassed for people to know that I am suffering from food/housing insecurity. Is this confidential? Any assistance students receive from the BBNA is confidential. In the case of food insecurity, we are able to transfer meal swipes directly to your Ferris ID. For students requiring a short term housing solution, our temporary housing unit is self-contained and private. 
  
  
• Will I have to apply for benefits in person? The BBNA has set up a convenient online application portal. It is not necessary to apply in person. Applicants may be contacted by a BBNA committee member if they require additional information, but this will typically be done through phone or email.
  
  
• I am a current Ferris student, but I do not attend on the main campus. Will I be eligible? Unfortunately, due to our current levels of funding, we only have enough support to assist students who are on our Big Rapids campus. We hope to be able to expand this assistance in the future, but in the meantime, we would be happy to help you seek out local food/housing resources in your area.
  
  
• How long will it take to receive assistance, once I have applied? The BBNA aims to provide a response as quickly as possible, preferably within 24 hours-48 hours. If you request assistance on the weekend, it may take us longer to get back to you, as committee members are volunteers and are not “on call” during evening and weekend hours. 
  
  
• How do I demonstrate “unmet financial need”? Unmet financial need means that you have accepted all loan offers available to you but still have remaining debt owed to Ferris State University. If you have turned down loan offers which would eliminate your food or housing insecurity, the BBNA will instruct you on how to request that those loan offers be reinstated.