What We Do
SJSU Cares assists students who are facing an unforeseen economic crisis by providing direct support and referrals around basic needs including food, housing, emergency assistance and more.
We want to ensure that you reach your academic goals towards graduation. Our programs include self-help assistance/information, case management resources, the Spartan Food Pantry and more.
Matriculating students who have experienced an unforeseen economic crisis should reach out to find out how we could assist.
While case managers provide the direct support and outreach to students, a multidisciplinary team, including housing, financial aid, counseling, VPSA and more, serve on SJSU’s Economic Crisis Response Team (ECRT) steering committee.
How to Request Assistance
To request assistance from us, fill out and submit a Request for Assistance Form. Once you submit a request for assistance, we will contact you within one business day.
Resources and Services
SJSU offers a number of resources and services on campus to help you deal with situations and issues outside of the classroom that may take away from your academic success. Some of those services include mentoring, counseling, health and wellness, and public safety assistance. We also offer a coordinated response to students matriculated in regular sessions programs who are experiencing an unforeseen economic crisis which is impacting their ability to be a successful student.
SJSU Cares can meet one to one with students who are experiencing an unforseen economic crisis to determine which resources/support can be offered. For other students it might be helpful to know of our major programs such as Spartan Food Pantry & CalFresh sign-up assistance.
What to Expect
When working with a case manager a student should anticipate an open discussion where we talk about many factors affecting their situation so we have a holistic view of what they are experiencing and how we might be a support for them on their journey. Case managers can best assist when giving unfiltered, honest, and critical information about their situation. An overview document [PDF] provides a quick 2 page view of our process, what to expect, and how to prepare.
Working in Collaboration
SJSU Cares keeps up on best practice by actively engaging in national, regional, and local forums within topics related to case management and basic needs. Beside our own student and professional staff voices, we have active collaborations with campus academic and student services departments, community organizations, government entities, and our CSU system wide office on basic needs. The campus Basic Needs Advisory Committee (BNAC) incorporates many of the above mentioned areas as well as having multiple ways for students to engage. We also assist in the coordination of the monthly Student Hunger Committee meetings. These all align with the goal to listen, incorporate, & elevate student voices via these processes.
