Financial Assistance

CCC-USS Financial Assistance Request ProcesS

The Central Coast Coalition for Undocumented Student Success (CCC-USS) offers financial assistance for undocumented students and students from mixed status families attending a K-12 school, community college, or a CSU in San Luis Obispo and Northern Santa Barbara Counties. Financial assistance is also available for students from San Luis Obispo and Northern Santa Barbara Counties who have graduated from an area school and who are currently enrolled in an institution of higher education. 

Financial assistance awards are typically $500 or less.

TYPES OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
As funds are available, CCC-USS supports:
  • DACA application/renewal fees
  • Stipends for adjustment of status
  • Funding to participate in educational & professional development opportunities
  • Emergency financial assistance, including financial hardship resulting from COVID-19 (e.g., rental and utility payments, transportation, groceries, child care, health, educational challenges, etc.).

How to Request Funds
An individual or their advocate should email [email protected]. The request should include: 
  1. Full name of payee/recipient
  2. City payee/recipient is a resident of
  3. Reason for emergency aid
  4. The date of EAD/DACA expiration, if applicable
  5. Name of school recipient is connected to: K-12, Community College, or CSU within San Luis Obispo or Northern Santa Barbara County (Santa Maria, Guadalupe, Orcutt)
  6. Name of organization referral (MICOP, Dream Center, etc.,) if applicable
  7. Amount requesting: (Funds distributed will generally not exceed $500)
Financial Assistance Review & Awarding Process
  • We respond to financial assistance requests on a first-come-first-served basis. If funds are unavailable at the time of request, we add students to a waitlist. Waitlist order is determined by order-of-funding-request. 
  • We work closely with our fiscal sponsor, Ecologistics, to issue a check directly to the requestor via postal mail. Alternatively, checks can be placed at relevant Dream Centers for hand delivery and pick-up. 
  • This process takes about 5-10 business days (or longer, if a requestor is waitlisted)
  • Students granted financial assistance are invited to share a “thank you note” that can be shared anonymously with donors and other funders. For example, students may wish to share briefly about their major and career goals, and how this financial assistance will directly contribute to their success.

Note on Data Collection & Sharing
CCC-USS does not share private student information. We do not compile lists that contain full names or addresses of recipients or requestors. CCC-USS may share general, non-identifying information (e.g., number of students we have assisted, their school, grade level, majors, and types of requests) as part of annual reporting or other grant reporting requirements. We do not share any private information with outside entities. 
Legal Aid Resources: 
We work closely with Central Coast Dream Centers, all of which offer free legal services for DACA application assistance/referrals and other legal needs/referrals. 
Additional community legal resources include:
Please let us know how we can support you to connect to these organizations and their services.