Food & Housing Insecurity Resources

The College of Charleston Basic Needs Program is funded through students dedicating their meal swipes as a semester ends and by other friends, family, alumni, community members, and businesses making monetary donations to the Student Emergency Fund.

The Application for Basic Needs, including meal assistance, temporary housing assistance, and the student emergency fund, can be found below.

Basic Needs Request

The College of Charleston's basic needs program provides on-campus dining meal assistance, temporary housing assistance, and emergency funds to support CofC students. This program is designed to assist students with unexpected and unavoidable expenses due to emergency situations such as accidents, illness, the death of a family member, fire damage, or the need for temporary housing. It is also intended to help students through food security concerns. 

Currently enrolled students may apply for support when they have exhausted all other resources (payment plans, additional student aid, assistance from family/friends, private loans, and other personal resources). This funding is not intended to reimburse expenses that have already been paid, serve as a debt diversion program, or replace or supplement existing financial aid. When funds are granted, they do not have to be repaid.

The Basic Needs Program may provide temporary assistance in meals/dining dollars for use in the College of Charleston dining facilities, emergency funding, or temporary housing in a residence hall for up to 10 days may be provided, if and when, resources are available.

The program is for eligible students who:

  • have an immediate or time-sensitive financial hardship resulting from an emergency, accident, or other unexpected critical incident or circumstance.
  • The expense must be unexpected, unforeseen,  urgent, and unavoidable.
  • Applicants must be currently enrolled College of Charleston students.
  • All other resources, including emergency loans through scholarships and Financial Aid, must have been considered and are insufficient, unavailable, or unavailable promptly.
  • Applicants must complete all questions in full and submit supporting documentation.
  • Meal assistance can be requested each semester as long as food security concerns exist. 
  • agree to submit additional documentation after applying or approval, if required.
  • understand the program is only for the student applying, not for other family members/friends.

Further information about this program is available through the Office of the Dean of Students 

  • in person at 329 King St. 
  • by calling 843.953.5522.

To support the Basic Needs Program:

Donations can be directed to the program through the College of Charleston Student Emergency Fund R143 on the College of Charleston Giving page.

In the "Designation" field, please select "Other." In  "Other" Please enter "Student Affairs, Student Emergency Fund R143".

Thank you for your support!

Read about our Cougar Food Pantry:

Additional Resources

Below are some local community resources that may be available to students. Additional eligibility requirements may exist to access these resources. This list is not intended to be comprehensive or an endorsement, but rather a starting point for students in need.