Students Helping Students CU is a student-run mutual aid fund created in order to help low-income undergraduate students at Columbia University and Barnard College receive necessary funds not provided by either institution. Low-income students know all too well the challenges that come with attending a school where the majority of students are not on financial aid. We are looking for people with the means to help provide low-income Columbia and Barnard undergrads with funds for housing, food, other basic necessities, and cost of attendance at Columbia and Barnard. Despite the fact that the University preaches equity and inclusion for all students, low-income students are often left behind by financial aid packages and University programs.

While some of our organizers are class-privileged allies, many of the organizers of this fundraiser are FGLI students who know firsthand the challenges Columbia and Barnard put in place for their students. At times, it is traumatizing, humiliating, and frustrating to try and receive the aid that you actually need from a school which claims to provide equal opportunities to every student. Students Helping Students CU aims to be a space where low-income students can tell us what they need and be respected while doing so. Every student and human being deserves equal access to safety and security, and this is our mission with building this fund for the Columbia/Barnard undergraduate community.

We are asking those with the means to do so to provide aid to students seeking help. Many people at Columbia and Barnard have class privilege but don’t know what to do with it, or don’t have the experience to know what low income students are in need of. By giving to this fund, you will be able to directly give money and redistribute your wealth with the knowledge that we are giving it directly to those asking for assistance. Part of the goal here is to return agency to FGLI students, who are often treated as though they cannot be trusted to know what to spend our money on or are restricted by what an institution says is a necessary expense, rather than what actually is. This fund will help to return that agency to FGLI students by allowing FGLI students to apply and receive what they are in need of. By donating to this fund, you will be directly assisting in ensuring Columbia and Barnard undergrads have agency and support.

We would also like to emphasize that we will be keeping the names of the recipients of this fund anonymous and will also maintain confidentiality for those who ask for aid. While we will provide statistics of how much we give out and how many people we give it out to in the name of transparency, we will never publish the names of recipients of this aid. Low-income students should be able to tell their story if they want to, but they also have a right to privacy. Students should not have to publicly reveal details about their personal lives in order to be supported by their communities. A system that makes students pour their hearts out in order to receive help with basic necessities is an unfair one. A system that is harmful to the mental health of low-income students discourages students from requesting aid and should not be kept in place.

We hope that you will join us on this journey to help students at Columbia and Barnard establish the security they deserve.

Students Helping Students - Columbia University

By Students Helping Students - Columbia University

Students Helping Students - Columbia University

Mutual aid fund collecting donations to meet the needs of FGLI undergrads at Columbia University and Barnard College