Resources

This page is a one-stop-shop for free and low-cost resources available to college students. It includes resources we’ve created, resources Emerson provides (accompanied by our criticisms of them), and resources outside of these circles. We believe that every Emerson student deserves equal access to what they need regardless of their income. This page is only the beginning of that project.

COVID-19 aid
Food
College Expenses
Mental Health
Misc.

COVID-19 Emergency Funds

COVID-19 Mutual Aid Networks

Offer Support:

COVID-19 Free Entertainment

COVID-19 Emerson College Resources

  • Iwasaki Library Distance Learning resources
  • Meet virtually with the Healing and Advocacy Collective
  • Make a virtual appointment with Student Accessibility Services
    Contact: Diane_Paxton@emerson.edu (617)824-8986, Matthew_Fisher@emerson.edu (617)824-8277, or Erin_Glover@emerson.edu (617)824-8932.
  • Make a virtual appointment with the Writing and Academic Resource Center
    (Info from an email sent to students by the WARC)
    Appointments for individual assessment:
    If you would like to discuss what support would be beneficial for you for the remainder of the semester, you can make an appointment with Matt Phelan via email (matthew_phelan@emerson.edu). You should also make an appointment if you find yourself struggling or are unsure what is in your best interests at any given time.

    Appointments related to time management and study strategies
    If you are concerned with managing your time in relation to your online courses, you should make an appointment with Jodi Burrel, Associate Director of Academic Support, via email (jodi_burrel@emerson.edu). Students work with Jodi to address specific time management, reading, or study strategies.

    Appointments related to international student support
    Tyler McPeek, Associate Director of International Student Support, can help you with issues related to ELL, cultural challenges, and meeting your academic expectations in the current semester. You can make an appointment with Tyler via email (tyler_mcpeek@emerson.edu).

    Appointments with Writing Consultants (WCs)
    These appointments address any phase of the writing process including deconstructing a prompt, brainstorming, outlining, creating a thesis, revising, reviewing the final draft before submission for grammar/mechanics, use of research and citation, etc. You can make appointments with the WCs online. For questions related to online writing consultations, you can contact the Writing Center Coordinator, Stephen Shane (stephen_shane@emerson.edu).

    Appointments with Academic Success Consultants (ASCs)
    These appointments address time management, setting goals around academic work to meet deadlines, facilitating timely completion of assignments and projects, etc. These appointments can be ongoing if needed. You can make an appointment an ASC online.

    Appointments with English Language Learning Consultants (ELLs)
    These appointments focus on language enhancement in the context of written and oral coursework for international students and those for whom English is not their first language. You can make an appointment with an ELL online.

    Appointments with Peer Tutors
    This service is designed to provide undergraduate student peer-to-peer content tutoring in a fixed number of high-demand courses. You can make appointments with Peer Tutors directly by email to schedule one-on-one online appointments. Please see the Peer Tutor List for our current tutors and supported courses.


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Free and Low-cost Food

  • ESCU’s Meal Swipes Exchange Group
    ECSU provides a Facebook messenger group chat for students to share swipes. Meals can be expensive, and off-campus students only receive 2 free swipes. The group is a way for students to save money by using extra swipes shared by other students.
  • Emerson’s Food Pantry
    Office of Student Success, Piano Row 2nd floor
    Business Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00 am–5:00 pm (9:00 am–3:00 pm during the summer)

    The food pantry has non-perishables like canned food and pasta donated by sympathetic staff and faculty. It is open to all students, no proof of need required. 

    Our Criticism: The Office Student Success isn’t given the resources to supply fresh food and most of what’s available is very cheap so students trying to maintain a healthy diet may find that the bulk of their grocery costs aren’t met by the food pantry.
  • Emerson’s Student Assistance Fund
    The Student Assistance Fund can provide grocery store gift cards, free meal swipes at the Dining Center, and even free meal plans. They also fund non-food related needs, which we expand upon in the College Expenses section of this page. Students need to apply and prove financial need to access these services.

    You can apply here. To discuss these options, you can email them at studentsuccess@emerson.edu, call at 617-824-8650, or stop by the office during business hours on the 2nd floor of Piano Row.

    Our Criticism: We trust students to know if they need help or not. Requiring them to prove financial need is a time-consuming barrier many low-income and working students don’t have time to overcome. Additionally, the free meal swipes come from student “Swipe Donations” solicited every semester, and they can only donate 1 of their 10 guest swipes. We believe that Emerson can afford to give free swipes to students who need them without relying on student donations.
  • Fair Foods $2 a bag groceries
    The Boston nonprofit Fair Foods hosts $2 a bag groceries with fruits and vegetables at a variety of locations and hours across Boston and Greater Boston. You do not need to provide financial need or show ID to access this — just show up!
  • Food For All app
    Download the Food For All app to get meals at partnering restaurants for at least 50% off. Discounted meals are only available at certain times of the day (often closing time for restaurants) because the app’s goal is to reduce food waste. When you join, you get the first meal free. (A note of convenience for on-campus students: Boloco is included in this app!)

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Aid for college-related expenses

  • ECSU’s Online Textbook Library
    ECSU provides a shared Google Drive folder of free downloadable textbooks and other books required in various classes at Emerson. We are constantly building our collection.
  • Emerson’s Student Assistance Fund
    The Student Assistance Fund can potentially cover the costs of textbooks, monthly T-passes, printing and copying costs, and more non-tuition related college expenses. (They can also help with the cost of food, as described in our “food” section on this page.) Purchases made prior to the application cannot be covered. Students need to apply and prove financial need to access these services.

    You can apply here. To discuss these options, you can email them at studentsuccess@emerson.edu, call at 617-824-8650, or stop by the office during business hours on the 2nd floor of Piano Row.

    Our Criticism: We trust students to know if they need help or not. Requiring them to prove financial need is a time-consuming barrier many low-income and working students don’t have time to overcome. Also, Emerson gives the Fund limited resources, and the application reminds students “due to limited funding, not all students who apply will have their request approved.” As part of the ECSU, we are working to build a college that can guarantee all of its students equal access.
  • The Emerson Enhancement Fund
    The Emerson Enhancement Fund can fund “extra-curricular programming, event attendance, creative and/or research projects extracurricular programming.” (For example, the cost of studying abroad, or compensation for working an unpaid internship). Awards range from $250 to $4,000, and it is open to both graduate and undergraduate students. Apply here.

    The Fall Semester Application deadline is: November 8th
    The Spring Semester Application deadline is: February 21st

    Our Criticism: You will need to email the financial aid office before you apply so they can determine if you demonstrate “exceptional financial need” to qualify, because for some reason, when it comes to aid colleges are obsessed with having the power to decide if your situation matches their Dickensian image of poverty.
  • Emerson’s Free Summer Internship Housing
    Emer$on offers free summer internship on-campus housing to a very select number of students on both the L.A. (May 25th – August 7th) and Boston (May 17th to August 17th) campuses. You don’t need to have a confirmed internship to qualify—you just have to have evidence of internships you intend to apply to. Once again, you can only access this if financial aid determines you have financial need. You also need to be a rising junior or senior with a minimum GPA of 3.0 to qualify. Applications are due 1/31/20. Apply here.

    Our Criticism: Emerson markets and organizes this as a highly competitive career development program, complete with mandatory weekly professional development dinners and workshops, instead of the life-saving housing program it could be. The dorms should be open and free to all who need them over the summer. The GPA requirement shuts out many students in need, as it is difficult for some busy students to maintain a high GPA. A student’s GPA should not determine their access to affordable housing.
  • Reduced-Price Textbooks
    Sites like Thriftbooks and Chegg often have textbooks at a cheaper price than Emerson’s bookstore, if you do have to buy a book. Search for your textbook by ISBN number to ensure an exact match.

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Free Mental Health Resources

  • The Healing and Advocacy Collective
    180 Tremont St.
    Ansin 303 and 304
    Drop by anytime Monday – Friday 8:45 am – 5 pm
    (you can also set up a meeting time outside of these hours)

    Greta and Melanie provide a confidential and supportive resource to survivors of power-based interpersonal violence. A confidential resource is someone who will not inform the Title IX office about your situation unless you ask them to. They can provide advocacy-based counseling, help you request academic, living, and work accommodations on and off campus, accompany you to Title IX, legal, and medical meetings and appointments as your advocate, and more. Contact them here or drop by their office in-person.
  • Emerson’s Free Group Therapy
    Emerson offers a few different free group therapy sessions, most hosted weekly, including an anxiety skills group, a grief support group, a women’s group, and general group therapy. They also take suggestions for new groups. Visit their page to learn more.
  • Emerson Counseling and Psychological Services (ECAPS)
    216 Tremont Street, Second Floor
    Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm
    Tuesday & Wednesday: 9am – 7pm​
    Closed M-F: 12pm – 12:45pm

    ECAPS provides students will free short-term individual therapy and referrals for long-term therapy. Sessions are usually about 25 minutes. To make an appointment, call 617-824-8595.

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Miscellaneous Resources

  • ECSU’s Activist Tutorial Videos (Coming soon!)
    ECSU has a YouTube channel coming soon with tutorial videos for aspiring activists! Starting with a fun wheat-pasting tutorial, the YouTube channel will be a one stop shop for people looking to make disruptive change around Emerson. Stay tuned for more!
  • Boston Public Library Card
    Students are eligible for library cards at the Boston Public Library, which has many different branches across Boston. In addition to checking out physical books and movies, the library also offers an extensive free streaming library and ebook selection online.
  • Emerson’s Tiny Thrift Store
    In the Colonial Building’s basement, right by the mailroom, there is a black dresser labeled “Emerson Tiny Thift” where students can drop off unwanted clothes and others can take them. They update images of new donations on their Instagram.
  • Free Art Museums
    With an Emerson student ID you can go to the following art museums for free: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the MFA, and the ICA. If you have a Boston Public Library card, you can also request free guest passes from the Boston Public library.

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Think of a resource we should add? Email us!

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