“At this critical moment in Puerto Rico’s history and in our students’ lives, we want them to know that they are not alone, that they can count on their University, and that we will help them recover and move forward.”
Dr. Darrel Hillman Barrera
Interim president of the UPR
Our students at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) are the budding professionals that Puerto Rico needs to recover and build a stronger future. In the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, many of our students have lost everything: belongings, books, computers, cars, even their homes…
These promising students are facing a terrible emergency situation with courage and resolve. Your contribution is key to help them recover. By donating to the UPR SE LEVANTA fund, you will help these young Puerto Ricans to continue fighting for their dreams and successfully complete their university degrees. A donation to aid our UPR students is an investment in the future of Puerto Rico.
What is the UPR SE LEVANTA fund?
UPR SE LEVANTA (UPR Rises) is an emergency aid fund for students at the University of Puerto Rico who were severely affected by the passage of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico.
Created by the Office of the President of the UPR, the fund draws on donations in order to provide financial assistance to these university students who suffered heavy losses because of the disasters.
On December 21st, 2017, 106 students from the UPR system received the first emergency aid checks from the UPR SE LEVANTA fund.
How was the UPR SE LEVANTA fund created?
September 2017 was a hard month for Puerto Rico, as the island was struck by two powerful category 5 hurricanes. On September 6th, Hurricane Irma caused extensive damage to the country’s east and northeast coast, as well as the islands of Vieques and Culebra. Two weeks later, on September 20th, Hurricane Maria crossed the island from southeast to northwest, causing catastrophic devastation across Puerto Rico and becoming the most expensive natural disaster in the country’s history.
Despite the severe damage it sustained due to the hurricanes, the University of Puerto Rico managed to resume operations in record time, thanks to the UPR administration’s preparations and the thousands of volunteers who helped in the cleaning and recovery efforts. Once the university system’s eleven campuses reopened, the UPR established censuses to identify our students’ needs and develop initiatives to support them. Unfortunately, we found that many of our students lost everything in the disasters.
At the request of the campuses’ Chancellors, the President of the UPR created the UPR SE LEVANTA fund at the end of September, with the purpose of raising funds for students who urgently need assistance due to their emergency situation.
How can I donate to the UPR SE LEVANTA fund?
You can donate to the UPR SE LEVANTA fund here. You can also make a contribution through the Banco Popular de Puerto Rico: account 030083338, routing number 021502011.
STUDENTS
How can I apply for help from the UPR SE LEVANTA fund?
UPR students who suffered heavy losses due to Hurricane Irma or Hurricane Maria can visit the Deanery of Students at their campus to request help from the UPR SE LEVANTA fund.
Criteria for applying for aid from the UPR SE LEVANTA fund:
- The student must demonstrate financial need, as certified by the campus Financial Aid Office.
- The student must be in «good standing»: be a bona fide student at the University of Puerto Rico, with a minimum GPA of 2.00, show academic progress and not be on probation.
- The student must have a regular academic load.
- The student’s extraordinary need must be related to the consequences of Hurricane Maria or Hurricane Irma.
- The student must commit to completing his academic semester at the University of Puerto Rico.
The UPR created the «Ayuda a Estudiantes UPR SE LEVANTA» committee for the administration of the fund. This committee is in charge of evaluating the cases of students in need, as well as assigning and awarding money from the aid fund.
The committee members are: the interim Vice President of Academic Affairs at the UPR, Dr. Ilka Ríos Reyes; the interim Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Aileen Torres; Financial Aid advisor, Hernán Vazqueztell; undergraduate student at the UPR in Carolina, Thallia Malavé Méndez; and graduate student at the UPR Mayagüez Campus, Carlos Romero Peñaloza. Both students were chosen by the caucus of the University Board to be members of this committee.