Dear colleagues,

We are, first and foremost, a school. Students are at the heart of our community and our goal always is to ensure that they have the best possible education, to become the public health thinkers and doers of the future. This time of the COVID-19 pandemic has taxed all of us, perhaps our students most of all. We have students who have struggled to make ends meet, students who are away from their families and friends, who are caring for children or parents, all while trying to complete coursework in a rigorous graduate program.

We have, as a school, put in place a range of efforts to support our students as they continue to navigate the curriculum during this time. I also wanted to draw attention here to three means of financial support, efforts that aim to ensure that all students can thrive in our community.

  1. Boston University plans to distribute nearly $15 million dollars in federal emergency relief funds to students affected by the coronavirus pandemic. SPH students are eligible to receive financial assistance between $500 and $6,000 based on need due to unforeseen expenses. The emergency funding request form is available here, and I encourage all SPH students needing assistance to apply for these funds, if needed, soon, given timelines on this funding.

  2. The School of Public Health has been able to dedicate emergency funds through the generosity of our alumni and friends. These funds are eligible for application through the Boston University Medical Campus Office of Student Financial Services. Visit their page for a full list of financial resources available here.

  3. We are also looking to the students of tomorrow, and we aim to continue recruiting, training and supporting a diverse student body through comprehensive scholarship aid packages to meet the needs of all students.

Our students are integral to all aspects of our mission. Since 2015, we have increased scholarship aid by 34% to support our master’s degree students and we have this year, and will over the coming year, focus all our development efforts on support for students. We aim, going forward, to continue building opportunities that will support our students, and we are grateful to all who have contributed to our Student Emergency and Scholarship Fund.

Thank you to all those who support our students, who today help us ensure that all our students move successfully towards their degrees, so that they can tomorrow become the public health practitioners who will create a healthier world for all.

Warmly,

Sandro

Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH
Dean and Robert A. Knox Professor
sgalea@bu.edu

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