U-ACCESS–For Students in Need

Student Affairs has seen the various non-academic challenges our students encounter daily, which led to the establishment of the Office of Urban and Off-Campus Support Services, otherwise known as U-ACCESS. The U-ACCESS program envisions a campus where students are empowered to effectively engage in the fight against the systems of poverty, pursue economic security, and successfully achieve their academic goals at UMass Boston. And this is where IT comes in.

IT Managed Services Director Trieu Ly’s involvement with U-ACCESS began with providing used computers to the U-ACCESS program for students in need. “We have a lot of very, very nice condition surplus laptops and iPads, so instead of throwing this surplus away we can donate it to U-ACCESS students, right?” Trieu asked rhetorically. He also solicited Chromebook donations from City of Boston agencies and used laptops from the Social Security Administration on behalf of our students. But that wasn’t enough for Trieu. He also became aware that the needs of many UMass Boston students are far greater. “Some of our students are homeless and they only eat once a day,” Trieu said, pointing out how dire conditions can be. So, Trieu became more involved in U-ACCESS, and described how it works and what it offers.

Basically, students interested in receiving U-ACCESS services are asked to fill out a CARE Management Referral form. Eligible students can then receive food pantry access, meal plan cards, SNAP application assistance, financial counseling, legal consultations, and of course access to computers thanks to Trieu Ly and the IT Managed Services team. U-ACCESS is partially funded by the university and public donations, while UMass Boston students staff the program and make contributions. To learn more about U-ACCESS and how you can help our students in need, go to https://www.umb.edu/campus-life/current-students/u-access.