A guide to USF’s post-hurricane resources
President Rhea Law said the past weeks challenged USF unlike anything the university has experienced since its founding in 1956.
Just 13 days apart from each other, Hurricanes Helene and Milton left their mark on the Tampa Bay area.
“The road ahead may be difficult, but our USF Bulls community is incredibly resilient, and we will persevere,” Law said.
The hurricanes forced USF to shut down its campuses for several days.
With classes resuming this week, the university is providing resources to help students navigate their way back to campus.
The USF Foundation has also established the United Support Fund, where people can donate to assist students impacted by the hurricanes.
Related: USF will reopen in the wake of Hurricane Milton
Food
Dining locations at all campuses are open. The St. Pete dining halls were the last to open on Tuesday due to the city’s water boil notice, which was lifted on Monday.
Students can also pick up food and sanitary products at USF’s Feed-A-Bull pantries with their USF ID.
The USF Tampa campus has two Feed-A-Bull locations. One is on the ground floor of the Student Services building, and the other is in the College of Medicine building.
Students can order online or visit either location.
The pantry offers a variety of non-perishable food items, bread and a limited amount of fresh produce.
USF Dining donated over 1000 snack bags to Feed-A-Bull on Tuesday.
Related: USF’s Feed-A-Bull adds new location at the College of Medicine Building.
The St. Pete campus pantry is located in the Student Life Center and Sarasota-Manatee’s pantry is located at the Student Success Lounge.
Those receiving SNAP assistance can apply for food replacement if they lost food during the storm. SNAP is a federally-funded program to help low-income individuals with buying groceries, according to the USDA.
Housing
To help students whose homes were damaged by the hurricane, all three campuses opened applications for students to live on campus, according to the Dean of Students’ office.
Related: USF Juniper-Poplar residents return amid frustrations, AC issues
Housing does not have an exact number of beds available for students but is “prioritizing students who have been displaced or impacted by the recent hurricanes,” a USF Housing spokesperson said.
USF Dining also waived the dining plan requirement for freshmen residents who have been affected by the hurricane.
Related: Hurricane Milton forced USF students to evacuate campus: ‘Like a community’
Financial Aid
Past the basic support for food and a place to live, students can apply for financial aid if they were impacted by the storm.
Students struggling with hurricane recovery and living expenses can fill out the Budget Adjustment Request form on the Office of Financial Aid website. If eligible, students will receive an increased student loan, rather than a scholarship or grant.
However, all students must fill out the 2024-25 FAFSA to access financial aid. The deadline for the 2024-25 FAFSA is June 30, 2025.
If students or parents have suffered from income reduction or income loss, they can fill out the Change in Circumstance-Parent or Change in Circumstance-Student forms. This will prompt a reevaluation of what financial aid students can receive.
Change in Circumstance forms will also be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid website.
Academic
In response to Hurricane Milton, the university has pushed back midterm and final grading deadlines.
The new midterm grading deadline will be Oct. 29, while the new final grading period will open Nov. 4, according to the Office of the Registrar.
The last day to withdraw without an “academic penalty” is Nov. 9.
Students who want to drop a class should contact their academic advocate and fill out a student intake form.
Undergraduate students wishing to withdraw from all courses must complete an ARC Petition or, for graduate students, a Graduate Studies Petition. International students should contact the Office of International Services.
If students need help with classes, they can access TutorMe, an online tutoring service available 24/7.
Mental Health
All three campuses offer 24/7 counseling through TogetherAll.
Students also have access to TalkNow, a free mental health service for students.
USF also has a General Student Concern form that will be submitted to the Dean of Students office. The form is a way for students to reach out for help if personal or medical issues are impacting their ability to succeed at USF.
Related: OPINION: USF, be a helping hand post-storm
A list of all USF resources and further links can be found on the Dean of Students Office’s hurricane resource page.
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