Resources for Graduate Students

Written by Flavia Stanley (Vice President)

Resources for Graduate Students

& the Under-funded A-Z

Affording UMass

Assistantship Information/Job Listings

UMass Assistantship Office: http://www.umass.edu/gradschool/assistantship/

Financial Aid/Federal Loans

Grants:

Umass Grant Services: www.umass.edu/gradschool/gsgs/

Problems/Grievances with your program, non-Geo on-campus job:

UMass Ombuds Office www.umass.edu/ombuds_office

Provides information and referrals to grievance procedures, help resolve conflicts, mediate disputes, ensures confidentiality.

Tuition Waiver:

GEO eligible positions:

These waivers may be given in conjunction with a graduate appointment, which has a stipend of at least $2,931 per semester (subject to final determination of campus FTE stipend rate for 2005-2006).

GEO Office (for information on benefits, grievances, labor related issues)

http://geouaw.org

Non-GEO employment:

If you have an off-campus job that pays $2,931 or more per semester, you can qualify for a Tuition & Curriculum fee waiver. You will need a letter from your Graduate Program Director that states that your job is connected to your graduate education. ( ie. a job at McDonalds can qualify for a tuition waiver if you are studying workplace exploitation. In other words, it’s up to you to make the case that the job is helping you in your chosen field of study) Contact your Graduate Program Director.

Crisis

Addiction

Abuse/Domestic Violence

ARCH.

413-733-7100/Springfield,800-796-8711

Necessities/Necesidades.

888-345-5282/Northampton(Spanish)

N.E.L.C.W.I.T. (New England Learning Center for Women In Transition)

offers shelter, counseling, education, and advocacy to women and children who have survived domestic violence or sexual abuse in western MA. Provides community education for area schools, professionals, and other groups

413-772-0806/Greenfield(24hr) www.nelcwit.org

Springfield Domestic Violence Hotline

413-733-7100/Springfield 800-796-8711

Women's Shelter/Companeras

413-536-1628/Holyoke(Spanish)

YWCA of Western MA - New Beginnings.

800-479-6245/Westfield

Medical Emergencies

Multilingual Resources/ Translation

Necessities/Necesidades.

888-345-5282/Northampton(Spanish)

SafeLink.

Multilingual translation in more than 140 languages: crisis intervention, safety planning, support and referrals.877-785-2020 www.casamyrna.org

Overdose

Rape

Everywoman’s Center Violence Against Women Hotline

413-545-0800 or 1-888-337-0800

www.umass.edu/ewc

NELCWIT- New England – Rape/Crisis Hotline 413-772-0806

Suicide Prevention

Health

On-Campus

UMass Amherst University Health Services

Directory of available services, including routing, same day, urgent and emergency care. How, where, when and who to call. www.umass.edu/uhs/

Insurance (Affordable)

Health Care for All - Health Helpline.

Health Care For All is dedicated to making quality and affordable health care accessible to everyone in Massachusetts. 617-350-7279.617-350-0974(TTY) www.hcfama.org

MassHealth State Program

The MassHealth program provides comprehensive health insurance-or help in paying for private health insurance-to nearly one million Massachusetts children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities. 800-841-2900 800-497-4648

Mental Health

On-Campus

Men

General (Support/counseling)

Men’s Resource Center, Amherst, MA

www.mensresourcecenter.org

Parents

Childcare resources (finding a licensed provider, getting help affording it)

Parent Child Development Center

Early Start, Head Start, and other affordable childcare services.

For Franklin County: (413) 863-9547 For Hampshire County: (413) 582-4212. Visit www.fcac.net for more information.

Child Care Focus

Serving Hampshire County 413-582-4218 or 800-962-5511

Childcare Outlook

Child Care Outlook is the Child Care Resource and Referral Agency serving Hampshire and Franklin Counties. We provide families with information on selecting the best child care situation for their children and refer them to child care providers who best meet their criteria. Child Care Outlook also has some funding available to help parents pay for child care. 413-772-2177

Child Care Resource Center

Serving cities and towns west of Boston

617-547-1063 ext. 72 www.ccrcinc.org

Franklin Athol Child Care Services (FACCS)

Serving Franklin County

413-774-2318 www.fcac.net

MA Dept. of Education Food Programs & Services

Provides training education and support services related to good nutrition for children; provides cash reimbursement for meals and snacks served to children when attending licensed or informal family child care 781-388-3300 ext. 498 www.doe.mass.edu/cnp

Head Start Bureau: Administration for Children & Families

Referrals to Head Start programs for children 3-5 yrs. 617-565-1128

http://www2.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/hsb/programs/ehs/ehs3.htm

Children with special needs

Federation for Children with Special Needs

Advocacy and service referrals for children with special needs and their parents or guardians (Western MA Satellite Office) 800-331-0688 www.fcsn.org

Massachusetts Advocacy Center

Advocacy for children needing special education services. 617-357-8431 www.volunteersolutions.org/boston/org/215444.htm

Massachusetts Department of Public Health: Division for Special Health Needs. Case management, support, and technical assistance to help parents of children with special health care needs to get services from public and private agencies . 413-586-7525 (Western Region) www.mass.gov/dph/fch/dshn.htm

Health Care for children

The Children's Medical Security Plan (CMSP)

health insurance program that provides children and adolescents with access to primary care and preventive services. Designed for children and teens who do not have health care coverage. The Department of Public Health contracts with UNICARE a managed care company, to administer the plan. Eligible: Any child age 18 or younger who lives in MA, is currently uninsured for primary or preventive health care, and is not eligible for primary or preventive health care through MassHealth. The cost of coverage is based on a family's size and household income. 800-909-2677 CMSP Service Center 800-882-1435 (Dept of Public Health-Division for Special Health Needs) www.cmspkids.com

Massachusetts Immunization Program.

Information about immunizations & where to get shots. 617-983-6800

Parental Stress

Parental Stress Line. A 24-hour hotline in Massachusetts

When the stress of parenting becomes too much, turn to the Parental Stress Line for support and guidance. A 24-hour hotline, the Parental Stress Line is staffed by trained volunteer telephone counselors who care and are concerned about the preservation of families.

800-632-8188 (24 Hr Toll Free)

Parents Helping Parents.

State program providing emergency counseling to parents who need support. PHP's mission is to promote and support healthy parent/child relationships and break the cycle of child abuse through peer-led, professionally facilitated mutual help groups which provide a nurturing, non-judgmental environment in which to improve family relationships. 800-882-1250 www.parentshelpingparents.org

Surviving with low income

Clothing

Amherst Survival Center. www.people.umass.edu/support/asc/ Free clothing, food pantry & hot meals

Food

Center for Self-Reliance Food Pantry

3 1/2 Osgood Street, Greenfield, MA 01301 (413) 773-5029  Hours: Open 11:00 - 4:00 p.m. Monday – Friday. The Center for Self-Reliance is a storefront pantry that not only offers food to families, but information and referrals as well, regardless of income or circumstances.

Food Bank of Western Massachusetts www.foodbankwma.org

Project Bread Food Source Hotline. 800-645-8333 Food Source Hotline. 1-800-377-1292 Spanish available (TTY) www.projectbread.org

SERVE New England. A private non-profit organization that encourages people to volunteer in their communities. People who volunteer for at least two hours a month can order low-cost food through the Serve New England Food Co-op. 888-742-7363 www.massresources.org

Food Stamps/WIC

Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Program

In Northampton:(413) 582-4230. In Amherst:(413) 549-6825. For eligibility and information about the program, visit http://www.fcac.net/

WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program. WIC is a nutrition program that provides nutrition and health education, healthy food and other services free of charge to Massachusetts families who qualify. To apply for WIC, call1-800-WIC-1007 www.mass.gov/dph

Fuel Assistance

Fuel Assistance Program (LIHEAP) of Community Action.

Assists low-income households by paying a portion of their home heating costs. The program is available to both homeowners and renters, and covers the primary source of heat. In Franklin County:(413) 774-2310. In Hampshire County:  call 1-800-370-0940 or email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Citizens Energy Corporation. Oil heat program .877-JOE-4-OIL www.citizensenergy.com

COLD RELIEF

Energy Assistance Programs. 800-632-8175 Heat Line Winter Heating Helpline.866-ENERGY-7 www.mass.gov/winterheating

Good Neighbor Energy Fund

Fuel assistance available to eligible families during the heating season. Western MA call: 800-262-1320

General Resources

Community Action of Hampshire, Franklin counties

Community Action Inc. provides social and advocacy services to over 25,000 people each year in Franklin and Hampshire Counties and the North Quabbin region of Massachusetts. The website has links and information on childcare resources, fuel assistance and a plethora of other social services.

http://www.fcac.net/

The Center for Self-Reliance Food Pantry

Transportation

Airport

Getting to/from

Valley transporter

Around Town

UMass Transit website. WWW.Umass.edu/bus

Buses

Peter Pan Bus Lines ( Can get buses to most anywhere from UMass, Amherst, Northampton, Springfield)

Trains

Amtrak (from Amherst (infrequently) & Springfield)

Women

General (support, networking)

On-campus:

Graduate Student Senate Graduate Network Coordinator

Phone: 413-545-2896 or www.

Everywoman’s Center. www.umass.edu/ewc

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 22 May 2007 )

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