Emergency Meal Swipes (EMS)
Emergency Meal Swipes are now available to students currently experiencing food insecurity challenges via our new Basic Needs Assistance Form
Please note this resource is only available to students who are currently experiencing a financial emergency and have exhausted other options. Resource utilization such as pantry visits, CalFresh benefits/eligibility, and subsidized loans will be considered while making a determination. Emergency Meal Swipes are not to be used as a cost-savings strategy, and cannot replace Financial Aid resources.
What is EMS?
Emergency Meal Swipes (EMS) is an application-based service that helps students who are experiencing food insecurity and/or a student-related emergency, access several healthy and well-balanced meals offered at UCI’s Dining Commons.
✔ Be enrolled at UCI and is a registered student at UCI
✔ Indicate a lack of regular sources of sufficient nourishment
✔ Not have an alternative source of meal options
(i.e. all-access meal plan, 5-day meal plan, limited meal plan, or voluntary meal plan)
* Citizenship status does not affect eligibility
* If you are CalFresh eligible, you must apply for CalFresh with
one of our Advocates before applying to EMS
Step 1:
Please note that incomplete applications (ex: vague answers, missing award letter, missing budget) will not be reviewed.
Step 2:
- Download and complete the Budget Worksheet Template
- If you cannot download the file, you can use our Google Sheets version. Select “File” then “Make a copy”
- If you cannot download the file, you can use our Google Sheets version. Select “File” then “Make a copy”
- How to access Award Letter: (you may skip this step if you don’t receive financial aid)
- Login to: My Aid (OFAS)
- Make sure you select the 23-24 academic year
- Select: “My Award”
- Select: “Award Summary” hyperlink. A separate form should pop up with your Financial Aid Award Summary
- This form contains your
name and your dependent/ independent status
- This form contains your