The Southeastern Conference Executive Committee has provided Vanderbilt with a $100,000 grant to fuel disaster relief efforts, the university announced Monday.
“The Employee Hardship Fund, which already has a process in place for providing assistance, is administering the Tornado Relief Hardship Fund,” a university spokesperson said in an email to The Hustler.
According to the press release, members of the Vanderbilt community may apply for funds, as long as they meet one of three qualifiers: Vanderbilt staff members that are currently employed by the university and were employed on March 3; Vanderbilt students that had tornado-related expenses; or Vanderbilt post-doctorates that had tornado-related expenses.
Applicants must also detail the costs of qualified expenses or damages incurred by the tornado. Eligible expenses include personal, family or funeral costs and/or costs related to damaged homes, according to the university.
The tornado relief application states that Vanderbilt will determine distribution amounts after they compile all requests.
On March 3, 2020, tornadoes inflicted severe damage on several parts of Middle Tennessee. The Associated Press reported a total of ten tornadoes with the highest rated—an EF-4—reaching speeds up to 175 mph. The Vanderbilt campus survived the tornadoes unscathed.
