Annually the Students' Union provides more than $7,500 in emergency aid funding for students who are suffering an unexpected financial stress.The funding is provided in the form of vouchers and gift certificates to food stores such that students can meet their basic food needs. Funding is divided between campuses and can be accessed by visting the Financial Aid Office.

The Students' Union, in partnership with the VIU Residences, operates the Good Food Box Program. The Program distributes fruits and vegetables at a low cost with the goal of assisting low-income populations accessing healthy food. The Program prioritizes locally grown products and is operated by the Nanaimo Foodshare Society.

The Students' Union collects the program fee and accepts monthly orders for the Good Food Box, and the VIU Residence accepts the delivery of the boxes and acts as a distriution point for the campus. The cost of a Good Food Box is $10, which includes a subsidy for students. 

To order a Good Food Box, contact the Students' Union Office at 250.754.8866 or email info@viusu.ca.

ENDOWMENT FUND
Since the inception of the Vancouver Island University Foundation (the charitable wing of Vancouver Island University) the Vancouver Island University Students' Union has maintained a place in the top tier of donor organisations. This means that one of the primary sources of student financial assistance has been the study body itself.

In 2002, the Students' Union established an endowment fund as a means to support student awards in purptuity. The funds generates interest annual, which provides the source for the awards without affecting the principle balance. To date, the Students' Union Endowment Fund has a balance in excess of $50,000 and another $50,000 has been committed in the next two years. 

AWARDS
Annual awards from the Endowment Fund are distributed by the University upon a recommendation from the Scholarship and Bursary Committee. Three awards of $500 are grated each year based on financial need, academic achievement and community engagement (this varies somewhat depending on the performance of the Endowment Fund and interest generated by the Fund). To apply for a Students' Union Award please contact the Financial Aid Office on your campus of study.

Annually the Government of BC provides funds to Vancouver Island University to support emergency aid and needs based grants. The funding is contingent on a matching amount being contributed by the Students' Union. Accordingly, every year the Students' Union provides $5,000 to match the BC Goverment contribution and create a $10,000 fund for student bursaries.

To apply for a bursary, please contact the Financial Aid Office on your campus of study.

The Students' Union provides an annual allocation of $3,000 from the Health and Dental Fund to provide bursaries to members who, due to financial difficulty, cannot afford the cost of the Students' Union Health and Dental Plan premium. The funds are distributed by the Financial Aid and Awards Office in such denominations as deemed appropriate to meet the needs of the applicant.

To apply for financial assistance from this fund, please contact the Financial Aid Office on your campus of study.