Student Emergency Fund
Even the most prepared college students can struggle as they strive to be the best students they can be while balancing the demands of life. For this reason, the University of Scranton's Student Emergency Fund, a collaboration between the Dean of Students Office and the Office of Financial Aid, was established to assist enrolled, degree seeking, undergraduate students facing temporary financial hardship as a result of unforeseen circumstances. We hope the Student Emergency Fund will help students who might otherwise need to interrupt or delay their education to remain enrolled and successful at the University.
The Student Emergency Fund assists students who have unexpected expenses during the semester, particularly in situations of crisis, such as illness, the death of an immediate family member, medical emergency, access to food, or access to transportation. These funds are not to be used for routine expenses and those typically covered through a student's financial aid package. Students must have exhausted all traditional funding sources, including, but not limited to Federal student loans. This fund is not meant to replace existing financial aid and does not need to be repaid. Documentation of financial hardship may be required as part of the review process. Students may apply for up to two grants per year and grants are usually limited to $500.
Funding is awarded on a case by case basis. Factors that are considered include the student’s financial need, the nature of the funding request, and the availability of funding at the time the request is made. The fund is open to all enrolled degree-seeking undergraduate students; priority is given to students with the highest financial need.
All requests are private. No details are shared with a third party unless the student explicitly gives permission and only when there is a legitimate need. Details are shared amongst administering college offices in order to process funding requests. Funds are generally paid directly to appropriate third-party vendors.
Expenses Covered by the Emergency Fund include, but are not limited to:
- Travel costs related to a family emergency or death in the immediate family
- Costs associated with sudden illness or medical emergency
- Emergency food, clothing, or transportation needs
- Academic charges outside of the standard bill
Expenses Not Covered include, but are not limited to:
- Academic expenses covered in one’s financial aid package
- Non-emergency travel or personal travel
- Parking tickets, library fines, disciplinary fines, or other preventable expenses
- Costs for off-campus entertainment
- Standardized testing and application fees
- Computer replacement due to negligence