Needy Family Graduate Student Emergency Fund

The Needy Family Graduate Student Emergency Fund was established to provide:

Need-based assistance to graduate students with unforeseen financial emergencies beyond their control that hinders their abilities to continue in school.

To be eligible for consideration, graduate students must:

  1. Be a full-time student in the semester for which the funds are requested.
  2. Be currently enrolled as a degree-seeking graduate student.
  3. Be in good academic standing.
  4. Have experienced an unexpected or unanticipated financial emergency that puts the student's education at risk.

Please Read Before Submitting Application

 

This fund does not prepay expenses.

  • Applicants must submit receipts demonstrating payment for the emergency (e.g., dental bill, vehicle repair). Specifically, applicants must submit documentation showing payment of the emergency expense. Awards from this fund are only granted for expenses already paid for, not future expected expenses. Most often this documentation would be a receipt for at least the amount requested (e.g., minimum of $250 in receipts for a request of $250).

 

  • For medical procedures, submit the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) provided by the insurance company. For help obtaining an EOB, contact the Pat Walker Health Center at 479-575-4406 or by email (bkholt@uark.edu). 

 

  • This fund cannot be used to pay tuition or fees, costs for exams or preparation materials, etc.

 

Funding is limited and when funds are exhausted, awards are not made. First-time students are priorized over students who have already received awards. (A maximum of two awards may be granted during a student’s tenure in Graduate School.)

Students who have received financial aid funds equivalent to the cost of attendance are not allowed to receive additional support and are not eligible for these awards.

Students cannot receive an award from both the Needy Family Graduate Student Emergency Fund and the International Student Emergency Fund.

Awarding procedure:

  1. Submit an online application  and upload the necessary supporting documents described above. A typical award will not exceed $250.00.
  2. A committee reviews each application and makes a recommendation to approve or deny the award request. Decisions by the committee are final.
  3. The student will be notified by the committee of the award decision.
  4. If approved, the recipient will be notified of payment instructions.
  5. The student’s personal information and circumstances will remain confidential throughout the process, unless the student permits their name to be used in publicity about the fund.

Depending on the time of year, processing of the award may take two weeks to a month.