College Student Emergency Fund
The College Student Emergency Fund is designed to assist students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) by providing financial assistance with unexpected and unforeseen emergencies that jeopardize their continued education at the University of Kansas. Funding is available to support short-term expenses resulting from accidents, illness or death of a family member, natural disasters, or a need for temporary housing.
Students can only be awarded emergency financial assistance from the College student emergency fund once per academic year. This fund is sustained through generous gifts from donors, and emergency grants do not need to be repaid. Funding will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and will remain available until all funds have been distributed.
Types of expenses generally covered include, but are not limited to:
- Medications & medical expenses (cannot cover outstanding balances)
- Safety needs (i.e., changing a lock, temporary housing changes)
- Assistance with the replacement of essential personal belongings due to fire, theft, or natural disaster
- Assistance with rent, utilities, food, & other essential living expenses
- Travel costs related to a death or illness in the immediate family
Expenses generally not covered include, but are not limited to:
- Tuition, fees, health insurance & study abroad costs
- Non-essential utilities (e.g. cable), household, or furniture costs not related to damage or theft
- Parking tickets and other fines
- Costs for entertainment, recreation, non-emergency travel, or other non-essential expenses
- Membership dues
- Legal fines & expenses
- Anticipated and non-emergency expenses
- Laptop, computers or other technology that has not been impacted by an emergency (laptops may be available through the library https://lib.ku.edu/services/borrow-renew-return)
- Vehicle repairs when the vehicle is not needed to attend classes, internship or employment
Eligibility
- All degree seeking undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences enrolled in-person programs on the Lawrence campus.
- Applicants must be enrolled in classes at the University of Kansas during the term in which the award would be made.
- Applicants must have financial hardship resulting from an emergency, accident, or other unplanned event.
- Applicants must complete the Emergency Aid Network grant application and provide supporting documentation. The application is available during the Fall & Spring semesters.
- Students that are enrolled in summer classes at KU and encounter an unexpected emergency, should email the college at collegeawards@ku.edu to explore options.
Award Procedures
- Submit an online application through the Emergency Aid Network and provide supporting documentation.
- Decisions are made on a rolling basis while funding is available and will be emailed to the applicant’s KU email account.