Office of Student Life
Student Advocacy Center

Mental Health Care Fund

Notice:  

Due to changes by the U.S. Department of Education, there have been delays to disbursement of financial aid affecting colleges and universities nationwide.  These delays also impact our ability to assess eligibility for emergency funding.  Unfortunately at this time we cannot accept applications but we encourage you to apply later this semester, once financial aid disbursements resume. 

If you are experiencing significant financial hardship due to the Financial Aid processing delays, please contact the appropriate office to discuss how they can help:

·       Columbus campus (undergraduate and graduate): Buckeye Link
·       Regional campuses:   Campus financial aid office (scroll to "Regional campus or ATI students")
·       Professional schools:  Program financial aid liaison (scroll to "Professional programs")



This fund helps make mental health services more accessible and can alleviate some of the financial barriers and stress of receiving treatment.  Students may be awarded funding one time only and documentation (medical bills, receipts, invoices, etc.) is required to be considered for an award.

ELIGIBILITY 

  • Currently enrolled in at least 3 credit hours (undergraduate and graduate/professional).
  • Student must have a current FAFSA (26/27) on file and have Student Aid Index (SAI) of less than 15,000).
  • Tuition and fees must be paid for the term (students with an outstanding/overdue balance are ineligible).
  • Applicants must be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements to receive financial aid.
  • Maximum award is $1,500.
  • Application must include documentation clearly showing both the student's name and the exact cost of the expense(s).
  • Students enrolled in online-only and non-degree granting programs (such as Continuing Education) are NOT eligible for funding.
  • Students attending any OSU campus may apply.
  • Students may only receive Student Advocacy Center emergency funding one time.  

APPROVED MENTAL HEALTH EXPENSES 

  • Intensive treatment programs (IOP, PHP) 
  • Counseling/therapy sessions 
  • Student Health Insurance premium—in order to receive mental health treatment 
  • Co-pays
  • Medications 
  • Transportation costs to medical appointments/treatment 
  • Childcare costs associated with attending counseling/therapy sessions 


APPLICATION PROCESS 

  1. Application  (Unavailable at this time)  
  2. Award Decision Our team will review the application and contact the student via their OSU e-mail account, typically within 3-5 business days. If approved, the message will also include how much funding will be awarded. Students will be notified regardless of outcome. 
  3. Payment  The university works diligently to process funding as quickly as possible. Awards will be applied directly to the student's Statement of Account. If the student is not already signed up for direct deposit, please follow the instructions to set up direct deposit.
  4. Financial Education Training To help prevent financial emergencies in the future, Ohio State is committed to providing all students with the opportunity for free financial coaching from Scarlet and Gray Financial at the Student Life Student Wellness Center.  All recipients of emergency funding are expected to attend training after their immediate emergency is resolved.  To learn more and to schedule your financial coaching appointment, please visit this link.

PLEASE NOTE:

Information submitted will be used to determine eligibility. It may be shared with other university offices that have a need to know for purposes of reviewing and processing this request, and/or to comply with university policy or law. 

QUESTIONS? 

For more information about student emergency funding, contact the Student Life Student Advocacy Center by e-mail advocacy@osu.edu or by phone (614) 292-1111.