Office of Student Life

Student Advocacy Center

Student Emergency Fund

  

The Ohio State University provides emergency financial assistance to students who may otherwise be at risk of dropping out of the university due to an unexpected, unplanned, financial emergency. We are accepting applications and may award up to $1,000 to eligible students.

Resources are limited and students may only receive funding once. 

We are only able to accept applications from currently enrolled (Autumn 2023) students at this time.  

WHAT IS A FINANCIAL EMERGENCY?

  • Eviction
  • Utility shut-off
  • Car repair that will prevent you from traveling to campus
  • Past-due medical bills
  • Other needs considered on a case-by-case basis

INELIGIBLE EXPENSES

  • Tuition and fees
  • Student health insurance
  • Books and school supplies
  • Parking (passes, ticket, etc.) 
  • Conference and travel expenses
  • Technology (phone, electronic notebook, computer, etc.) 
  • Credit card payments
  • Legal fees
  • Transportation/commuting expenses

Please note that housing, living expenses, food, transportation, and commuting costs are anticipated part of your academic career and do not automatically qualify for emergency funding

ELIGIBILITY

  • Students must be enrolled in the current term and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 when completing the application.
  • This year’s FAFSA must be on file and the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) cannot exceed $10,000.
  • The student must have room in their financial aid budget (unmet need in their Cost of Attendance) and utilized already-awarded financial aid.
  • Students must include documentation reflecting their financial emergency.  The documentation must clearly show both the student's name and the specific cost of the expense.  A copy of a lease, a utility bill, auto repair bill are examples of appropriate documentation.

APPLICATION PROCESS

  • Application  Please complete the following form: Student Emergency Fund Application and submit all appropriate documentation.
  • Award Decision  After the application is reviewed, the student will receive a message via their OSU e-mail account notifying them of the outcome within 3-5 business days. If approved, the message will also include how much funding will be awarded.
  • 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 instructions listed here.   
  • 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.  

 

You can find the form to apply here.

 

If you are an active F-1 or J-1 international student, please contact the Office of International Affairs at  iss@osu.edu for grant information through the Office of International Affairs.

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 AdvocacyEmergencyFund@osu.edu or by phone (614) 292-1111.