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Clemson University Student Emergency Fund
The Student Emergency Fund is a university-wide initiative coordinated by the Office of the Dean of Students in close consultation with the Office of Student Financial Aid. The Student Emergency Fund was created to help students with financial assistance in a time of need. This fund is intended to be a supplemental financial resource when students are unable to meet immediate and essential expenses due to unexpected, unforeseen, and unavoidable circumstances. Students may apply for funds when they have exhausted all other resources, including loans through the Office of Student Financial Aid. This funding is not intended to replace or supplement existing financial aid and does not have to be repaid.
The spirit of this funding is primarily to support emergency circumstances. The goal is to help prevent one emergency or unexpected expense from jeopardizing a student’s academic journey. The number of students who can be served by the Student Emergency Fund is subject to the availability of funds. Funding is awarded on a case by case basis, and 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 currently enrolled students and priority will be given to students with the highest financial need. Please note that the Office of the Dean of Students will review all applications but may not be able to fulfill all requests.
All requests are handled in a private manner. Details are shared among appropriate university offices in order to process funding requests.
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Eligibility Criteria
Any currently enrolled Clemson University student may be eligible. Factors that are taken into account when considering awards:
- Demonstrate a temporary financial hardship resulting an emergency situation
- Demonstrate financial need based on Office of Student Financial Aid information
- All other resources, including loans available through the Office of Student Financial Aid, have been considered and are insufficient, unavailable, or not available in a timely manner
- Student has been verified as eligible for emergency funding by Student Financial Aid (i.e. student has not exceeded their maximum award)
- Need for financial assistance is not a result of one’s own actions
- Student has demonstrated a good faith effort to explore other funding options
- Extenuating or specific circumstances
Please note that in some cases, financial aid packages may be impacted by receiving funding from the Student Emergency Fund. Additionally, funds may impact student’s taxable income and may be reported to the IRS.
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Application Process/Procedures
Students in need of emergency financial assistance should submit a report through the CARE Network.
Expenses Covered
Examples of emergency expenses to be covered include, but are not limited to:
- Food
- Travel expenses due to serious illness or death in the immediate family
- Medical expenses, mental health expenses, prescription eyeglasses, or essential dental work not covered by insurance
- Essential utilities (e.g. electric, gas, water)
- Homelessness or sudden loss of housing
- Replacement of essential personal belongings due to accident, fire, theft, or natural disaster
- Other financial needs arising from individual and specialized circumstances to be determined on a case by case basis
Expenses Not Covered
Examples of expenses typically not covered, include but are not limited to:
- Tuition and fees
- Non-essential bills such as credit card bills, cable, cell phone, etc.
- Parking tickets, library fines, or other expenses mistakenly incurred or preventable expenses
- Alcohol and drug related offenses, fines and court fees/Penalties, fines, tickets, legal fees, or jail bonds
- Car repairs
- Costs for entertainment, recreation, or non-emergency travel / travel over breaks (Fall, Thanksgiving, Winter, or Spring)
- Standardized testing and application fees
Additional Support Needed?
If additional support is needed, staff from the Division of Student Affairs are here to provide support via the CARE Network.
Want to Help?
Students who benefit from the Student Emergency Fund are deeply grateful for the support during this difficult time. The number of students benefiting from the emergency fund is limited to the availability of funds. By giving any amount, you will be helping students stay on track to achieve their goal of graduating from Clemson University.
If you would like to donate funds to the Student Emergency Fund, please visit the Tigers Helping Tigers online giving form.
