Emergency Grants
Introduction
Overview
Graduate students who experience an acute and unexpected short-term hardship may to apply for an emergency grant. Acute and unexpected hardships may include burial costs, fire damage, or auto repairs due to accident. This program is being administered by the Graduate College in accordance with applicable University rules and policies. Funding for the Emergency Grant program comes from the Student-to-Student fee that is assessed to graduate students in Fall and Spring Semesters. The fund itself is limited, and therefore, the following criteria have been established:
Applicants must be degree-seeking graduate students at UIC (classified as “2G”) for the term in which the hardship occurred. Undergraduate and professional students are not eligible for emergency grant funding from the Graduate College because emergency funding is supported by graduate student fees (i.e. students from the following degree programs are ineligible: DMD, DPT, JD, LLM, MBA, MPH, MD, MSW, DPharm, and MEng.
For the 2025-26 academic year, please contact Benn Williams (bwilli7@uic.edu) with any questions concerning the Graduate College Emergency Grant, including the status of a submitted application.
Details
Eligibility
- Applicants must be degree-seeking graduate students at UIC (classified as “2G”) for the term in which the hardship occurred. Undergraduate and professional students are not eligible for emergency grant funding from the Graduate College because emergency funding is supported by graduate student fees (i.e. students from the following degree programs are ineligible: DMD, DPT, JD, LLM, MBA, MPH, MD, MSW, DPharm, and MEng.
- Applicants must be registered for a minimum of eight (8) semester hours, or three (3) hours in the summer, for the term in which the hardship occurred. The student must also apply for the funds in the term in which the hardship occurred, although applicants may submit their application into the next term if the timing of the event that caused the hardship necessitates such action.
- Emergency grants are funded by the Student-to-Student fee assessed to graduate students. The Graduate College receives a part of these funds to finance the emergency grant program. Funding of individual applications must, therefore, be limited, due to the resources available.
- Award decisions will be made based on the applicant’s individual situation, but amounts awarded are subject to limitations and the applicant may not receive the total amount requested. Grants are generally no more than $500. The approved amount will not be greater than the documented expense (e.g., amount for emergency dental procedure not covered by insurance). It is not within the scope of this grant to fund expected maintenance, even if not covered by insurance, unless there are other contributing circumstances.
- International students are eligible to apply. Their visa information must be up-to-date. Please confirm with OIS prior to submitting an application.
- The Emergency Grant application must be used and filled out completely before submission to the Graduate College. A signed explanation of the events that caused the acute and unexpected expenses, the reasons you believe your situation warrants the grant, and supporting documentation (e.g. doctor’s and insurance statement) must be included.
- Students must have a Social Security Number or TIN on file in Banner.
- We have been informed that students must establish Direct Deposit before submitting.
Student Financial Aid implications
- Grants awarded under this program are not subject to repayment and the amount of any awarded grant will be reported to the graduate student’s tax form 1098-T.
- The grant may be considered taxable income. Individuals should contact their tax professional to make a determination on whether or not this grant is taxable.
- Grants may affect federal loans: Students who receive an emergency grant may find that it impacts their existing financial aid (federal loans). Students should contact the Office of Student Financial Aid (money@uic.edu) or their specific Financial Aid counselor, cf. https://financialaid.uic.edu/faq/contact-us/.
Frequency
Students will be awarded at most one Emergency Grant within a twelve (12)-month period and are limited to TWO grants during their studies unless there are extremely extenuating circumstances. If students complete one program and begin a second graduate program, the emergency grant eligibility will restart with the second graduate program.
payments
Awarded grant money will be direct-deposited into the financial account (e.g. checking account) a student has established in the University student database.
Application
The application form should be completely filled out and signed before it is submitted to the Graduate College. In addition, any supporting documents should be attached to the application in one .pdf file. The Graduate College may contact you for additional information or clarifications.
Submit
Application and supporting documents must be merged into a single file and uploaded to the Box folder using the “Submit Here” icon below.
Additional Documentation from Non-Resident Aliens
Non-resident aliens who are not currently employed on campus will likely be required by Payroll to submit substantial amounts of additional documentation (please see the checklist below) via PEAR (see aid below).
faqs
Q. Are all graduate students eligible to apply to the Emergency Grant?
A. All graduate students who are degree-seeking and who are currently registered for 8 or more hours (3 or more hours during Summer Session). The applicant to the grant will need to show that the current financial hardship is both unexpected and acute.
Q. After I apply for the Emergency Grant how soon will I know if I have received it?
A. You will be contacted by email only if the application is incomplete or additional information is required.
Q. If my request for an Emergency Grant is approved, how will the grant money reach me?
A. The payment is disbursed into the direct deposit account you have on file with the university. The grant is treated as financial aid and may reduce your other aid if you have already received your max in aid for the year. You will be contacted by email if receiving the grant will impact your financial aid.
Q. If approved, when will I receive the funds?
A. Students who are U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents typically receive the funds within two weeks. Students who are Foreign Nationals, Non-Resident Aliens, or undocumented can take up to 6 weeks to receive the funds.
Q. Is this process completely automated?
A. No, these transactions are processed manually by the Graduate College in conjunction with the Office of Financial Aid, Payroll, and the Bursar’s Office.
Other Resources
Basic Needs Insecurity.
Are you a UIC student who does not have safe and/or permanent housing, is struggling to pay rent, or does not have consistent access to food? You are not alone. A 2023-24 national survey found that 41% of college students experienced food insecurity, 48% of students experienced housing insecurity, and 14% had experienced homelessness in the past year. The Office of the Dean of Students is committed to assisting students who are navigating these issues.
The link below includes information regarding food & nutrition, finances, and housing as well as clothing, academic support, mental health, and legal assistance.
U&I Care Emergency Fund
The U and I Care Fund provides temporary, short-term financial assistance to currently enrolled students who are unable to meet essential expenses due to a temporary or unexpected hardship. This emergency funding program is designed to offer financial assistance to students in the form of one-time awards (typically not exceeding $750). Emergency funding is NOT intended to provide ongoing relief for recurring expenses. Decisions regarding disbursement of funds are made on a case-by-case basis. See link below.
U&I Care Meals
The program offers a select number of meals per term to ALL undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in urgent need. The program is limited and intended only for those facing immediate need in an emergency but is not a long-term solution to food insecurity. See link below.
Pop-Up Pantry
During the summer of 2014, the UIC Wellness Center developed and launched the UIC Pop-Up Pantry, with the critical assistance of the Undergraduate Student Government, to target food insecurity on campus. The Pantry opened the week of Thanksgiving 2014 and served its first 100 students. The Pantry serves on average 10,000 bags of food annually to UIC students who are experiencing food insecurity. See the link below.
The Rigo Padialla Perez Undocumented Resource Center was founded in October 2023. Inspired by the resilience and dedication of Rigo Padilla Pérez, the center opened its doors as a sanctuary for undocumented and mixed-status students at the University of Illinois Chicago. Since then, we have been committed to providing a welcoming and empowering space where students can access resources, build community, and receive support throughout their educational journey. See link below.
UIC United Faculty FAST Fund
You could be found eligible to receive cash assistance up to $500. These funds do not require repayment and are intended to help people who are in high need of financial assistance. See link below.