Student Emergency Fund

What To Know Before Submitting An Emergency Fund Request

• Purpose of the Fund & Important Information

  The Student Emergency Fund assists Wentworth students experiencing financial hardship by providing financial support to meet their basic needs. The goal is to remove barriers they may face on their path to successful degree completion. 
  The Financial Hardship Review Committee reviews all student emergency fund requests. It comprises staff members from the Dean of Students Office, Financial Aid, Student Accounts, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Division. 
  Students submitting requests meet with a Student Support Specialist who guides them through the review process and, if approved, assists in fulfilling their request needs. 
  The Student Emergency Fund is one of the Financial Hardship Resources provided by the Dean of Students Office, dos@wit.edu. 

  Important Information & Terms Pertaining to the Student Emergency Fund

  • The Student Emergency Fund is not the same as financial aid or your financial aid award; it does not replace or supplement existing financial aid.  
  • The fund cannot reimburse expenses that have already been paid, does not issue any direct payment to students via check, and does not issue billing credit.
  • Full coverage of the expense is not guaranteed, and at times, the fund will be used to subsidize a portion of the cost.
  • Decisions regarding the monetary amount, frequency, and type of assistance are made on a case-by-case basis.  
  • Approved expenses are not considered loans and generally do not require repayment.  
  • If a student request is approved and the requested item (e.g., Book, T-pass, Lab coat, etc.) is purchased but fails to pick it up, their student account may be billed for the total loss amount. 
  • Students requesting assistance for group project funding must submit detailed lists of project costs and how those costs are divided among group members; the fund can only assist students who meet the eligibility requirements and have been approved for support. 

• Possible Expenses Covered by the Emergency Fund

  In the past, the Student Emergency Fund has assisted students with some of the following basic needs:

  • Textbooks and Access Codes listed as ‘required’ in a student’s syllabi
  • Class and/or project supplies
  • Lab Supplies
  • Transportation Costs (MBTA/Commuter Rail Passes or Parking Pass)
  • Medical Co-pays*
  • Food Assistance 
  • Required Coursework Equipment (Graphing Calculators, Mouse, cables, etc…)

  If you are unsure of whether your need can be funded via the Student Emergency Fund, please contact the Dean of Students Office, dos@wit.edu for information.

• Expenses Not Covered by the Emergency Fund

  Request expenses are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and assistance for each expense is assessed by the review committee. Expenses excluded from, but not limited to, funding include:

  • tuition, fees, room/board or rent, health/dental insurance, or other standard expenses associated with attending Wentworth;
  • anticipated expenses such as rent, utilities, cellphone plans, vehicle insurance and other ongoing living expenses;
  • costs of optional certifications, conferences, non-emergency travel, and other non-essential personal expenses.

• Eligibility Requirements

  Students submitting requests for assistance should meet these eligibility requirements:

  • Be currently enrolled as a full-time (12 credits or registered for a required co-op) undergraduate/graduate student at the university. 
  • Have significant need as demonstrated per their FAFSA documentation
  • Pell Grant Eligible (Not applicable if an international/undocumented student)
  • Considered and used all other sources of funding as appropriate, such as federal student loans and Financial Hardship resources, unless they are either unavailable or insufficient. 
  • Be in compliance with Financial Aid and/or Student Accounts departments’ requests and requirements.

  Once a student has received approval from the review committee for assistance through the fund, they do not need to resubmit a formal request for additional needs for the remainder of that current semester. However, applicants must complete a new Student Emergency Fund Request Form each semester, which will then be reviewed by the Financial Hardship Review Committee.

• Emergency Fund Request Review Process & Timeline

  Once a student has submitted a request, they should expect the process to take anywhere from 3-7 business days- submission to item purchase. While we strive to fulfill requests in a timely manner, each student’s circumstances are unique, and some requests may require additional time to receive a decision.
   

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  Students are notified via email of the review committee’s decision. If a student’s request for assistance is denied, they may file a written appeal to the Dean of Students within three business days of receipt of the decision email.  If the written appeal is not filed on time, it will be dismissed.  A student is allowed only one appeal per semester. 

• Helpful Resources

  • Financial Aid website
  • Scholarship Information
  • Financial Wellness Resources
  • Financial Hardship Resources
  • Student Support & Advocacy Information
  • Student Employment Information