Funding Options
Emergency Grant-In-Aid
Emergency Grant-in-Aid Funds assist graduate students who experience a financial emergency or unanticipated expenses, causing financial hardship. This program is designed to assist in situations where the emergency may impede academic progress, and for those who cannot reasonably resolve their financial difficulty through fellowships, loans, or personal resources.
Emergency Grant-in-Aid awards are grants that reimburse actual expenses. These awards are not a loan and do not need to be repaid. Emergency Grant-in-Aid awards are taxable income.
The last day to submit an Emergency Grant-in-Aid application for the 2023-2024 academic year is July 31, 2024.
Eligible Expenses
Unanticipated or unusual expenses (most commonly medical, dental, or legal, but other expenses can be considered) outside of the typical student budget that may hinder the student’s academic progress will be considered. Costs must have been incurred while enrolled at Stanford, and costs for a previous or future academic year will not be considered. Each case is considered on its own merits. Any costs that are not documented cannot be considered. The following expenses are generally considered for assistance after a full review process and the student is deemed unable to resolve their financial difficulty through other means.
- Medically necessary procedures/expenses to maintain good health and academic progress, including dental and vision costs*
- Legal expenses impacting enrollment
- Costs impacting citizenship status
- Costs impacting visa status
- Repairs for computer^
- Unexpected costs outside of the standard educational budget that cause an economic hardship
*Cosmetic expenses, such as orthodontia, cannot be considered. Fertility preservation, except when it becomes necessary due to other medical complications, cannot be considered. Additional documentation such as a doctor’s note may be required to complete your application review. Expenses for legal dependents, as shown on your tax return, can be considered when medically necessary.
^New computer/tablet purchases cannot be considered.
Amount
Up to $5,000 per academic year. Computer repair assistance is limited to $1,000.
Student Eligibility
Degree-seeking students enrolled in a graduate program at Stanford are eligible to apply. Eligibility decisions for professional degree candidates in the Graduate School of Business, School of Law or School of Medicine will be made in consultation with your Financial Aid Office. Students applying for Emergency Grant-in-Aid funds must be making satisfactory academic progress and must be currently enrolled. Exceptions can be made for students on a medical leave of absence.
Application Requirements
- Completed Application Form.
- Documentation of expenses such as copies of billing statements or receipts is required. If requesting aid to help with medical or dental costs, invoices or treatment plans from the medical provider may be submitted. Vaden Health Center can assist with insurance statements if necessary; you can only be reimbursed for expenses not covered by insurance. Any costs that are not documented cannot be considered. *Missing or incomplete documentation will result in a delay in processing.
- Documentation of Income: Please submit the student and spouse’s (if applicable) latest federal income tax return. This is not required if the applicant has submitted a FAFSA or previously submitted tax forms to the Financial Aid Office.
The Grant-in-Aid Committee will review your financial aid history, student account and academic record. You will be contacted if additional information is needed. Review times vary based on the time of year, generally notifications are sent within two to four weeks after application materials have been submitted and received.
How to upload documents if you have already applied
If you have already submitted this web form, and now you wish to provide additional documentation, please DO NOT complete and submit the web form again. Instead, submit your additional documentation on our Document Upload page. We will match these additional documents to your original web form submission.
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