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Student Support Fund

What is it?

The Dean's Office maintains the Student Support Fund primarily as a resource for students in emergencies. Depending on the fund balance, a portion of the fund can be used to assist students who are presenting at professional conferences.

BSW, MSSW, and Ph.D. students currently enrolled in good standing in the School of Social Work may apply for an emergency loan or professional development grant from the fund.

Purposes of the Fund:

1) Emergency Loans

Loans from the fund may be offered for emergencies that result in a loss of income or stability, that require travel, or in other situations that might hinder a student's ability to complete the academic program. The amount given in emergency cases, up to a maximum of $300, is at the discretion of the Associate Dean. Students who receive emergency loans file a "reimbursement plan" stating their intent to repay the loan or to "work off" the loan by doing volunteer work within the School.

To apply for an emergency loan, the student should complete the application (available at the School's Student Services desk or on-line) and submit it to the Dean's Office. The applicant's academic program director will be consulted, after which the applicant will be contacted with a decision.

2) Student Professional Development Grants

Note: Funds for professional development grants are not always available because priority is given to emergency loan requests. The fund may provide a grant to defray expenses when a student has been accepted to make a significant presentation at a professional conference or is volunteering with the Dean's Office to staff the School's information booth at a conference. The grant does not need to be repaid or worked off. The grant amount can help with registration, travel, and/or lodging expenses up to a maximum of $300 per student. A student can receive a professional development grant from the fund only once during a degree program. Ph.D. students cannot receive professional development grants from both this fund and the Ph.D. professional development fund.

To apply, students obtain the application from the Student Services desk, complete the form, have it signed by a SSW faculty sponsor, and submit it to the Dean's Office. (The faculty sponsor attests to knowledge of the conference presentation and that it will be a valuable professional development experience for the student.) Applications will be considered by the academic program directors at their regular meetings. Students who are volunteering with the School for a conference should complete the same form, have it signed by Jennifer Luna-Iduñate as the sponsor, and submit the application to the Dean's Office.

Maintenance of the Fund

In addition to repayments of loans when possible, the fund is maintained by proceeds from the School's annual Fall Follies a variety show and silent auction and by contributions from friends of the School. Anyone may contribute to the fund at any time. The Associate Dean may consider special circumstances or limit the number of loans or grants per semester at her discretion.