Financial Hardship Assistance

Student Emergency Fund provides financial assistance to Boise State University students who are in danger of withdrawing during a semester due to unanticipated, temporary financial hardships resulting from emergency or crisis situations (e.g., accident, illness, death of a family member, etc.). Funds will be awarded as grants to help alleviate short-term financial needs.

• Grant awards do not generally exceed $500
• Grant may be awarded ONCE during a student’s academic career
• Grant does not have to be repaid

Am I eligible?

In order to be eligible for the Student Emergency Fund, students must:

• Be experiencing an unexpected financial hardship resulting from an emergency or crisis situation.
• Be enrolled in at least six credits and in attendance during the semester in which funds are being requested.
• Be a degree-seeking student in good academic standing with minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 or show evidence of recent satisfactory progress.
• Have exhausted all other possible financial resources before applying for student emergency funds, such as student loans, Medicaid, personal financial accounts, people that owe you money and community resources.
• Be able to provide sufficient documentation of financial need (e.g., billing statements, receipts, repair estimates).

What qualifies as an emergency or crisis situation?

Situations include, but are not limited to, accidents, medical or dental emergencies, natural disasters, travel emergencies and need for temporary housing due to unanticipated events.

What expenses are eligible and ineligible?

Eligible expenses include:

• Medical / Dental
• Housing / Rent / Utilities
• Books / School Supplies
• Food Groceries
• Personal Automobile / Travel
• Child Care

Ineligible expenses include:

• Tuition
• Student Fees
• Legal Fines / Expenses

Student Emergency Fund Application

1. Book an appointment to discuss your situation by using the online booking link on the application’s submission page or calling (208) 426-1527 (option 4). Meetings may be completed over the phone or video call.
2. Completed requests are reviewed for approval and determining appropriate funding amounts. Criteria for approval and granted amounts will be based on eligibility, documentation of need and availability of funds.
3. You will be notified of a decision with follow-up instructions.
4. A required follow-up survey will be emailed within 60 days after payment is disbursed.

If you are currently receiving financial aid, please be aware that receiving this award will count as a financial aid award and may impact availability for additional aid within your Cost of Attendance.

We are thankful to be a part of a generous community that supports this fund! Click the following button to access our donation page.

Give to the Student Emergency Fund

Please note: applications for the Steven Nelson Memorial Fund are currently closed until more funding becomes available. 

The Steven Nelson Memorial Fund provides scholarship awards to students who are experiencing a financial hardship related to coming out (i.e. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) during their time at Boise State. Designed to help students move forward in their lives and academic careers, grant awards (of up to $1500) will be dispersed in two payments over the course of two consecutive semesters. This fund is an endowed scholarship made possible by generous donors.

Am I eligible?

In order to be eligible to receive a Steven Nelson Memorial Fund scholarship, you must meet the following criteria:

• If coming out during your time as a Boise State student has created a financial hardship that threatens your ability to be academically successful and you can provide a letter of support written by a trusted family or community member that verifies these circumstances.
• You are currently enrolled in and attending at least six financial aid eligible credits (must be attending summer classes to be considered for grant during the summer).
• Must be a degree-seeking student in good academic standing with minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 or show evidence of recent satisfactory progress.

What are some examples of qualifying circumstances?

Examples of qualifying circumstances related to your gender identity and/or sexual orientation include:

• Loss of job
• Homelessness/eviction by landlord
• Familial disownment
• Unexpected rescinding of resources necessary to be successful in school (such as your car/transportation was taken away, your credit/debit cards were frozen, your family members used to pay your rent but refuse to after coming out)

Applications are currently closed until more funding becomes available.

NOTE: If you receive an error upon clicking on the form link, please clear your cache or open the form in an incognito window. We are aware of the issue and are working on it.

1. Meet with a staff member in the Office of the Dean of Students to discuss your situation.
2. Your completed request is reviewed for approval by the Office of the Dean of Students. Criteria for approval and granted amounts will be based on eligibility and availability of funds.
3. You will be notified of the decision with follow-up instructions

If you are currently receiving financial aid, please be aware that receiving this award will count as a financial aid award and may impact availability for additional aid within your Cost of Attendance.