Life at Southwestern

SU Emergency Fund

The Southwestern University community always comes together to support one another, especially during times of need. Southwestern remains firmly committed to meeting the needs of our students in every way possible.

Through the SU Emergency Fund, Southwestern students can obtain emergency help for unexpected expenses, such as:

  • Food Housing
  • Medical care
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • Other unexpected or unforeseen needs

How You Can Help

In order to help us meet our students’ critical needs please consider a contribution to the SU Emergency Fund.

Give Now

  • What Defines an Emergency?

    An emergency is defined for the purposes of this fund as any unanticipated, unavoidable short-term financial need that could prevent a student from remaining at Southwestern or graduating.

  • Applying for the SU Emergency Fund

    The maximum amount that may be awarded to students is $500 during a calendar year. A student may receive emergency funds up to two times during their SU career. The SU Emergency Fund Committee will determine the appropriate amount to award to an individual student, based upon the amount and nature of the request and the amount of available funding. 

    Once the request is submitted, it will be reviewed by the Emergency Fund Committee. You will receive notification or request for further information as quickly as possible.

    Qualifications for emergency funding assistance

    The student:

    • Is currently enrolled
    • Has experienced a financial emergency as a result of an unplanned event
    • Has exhausted all other financial resources
    • Has completed an Emergency Fund application, a W-form,  and spoken with a member of the Emergency Fund Committee

    Apply for Funds

  • Taxes and Other Guidelines

    There is no expectation that this money be repaid, although as alumni current recipients will always have the opportunity to pay the support forward to future generations of students.

    Per federal guidelines, any funds distributed to students may impact financial aid. Staff from Financial Aid will review requests to ensure that students are not negatively impacted for receiving funds. Please note any payment from this fund may be considered taxable income by the IRS and could be subject to federal tax regulations.