Attending graduate school is a significant investment of time and money. Some students leave full-time employment to pursue a graduate degree and find themselves balancing the costs of graduate school and daily living on a fixed income. What do you do in the event of an emergency or if you encounter an unforeseen expense?
Did you know that both the Rackham Graduate School and the larger university community have set aside funds to help see students through financial hardship? These funds are designed to ensure that an unforeseen crisis in your immediate family or other unanticipated events don’t threaten the successful completion of your degree.
If you are a Rackham graduate student who is experiencing financial difficulties, you can submit a funding request to the Rackham Graduate Student Emergency Fund. In order to apply for these funds we ask for:
- A brief statement describing your emergency situation or one-time, unusual or unforeseen expense and the total dollar amount of emergency funds being requested (no more than two pages or about 1,500 words)
- A budget detailing the amount of emergency funding you are requesting, a list of the specific expenses to be covered by the award and your financial situation including sources of income and other available funding (no more than two pages or about 1,500 words)
- A letter of support from either the graduate chair or the department chair of your program confirming that you are in good academic standing (no more than two pages or about 1,500 words) – Contact Darlene Ray-Johnson for assistance with this requirement if the nature of your request is of a sensitive nature.
Your request is handled sensitively and the turnaround time for a reply once all of your application materials are received is about 2 business days. If you’re not sure about your eligibility for this fund, I encourage you to contact me in any way you feel comfortable doing so. As Rackham’s Resolution Officer, I’ll make an appointment with you to discuss how Rackham can be of assistance. Please contact me by e-mail, or by phone, 734-764-4400, or drop by the Graduate School Dean’s Office.
For questions about the status of your application, please contact the Fellowships Office at (734) 764-8119 or [email protected].