Students who are experiencing “unanticipated expenses” can apply for financial assistance through an Aid-a-Gator application, according to an email sent Thursday by the UF Office for Student Financial Affairs.
The assistance is intended to help cover the costs of unanticipated travel, additional technology requirements and other “education-related expenses” in the wake of coronavirus-related changes. Students who receive emergency funding are not expected to pay the aid back, according to the Aid-a-Gator website.
“Funds from Aid-a-Gator are intended to be a grant, not a loan, to help our students in need,” according to the website.
Students who apply must submit a signed statement explaining why the funds are needed and what they will be used for, according to the application. They must also provide documentation to demonstrate “extenuating circumstances.”
All UF students are eligible to receive funding, according to the website. However, graduate assistants; medical and veterinary residents; and post-doctoral fellows and associates must apply through a separate application for faculty.
The announcement was made about 10 minutes before the financial affairs office closed. When The Alligator called the number provided on the email for more information, an automated message stated the office was closed.
It is unclear how much funding exists for the grant, or what the maximum amount of aid students can receive is.
Aid-a-Gator has existed as an emergency fund for students since 2017, when it was first established as a relief fund for students impacted by Hurricane Irma, according to WUFT. Funds granted by Aid-a-Gator have been donated to the university, according to the grant’s website.
Contact Hannah Phillips at hphillips@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @haphillips96.
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
