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Policy Number:
SS.044
Effective Date:
1/15/26
Last Revised/Approved Date:
1/15/26
Approved By:
President
Responsible Office/Unit:
Advancement and Student Affairs
Advancement is responsible for fund raising and supporting staff and faculty awards. Student Affairs is responsible for supporting student awards.
Public / Private
This is a public facing policy to be published in the policy repository.
1. Purpose
The Community Emergency Fund provides short-term financial assistance to students, faculty, and staff facing unexpected emergencies that threaten their ability to work or study. The Fund is intended to address urgent financial needs that cannot be resolved through existing resources or financial aid.
2. Scope
This policy applies to current members of the Life Community (Students, faculty and staff). See definitions of applicable statuses.
3. Policy Statement
This policy is intended to provide short term assistance to those qualified members of the Life community.
4. Definitions
A. Domestic Students
I. Current Status: Must be a currently enrolled full-time student at Life University at the time of application for a grant and at the time the grant is awarded. A copy of the current quarter’s class schedule is requested to verify eligibility.
II. Financial Need: Must have filed a FAFSA in the applicable fiscal year and demonstrate a genuine, unforeseen financial hardship due to an emergency (e.g., medical emergency, natural disaster, housing insecurity, loss of essential belongings due to burglary or other major violation, urgent travel, or other critical needs) in the form of notices or bills (such as utility shut-off notices, eviction notices, medical bills, travel bills, etc.). Financial need due to legal costs related to violent or negligent criminal acts by the applicant student are not eligible for emergency relief.
III. Exhaustion of Resources: Must show evidence of having explored and exhausted other available resources (such as grants, scholarships, loans, insurance, or institutional aid).
IV. Good Standing: Students must be in good academic and disciplinary standing; faculty and staff must be in good employment standing. Life University acknowledges that financial hardship can affect a student’s academic performance; on a case-by-case basis, students with academic standing in need of improvement will be considered for a Community Emergency Fund grant if they can provide an action plan for improving their academic record with letters of support from at least two stakeholders invested in their success (such as a tutoring plan from mentoring fellow student, approved extra credit from a faculty mentor, or records of recent or future study room usage approved by a librarian to support, etc.).
V. Usage Limit: Emergency grants are typically awarded on a rolling basis with the Community Emergency Fund Decision Committee meeting at least once a quarter. Grants will be awarded and disbursed on a student’s account.
B. International Students
I. Current Status: Must be a currently enrolled full-time student at Life University at the time of application for a grant and at the time the grant is awarded.
II. Financial Need: International students must demonstrate a genuine, unforeseen financial hardship due to an emergency (e.g., medical emergency, natural disaster, housing insecurity, loss of essential belongings due to burglary or other major violation, urgent travel, or other critical needs) in the form of notices or bills (such as utility shut-off notices, eviction notices, bank statements, police reports, insurance claims, a medical professional letter, expense invoices, etc.). Financial need due to legal costs related to violent or negligent criminal acts by the applicant student are not eligible for emergency relief.
III. Exhaustion of Resources: Must show evidence of having explored and exhausted other available resources (such as grants, scholarships, loans, insurance, or institutional aid) or the inability to access resources from support systems in their home countries due to lack of diplomatic avenues or effects of sanctions.
IV. Good Standing: Students must be in good academic and disciplinary standing. Life University acknowledges that financial hardship can affect a student’s academic performance; on a case-by-case basis, students with academic standing in need of improvement will be considered for a Community Emergency Fund grant if they can provide an action plan for improving their academic record with letters of support from at least two stakeholders invested in their success (such as a tutoring plan from a fellow student mentor, approved extra credit from a faculty mentor, or records of recent or future study room usage approved by a librarian to support, etc.).
V. Usage Limit: Emergency grants are typically awarded on a rolling basis with the Community Emergency Fund Decision Committee meeting at least once a quarter. Grants will be awarded and disbursed on a student’s account. Grants will be dispersed in US currency.
C. Staff and/or Faculty
I. Current Status: Must be a current full-time faculty or staff member at Life University at the time of application for a grant and at the time the grant is awarded. Applications may be submitted following the successful completion of the faculty or staff member’s 90-day, new-hire probationary period.
II. Financial Need: Must demonstrate a genuine, unforeseen financial hardship due to an emergency (e.g., medical emergency, natural disaster, housing insecurity, loss of essential belongings due to burglary or other major violation, urgent travel, or other critical needs) in the form of notices or bills (such as utility shut-off notices, eviction notices, medical bills, travel bills, etc.). Financial need due to legal costs related to violent or negligent criminal acts by the applicant staff or faculty member are not eligible for emergency relief.
III. Exhaustion of Resources: Must show evidence of having explored and exhausted other available resources (such as loans, insurance, or institutional aid).
IV. Good Standing: Faculty and staff must be in good employment standing. Life University acknowledges that financial hardship can affect an employee’s professional performance; on a case-by-case basis, employees with professional standing in need of improvement will be considered for a Community Emergency Fund grant if they can agree to a performance improvement plan approved by their supervisor and HR.
V. Usage Limit: Emergency grants are typically awarded on a rolling basis with the Community Emergency Fund Decision Committee meeting at least once a quarter.
Allowable Expenses
Emergency grants may be used for, but are not limited to:
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Housing: Rent, temporary housing, or utilities at risk of disconnection.
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Essential Items: Replacement of essential belongings lost due to fire, theft, or natural disaster that cannot be supplemented by existing resources such as the Food4LIFE pantry, Life U Clothing Pantry, Life U Career Closet, or Must Ministries food distribution events.
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Medical/Dental: Emergency medical, dental, or mental health expenses not covered by insurance.
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Childcare: Emergency dependent care.
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Transportation: Emergency travel (including the cost of bus or transit passes) or car repair.
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Food: Groceries or food not covered by existing support programs listed above.
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Safety Needs: Immediate safety-related expenses.
Non-Allowable Expenses
Emergency grants may not be used for:
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Tuition or fees.
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Non-essential personal expenses.
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Expenses resulting from personal negligence or non-emergency situations.
5. Procedures
Application Process
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Application Submission
I. Complete the online Life U Community Emergency Fund application available here or a paper copy available at Student Services.
II. Provide supporting documentation (e.g., receipts, estimates, incident reports, news articles, or verification from a supervisor or academic advisor).
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Review
I. Applications are reviewed by the Community Emergency Fund Decision Committee (e.g., CARES, Human Resources, or a cross-functional team).
II. The Community Emergency Fund Decision Committee reviews applications on a case-by-case, rolling basis, considering the nature of the emergency and available funds.
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Decision
Applicants are notified of the decision within 3–5 business days. Holiday closures or natural disasters that affect the University at large may delay decisions.
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Disbursement
If approved, funds are disbursed as a grant to the student’s Life U account or to the staff or faculty member’s account used for payroll disbursement, depending on the University’s guidelines and available resources.
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Follow-Up
Recipients may be contacted for follow-up to ensure the grant addressed the emergency and to assess the impact on their academic or employment status.
6. Related Policies and References
Disbursement Award and Frequency Limits
I. Students: Up to $1,000 per quarter.
II. Staff and Faculty: Up to $750 per quarter
III. Applicants may reapply in subsequent quarters if needs persist; however, priority is given to first-time applicants each quarter.
IV. Maximum of two grants per calendar year and no more than two years of grants within a five-year period.
V. The grant is not intended as a long-term solution for ongoing educational or living expenses, nor for dependents.
Prior to applying for the community emergency fund, all applicants or interested parties should contact Life U CARES (cares@life.edu) to ensure all supportive service options have been exhausted.
This grant is not a long-term solution to support a student’s education or sustain those other than an individual applicant, including dependents and is extremely limited.
8. Review Cycle
This policy will be reviewed annually by the VP of Advancement and a member of the Student Affairs team as designated by the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
9. Contact Information
Vice President of Advancement
Vice President of Academic Affairs
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