Vice Provost's Graduate Retention Fund

The Office of Graduate Studies has established the Vice Provost’s Graduate Retention Fund to provide financial assistance to graduate students who have an immediate, unexpected expense that limits their ability to continue in their program of study. The unexpected expense can be the result of an emergency, an unplanned and non-discretionary expense, or a sudden and unexpected change in a recurring expense. Funding is limited so that awards are capped at no more than $500 per student.

Award

Varies (up to $500)

Deadline

Ongoing until funding is depleted

Guidelines and Eligibility

Students must be in good academic standing with the University. Students must meet minimum enrollment requirements:

• Master’s students must enroll in at least 6 hours during the fall and/or spring semester.
• Doctoral students must enroll in at least 1 hour during the fall and/or spring semester.

Students will receive only one award per unexpected expense. In rare circumstances where students suffer more than one emergency incident during their career at KU, they may be eligible for more than one award. Awards are distributed in the form of a scholarship that is applied directly toward a student’s KU bill and do not require repayment. It is the student’s responsibility to understand the tax implications of this additional support.

Examples of Unexpected Expenses

• Medical bills due to an emergency
• New, unanticipated expenses (e.g. the loss of housing and the need to secure new housing; the need to travel due to the death of an immediate family member) 
• Expenses that are unexpectedly much higher than anticipated (e.g. a sudden increase in rent or other bills)
• Replacement of belongings lost in a natural disaster
• Safety-related needs (e.g. short-term emergency shelter)

Application Process

The application for the Vice Provost's Graduate Retention Fund are managed via the Emergency Aid Network (EAN). Applications are reviewed as they are received in order to address the urgent need for funding to support graduate students facing an emergency. The link to apply via the EAN can be found below.