About the Graduate Student Assistance Fund

The purpose of the Graduate Student Assistance Fund program is to support the wellbeing of graduate students facing financial hardship due to a qualifying event.

Maximum award amounts are capped and are determined by the nature of the qualifying event.

Availability and size of awards is contingent upon the amount of available funds and the applicants’ eligibility.

Qualifying Events

As of January 26, 2024, the qualifying events for which graduate students may apply to this fund include:

• Pregnancy: For prenatal care related to a graduate student’s pregnancy or pregnancy-related disability. Maximum award $300.
• New Child: For the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a new child. Maximum award $700 per child, even if both parents are graduate students.
  
• Loss of a Dependent: For the death of a spouse (or equivalent under Oregon law), registered domestic partner, child, or parent. Maximum award $500.
• Care for a Medical Condition: For the care of the graduate student’s own serious health condition -or- the care of spouse (or equivalent under Oregon law), registered domestic partner, child (18 years or younger), or parent who is experiencing a serious medical condition. Maximum award $300.
• Caregiving for a Medical Condition (GEs only): As of January 26, 2024, for the care of a spouse (or equivalent under Oregon law), registered domestic partner, child (18 years or younger), or parent who is experiencing a serious medical condition. Maximum award $1,000 per academic year. In cases where there are multiple caregivers with graduate employment appointments caring for the same person, only one caregiver may receive this award per academic year.
  
• Unexpected Housing Displacement (GEs only): For a student with a graduate employment appointment who experiences the loss of housing more than 60 days prior to the end of a lease agreement (or similar) and requires a GE to vacate the premises within 30 days. This does not apply if GEs are removed from their housing due to a violation of a lease agreement or if they voluntarily terminate a lease agreement. Maximum award $700.
  
• Childcare Expenses (GEs only): As of September 16, 2023, for a graduate student who incurs expenses during a graduate employment appointment for care of a child during the first thirteen (13) years of the child's life. Maximum award $1,000 per academic year per child, even if both parents have a graduate employment appointment. This qualifying event does not count toward the maximum career cap on accessing the fund.
• International Summer Supplement (GEs who are international students with admissions offers for multiple years of funding only): For an international student with a graduate employment appointment during the academic year as part of a multi-year funding offer commitment in their original admissions offer who does not have a graduate employment appointment in the subsequent summer. Maximum award $700. **The window to apply for this qualifying event is only open during the Summer term beginning at 8:00 a.m. PST on July 1 through 5:00 p.m. PST on September 1 or until there are no longer funds remaining, whichever is first. 

Award Eligibility

To be eligible and to receive a Graduate Student Assistance Fund award, a graduate student must:

1. Be admitted to and currently enrolled in a master’s or doctoral degree program at the University of Oregon. Certificate-only or non-degree seeking students are not eligible for this award.
2. For the academic year, be enrolled for at least three (3) graduate credits during the term in which the qualifying event occurs. For summer terms, maintain active graduate student status. A graduate student must not be on academic leave unless the academic leave is a direct result of the qualifying event.
3. Be experiencing one of the qualifying events. Each qualifying event must be certified through the appropriate documentation, and certification forms may not be reused for additional applications.
4. Be making satisfactory academic progress with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
5. Be able to provide all required supporting documentation as described on the application and submit their application no later than 90 days after the qualifying event.

Award Limitations

Caregiving for a Medical Condition, Childcare Expenses, Unexpected Housing Displacement, and International Summer Supplement qualifying event coverage are only available for graduate students during a current graduate employment appointment as a Graduate Employee (GE), or, in the case of the International Summer Supplement qualifying event, the subsequent summer. 

Master’s students are eligible to receive up to two (2) awards from this fund during their academic career. Doctoral students are eligible to receive up to five (5) awards from this fund during their academic career. 

How to Apply

Graduate students must document their qualifying event via the appropriate certification form to be eligible to receive support. Each application must be certified, and certification forms may not be reused for additional applications. Please collate supporting documents with the appropriate certification form into a single pdf. Send questions to eagradstudies@uoregon.edu. 

Prepare Your Application and Certify Your Qualifying Event

• Pregnancy Certification
• New Child Certification
• Care for a Medical Condition Certification
• Caregiving for a Medical Condition Certification (GEs only)
• Loss of a Dependent Certification
• Unexpected Housing Displacement Certification (GEs only)
• Childcare Certification (GEs only)
• International Summer Supplement (GEs who are international students with admissions offers for multiple years of funding only) **The window to apply for this qualifying event is only open during the Summer term beginning at 8:00 a.m. PST on July 15 through 5:00 p.m. PST on September 1 or until there are no longer funds remaining, whichever is first. 

Applications must be made no later than 90 days after the qualifying event.

To submit your application: 

• Click on the Apply Now button
• Enter your UO email address and password
• Complete all required fields and submit

Apply Now 

Review and Decision

The Vice Provost for Graduate Studies or their designee will review the application and determine whether the information submitted is sufficient to prove eligibility up to the requested amount.

Graduate students will be informed of the decision within fifteen (15) business days of their application’s receipt by the Division of Graduate Studies.

If the information presented is not sufficient to prove that the graduate student is eligible for the requested amount, they may be granted a partial award or the award may be fully denied.

As long as there are sufficient monies in the fund, requests shall not be unreasonably denied.

Appeals Process

Any graduate student whose application is denied in full or in part may appeal the decision within ten (10) business days by submitting a written request to the Division of Graduate Studies by emailing eagradstudies@uoregon.edu and requesting that their application and the decision be reviewed. The graduate student must also provide this information release waiver along with their appeal, allowing the Graduate Assistance Fund Committee and the Provost to access information related to their application and appeal.

The appeal will be reviewed by the Graduate Assistance Fund Committee, and the committee's recommendation shall be forwarded to the Provost within ten (10) business days for a decision. The Provost’s final decision will be provided to all parties in writing within ten (10) business days of receiving the committee’s recommendation. The Provost’s decision is final and binding.

Disbursement of Award Funds

Approximately 1–2 weeks after approval notification, the approved award amount will be disbursed to the UO student's billing account (visible in DuckWeb).

The amount will be transferred to the graduate student's bank account if the student has direct deposit set up on the student account or mailed as a check to the address on file.

Fund Advisory Committee

The Fund Advisory Committee, convened by the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, meets once per term to review the fund and its operations and provides an annual report with recommendations to the President. The committee may also review appeals at the request of a student whose award has been denied.

To express your interest in serving on this committee, please email eagradstudies@uoregon.edu at any time. 

Members of the 2024-25 Fund Advisory Committee