Emergencies and Unexpected Expenses

Though we stress the importance of properly managing one’s finances, occasionally students will experience a personal emergency that requires immediate funds or financial assistance. To address these concerns, the university has created a funding portal, Safety Net. Safety Net is designed to meet the emergency and unexpected financial hardships of currently enrolled students. 

Safety Net ensures consistency and fairness in providing all students with the same opportunity to seek funds when they can find no other solution to a financial problem. It will help students from having to ask multiple sources for support. Examples include suddenly traveling home due to a health crisis in your family or emergency medical care that is not covered through the Yale Health Plan. If this kind of extreme emergency occurs, you should immediately contact your Head of College and/or residential college Dean to discuss your circumstances and submit a request via Saftey Net .

Funding Request Categories

Requests will be considered in the following categories, but please note that funding is not guaranteed:

  • Winter clothing - preferential consideration for:
    • Requests considered: October 1 - February 1 at 5pm
    • High-need students unfamiliar with winter weather
    • First and Second year students
    • Students who were ineligible to receive a start-up grant
  • Job/National fellowship interviews
  • Medical expenses
    • Beyond insurance coverage
    • For high-need students only
  • Requests for support during breaks
    • Top-ups to the International Study Award (ISA) or the Summer Experience Award (SEA) cannot be considered
  • Technology
    • Requests for the purchase of new technology will be denied
    • Most requests are met with loaner equipment or assistance with repair
    • Upgrades to cell phones or replacement laptops are unlikely to be considered
    • The maximum loan length for equipment is a full academic year
  • Emergency travel, pre-arrival/departure expenses
    • OPT (Optional Practical Training) costs are ineligible
    • Requests to bring family for graduation cannot be considered
  • Books and academic supplies
    • For high-need students only
  • Yale College Ensembles: Glee Club, Symphony Orchestra, Yale Bands
    • Costs associated with activities and/or travel that constitute “full participation” in ensembles
    • Costs associated with instruments and equipment that allow for full participation in ensembles
    • Costs associated with fee-for-service lessons and materials
  • Other
    • Non-essential, non-emergency items cannot be considered

Please see this reference for expanded descriptions of each Safety Net funding request category.