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Overview

The Employee Emergency Assistance Fund is designed to provide short-term emergency support to eligible employees who have experienced financial hardship due to unexpected and unavoidable circumstances. Under these circumstances, an employee may be eligible for funding to assist with the expense related directly to the cause of the financial hardship or to assist with basic living expenses that cannot be met because of the circumstances.

 
Definitions
  1. Eligible Employee–“Eligible Employee” is an employee of the University who is a regular full-time employee who is normally scheduled to work at least 1,560 hours per year, a regular part-time employee who is normally scheduled to work at least 1,000 hours per year, or a full-time employee who has a term appointment of at least one year
  2. Eligible Expenses–“Eligible Expenses” are expenses related directly to the emergency situation causing the financial hardship or basic living expenses that cannot be met because of the expense of the emergency situation causing the financial hardship.
  3. Emergency Situation–an "Emergency Situation" is an unexpected and unavoidable change in circumstances that creates financial hardship.
  4. Employee Emergency Assistance Fund Committee
    • (5 voting members)
      • member of Human Resources (Chris Champion), appointed by the Director of Human Resources, ex officio with vote, Chair
      • Two non-exempt staff members (Christy Hodges, Jessica Shinn) appointed for a three-year term
      • One exempt staff member appointed (Robert Black) for a three-year term
      • One faculty member (Pepe Iriarte-Diaz), three-year term elected by the Joint Faculties
    • APPOINTED: Human Resources, in consultation with the Provost, will appoint the exempt and non-exempt staff members. 
    • CHARGE: to oversee the administration of the University’s Employee Emergency Assistance Assistance Fund, distributing funds in accordance with the Fund’s purpose
    • AUTHORITY: created by the Treasurer and Vice President for Finance and Operations August 2021
  5. Funding Limitations–an Eligible Employee is eligible to receive one grant award per fiscal year, up to $2,500 in net (after-tax) grant award. 
 
Process
  1. Any Eligible Employee may request financial assistance under the Program up to the Funding Limitations by completing an electronic application form or paper application form.
  2. Applications are received by the Office of Human Resources to maintain confidentiality for the applicant.
  3. Applications are processed only when all required criteria are met (shown below).
    • the applicant’s employment eligibility is verified,
    • the applicant has provided documentation substantiating the expense, and
    • the applicant has provided documentation substantiating financial need, including the most recent year’s income tax return and statement of assets.
  4. Completed applications are redacted by HR to remove the applicant’s identifying information and forwarded to the Committee for ad hoc review and approval.
  5. The Committee’s decision, once finalized, is communicated to the applicant. Approved applications are funded via payroll on the next available payroll processing. Grant awards are subject to applicable federal tax, social security, and Medicare (FICA) withholdings. Unapproved applications are returned by the Committee with notations concerning their decision as well as any appropriate next steps. 
 
Questions & Answers

What is the Employee Emergency Assistance Program?

The University’s Employee Emergency Assistance Fund is designed to provide short-term, emergency support to eligible employees who have experienced certain circumstances that may result in their inability to afford housing, utilities, and other basic living expenses.

Who can apply for assistance?

Employees with the following appointments are eligible to apply for assistance.

  • regular full-time employees who are normally scheduled to work at least 1,560 hours per year 
  • regular part-time employees who are normally scheduled to work at least 1,000 hours per year 
  • full-time employees who have a term appointment of at least one year

What types of or expenses qualify?

Some examples of expenses that may qualify include:

  • payments for housing such as rent and mortgage payments for your primary residence
  • home repairs to remedy situations that render your primary residence unsuitable for habitation
  • utilities such as electrical, water, and gas for your primary residence
  • vehicle repairs for auto issues that render your primary vehicle (used to transport you to and from work) inoperable
  • out-of-pocket medical expenses for your or your eligible dependents

When can I apply?

In order for an application to be considered, the application should be for unpaid expenses and no more than 14 days after the occurrence of the expense. In the case of billed expenses (e.g. utilities), the application should be no more than 14 days past the date when the bill was due.

Where can the application be found?

Digital applications can be found here. Hard copy applications can be found at the Office of Human Resources or printed here. 

How does the process work?

You can submit requests for assistance directly to the HR, and they will work with you to help navigate the process.

What are the basic steps in the process?

  1. Determine if you qualify.
    • Are you an eligible employee?
    • Do you have an eligible expense?
  2. Complete all applicable sections of the application.
  3. Collect and attach to the application any needed documentation. You may need to submit proof of income and copies of bills or invoices for which you are requesting assistance.
  4. Your application will be reviewed for completeness once it is received. HR will determine if you need to submit any additional documentation and will contact you with any questions regarding your application.
  5. HR will contact you to let you know when your application has been processed and to communicate the outcome—an approval or denial—along with an explanation provided by the Committee, if applicable.
  6. Once approved, payments will be processed during the next available payroll and are taxable compensation to you; however, the grant amount will be “grossed up” to cover applicable taxes, ensuring you receive an amount after-tax equivalent to the approved grant amount.

How long does it take for a decision to be made?

Once all the required documentation has been submitted, you can expect to receive a decision within 1-2 business days.

How long does it take for payments to be sent out?

Once approved, payments will be processed during the next available payroll. If the next available payroll date is inconsistent with the need, a check will be issued within one business day following approval.

How can I make contributions to the fund to assist my colleagues?

There are two options to make contributions to the fund.

  • Payroll Deduction: You can make one-time or ongoing contributions via payroll deduction by completing this form.
  • Non-Payroll Deduction: You can make a one-time or ongoing contributions via credit or debit card, PayPal, Venmo, or Google Pay by completing this form.

 

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