Student Emergency Funds

Managed by the College of Law and funded by donations and grants, the Student Emergency Fund may provide limited financial assistance to enrolled law students who are unable to meet immediate, essential expenses because of temporary hardship related to an emergency situation.

Types of Expenses that May Be Covered:
A range of circumstances may result in financial hardships. Typical expenses covered include, but are not limited to: replacement of essential personal belongings due to natural disaster, fire, theft, or other unforeseen circumstance; costs related to a death or serious illness of an immediate family member; personal safety needs; essential academic expenses; medications or other health-related costs; essential living expenses; transportation issues that directly impact education; or other sudden, unexpected financial needs. 

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Applicants must be enrolled in a College of Law degree program for the term in which the emergency aid is being requested
  • Have temporary financial hardship resulting from an emergency situation
  • Be in good academic standing and maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress with the law school
  • Be able to provide sufficient documentation of financial hardship

Application Process:
The Student Emergency Fund application linked below must be completed. For JD students, if you have a questions regarding your eligibility for these funds or if you need a statement of support for the campus emergency fund, please contact Rebecca Ray (rdray@illinois.edu) or Julie Griffin (jagriffi@illinois.edu).

For LLM, JSD, and MSL students, if you have a question regarding your eligibility for these funds please contact Dean Etienne or Christine Renshaw at law-gradprograms@illinois.edu.

The College of Law will review applications and make a funding determination. However, staff may be in contact in the interim to see if there are additional, non-financial resources at the University of Illinois that may be of support.

Applicants may be required to provide additional information or take further steps as part of the application review. Existing financial aid is considered in determining any award amount, and unwillingness to take out federal loans may not constitute an emergency. While we attempt to support as many students as possible with emergency funding, we are not able to grant every request or, in some cases, offer the full amount requested. 

The Student Emergency Fund exists to provide support in a time of need, so students are encouraged to apply if they are experiencing an emergency. 

Emergency fund support is provided through the Luther C. and Gloria E. McKinney Student Emergency Fund and the Marian Martin Fund for Student Emergencies. For more information about these funds, or how you could help support a student experiencing a temporary hardship, please contact the Office of Advancement.