Student Assistance Fund

Eligible students:

• Full time undergraduate students
• Enrolled in the current term in which funds are requested
• Receive need based financial aid
• Exhausted all need based financial aid options available, including student loans

Examples of eligible expenses for the Bryn Mawr Assistance Fund

• Travel expenses due to a serious illness, death or emergency in the student’s immediate family
• Essential dental work or eyeglasses for the student
• Unforeseen medical expenses for the student
• Replacement of essential personal belongings due to fire, theft or natural disaster
• Safety needs, such as winter clothing for students from warm climates

Ineligible expenses for the Bryn Mawr Student Assistance Fund:

• Tuition and fees
• Housing and Meal Plan Costs
• Costs associated with Junior Year Abroad (JYA)
• Books and supplies (this is covered by financial aid)
• Loss of parent income due to COVID-19 (please contact the Financial Aid Office for questions, or see the financial aid change in circumstance process)
• Medical expenses of a family member (not the student – please see financial aid change in circumstance process)

• Joanne Sullivan, Dean of Financial Aid
• Joi Dallas, Assistant Dean for Intercultural Engagement 
• Ann-Therese Ortíz, Associate Dean for Equity, Inclusion & Community Life  Sara Donals, Assistant Director, Case Management
• Tomiko Jenkins, Dean of Student Life

Note: Although some expenses are not eligible for the Student Assistance Fund, students are still encouraged to complete the online form.  The Financial Aid Office will follow up with students who are ineligible for this funding to discuss the student's situation.

Students should pursue all other institutional financial resources, including student loans (Federal Loans for US citizens and Permanent Residents, Bryn Mawr Loans for students without US citizenship), before applying to receive funds. The amount given is determined by the need and subject to the availability of the funds. A student is typically eligible to receive funding once per academic year. Student assistance funds do not need to be repaid and are distributed on a case by case basis. Funds will be made available as soon as possible and are generally limited to $300.

Please note that international students on F-1 and J-1 visas are not eligible for funds for unexpected expenses, per the regulation of their visas. Also, payments made from U.S. sources constitute taxable income to a nonresident payee. The College must withhold tax from the payment at a standard rate of 30 percent. International students should contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss their specific situation.

Please click on this link to apply for Student Assistance Fund. You may be contacted by a member of the Dean’s Office to discuss your circumstance and they will consult with campus partners, including the Financial Aid Office, if appropriate. This fund is not associated with the financial aid application process. Financial aid applicants who have special circumstances that relate directly to the financial aid process should contact the Financial Aid Office.

Student Assistance funding may create a taxable event that could require reporting to the IRS by the recipient.

From 2021 through June 2022, $39,775.58  was paid to students who experienced hardships. To request a copy of this report, email the Dean's Office (deansoffice@brynmawr.edu) in the Dean's Office.