The Spring 2026 Emergency Fund Application opens on Tuesday, January 27
The Salem State University Emergency Funds were created through the generous donations of alumni, community members, local businesses, staff, faculty, and students to support unexpected personal financial emergencies.
Due to the limited nature of our funding, all students must demonstrate an immediate financial need to be considered for a grant. Please provide as much information as possible in your application, certain requests may require documentation, and be aware that if you are awarded a grant, it may not be for the full requested amount.
- You must be actively attending classes to apply for an Emergency Grant.
- Applying is not a guarantee that you will be eligible to receive funds, as funds are based on various factors including, but not limited to, availability of funds, matriculation status, and nature of your emergency.
- Though not required, we strongly suggest that students who have not filed a 2025-26 FAFSA (and are eligible to file one) please do so. Filing a FAFSA may open additional grants or low-interest federal and state loan opportunities for students.
- If you have unused financial aid eligibility, such as Federal Direct Loans, you will be asked to use all or part of those funds along with any emergency funds we can provide to achieve your desired financial outcome.
Due to the emergency nature of the fund, students can apply for funds only once per semester. Some examples for fund requests may include:
- Job loss
- Emergency car repair
- Medical expenses (ex. Prescriptions, Medical Devices, etc)
- Housing/Food insecurities (ex. Fire, Eviction, etc)
Applying for Emergency Funds
Effective January 27, 2026 the Emergency Grant Application has been moved to Navigator
To make an emergency fund request, Students should:
- Log in to their navigator account using their Salem State University username and password
- Go to the Financial Account tile
- Click on Emergency Grant Application
All requests will be considered. Please note we do not guarantee we will cover the total amount of your request. We will work with you to access other resources if we cannot meet your full request.
The Emergency Grant Committee meets weekly (typically on Tuesday) when classes are in session (excludes semester breaks and between semesters).
If the emergency fund is closed or you have immediate health/medical expenses, please email careandconcern@salemstate.edu with information about your request.
Application Decisions:
Students may check the status of their application and view the committee's decision by logging back into Navigator, choosing the Financial Account tile and again selecting -Emergency Grant Application
Committee decisions are final and can not be appealed
If approved:
- For external issues (utilities, rent, prescriptions. etc.), funds will appear on your Touchnet Account first, and you'll be issued a refund typically within 1-2 weeks
- If your request for funds was to help in paying your Salem State expenses and/or to reduce the balance on your account, funds will be applied directly to your Touchnet Account
- If you have not done so already, please sign up for direct deposit/eRefunds by logging into Navigator (Financial Information>Student Accounts>Refunds). For more detailed information, visit how to set up direct deposit/ eRefund.
Need Help?
If you have questions or concerns about applying for emergency funds or your refund, please email navcenter@salemstate.edu
If you have questions or concerns about food or housing security, please visit our Food and Housing Resource page.