Mastodon Emergency Fund

Unforeseen things happen. The Mastodon Emergency Fund is here for you.

We understand that life is not always predictable. To support students, the college has established the Mastodon Emergency Fund to cover emergencies and other unexpected issues. These funds are intended to be used for unexpected financial hardships such as medical bills, food, one-time rental assistance or car repair. In addition, these funds may be used to purchase supplies needed for projects. The grants do not have to be repaid but funds are limited. In order to apply, you must currently be enrolled in classes.

APPLICATION PROCESS

All students are eligible to apply for emergency funds.
Students submit a complete Mastodon Emergency Fund Application along with any relevant documents.
Applications are reviewed by the Mastodon Emergency Fund Committee. A typical review will take 1-2 weeks unless the situation requires immediate resolution.
In addition to reviewing the application and any relevant documents submitted by the student, the committee reviews financial aid information (does the student have unmet need as established by FAFSA), and the Bursar’s bill (does the student have an unpaid balance and/or has the student recently received a refund from the College).
Students are notified via email about the status of their request.
Please note that a college staff member may follow up with you directly.

Reasons requests are denied include but are not limited to:

Incomplete Application
The student is at the maximum financial aid allotted for the academic year.
Application does not clearly explain how the grant will resolve the described financial emergency or based on the information provided there does not seem to be a clear financial emergency.
A student applicant lacks necessary supporting documentation
The student is not an active undergraduate or graduate student according to enrollment information

Method for receiving emergency funds

Disbursement is dependent on the type of assistance and source of funds.

Community Food Resources

Supplying basic needs for our students, so they can focus on what’s important to them. The Shelf is MassArt’s food insecurity resource, offering free non-perishable food and toiletries. Open to all MassArt students, The Shelf is accessible through the Commuter Cafe, 2nd Floor of the Kennedy Building.