Yale University
Yale College Safety Net
Unexpected Financial Hardship Support
Safety Net is supported by endowed funds designed to assist currently enrolled, high need students with emergency expenses that fall outside of the Student Share. High need is defined as students with a Parent Share less than $10,000. Some grant funds are only available to students with a $0 Parent Share. While an unexpected expense can often seem like an emergency, Safety Net will only fund events similar to:
- Unexpected and urgent medical expenses such as: emergency tooth extraction, glasses, emergency room visit, ambulance services, and co-pays in excess of $30, to a maximum of $5,000 during your time at Yale.
- Unexpected and urgent trip home due to the death or critical illness of an immediate family member (defined as parent, step-parent, grandparent, step-grandparent, sibling, step-sibling, spouse, or child).
- Repairs due to unexpected damage to laptop/computer required for school. Safety Net does not cover the replacement of any technology or the request for new technology. Maximum repair cost due to liquid damage is $500, and overall maximum repair costs of $1,000 during your time at Yale.
- Books, supplies, and coursework materials exceeding $500 during an academic semester
Please note that if this is an emergency requiring immediate funding (within 24 hours), be sure to check the box at the top of the Safety Net request form.
A Few Safety Net Notes
- In 2025–2026, more than 1,000 eligible requests were funded, increasing our funding percentage to over 80% of all requests
- Almost 400, $0 parent share, first-year students received an automatic Winter Clothing Grant in the fall 2025 through Safety Net funding
- More than 95% of requests are resolved in less than 5 business days
- Student requests unable to be funded will be directed to their Personal Financial Aid Counselor to discuss loan options, or referred to other Yale College resources
- Loaner equipment requests do not need go through Safety Net
- Safety Net is not for planned events such as spring break, graduation expenses, summer storage, or off-campus living expenses
- Safety Net only covers eligible expenses during periods of enrollment, specifically the fall and spring terms
Funding Request Categories
Please see this reference for expanded descriptions of each Safety Net funding request category.
Winter clothing
Emergency medical/insurance
Commencement support for graduating seniors
Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, Yale will be able to provide some commencement travel support for families of 2027 graduates. Details, including qualifying criteria, will be released before winter break and all eligible students will be notified via email.
Technology Repairs
Emergency travel/bereavement
Books and academic supplies
Student Athletic Fund
Other Requests
Make a Safety Net Funding Request
If you are unexpectedly experiencing financial hardship, you may be eligible for emergency funding support from Yale College. We encourage you to research all of your options before requesting support through this portal.
To find answers to your Safety Net questions, visit the FAQ. To be considered for support, please submit an application below.
Once you have submitted an application, you will receive an email with a unique link to your submission.
We will review your request and provide a response via email within 5 business days. Please note that funding is not guaranteed. Each request is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.