The Fund provides special grants for students who have exhausted all other sources of funding.  The Fund is supported through generous donations from members of the Ursinus community.

The application process to receive grants from the Bear2Bear Fund is separate from the normal application process for financial aid.

In accordance with NCAA Division III regulations, athletics leadership, ability, participation, or performance may not be considered in the awarding of any financial aid. This includes the process of reviewing, considering, and granting appeals. Please do not mention any of these items within your appeal.

Examples of Qualifying Emergency Circumstances:

An emergency is defined as an unforeseen and temporary situation that can prevent a student from getting through the semester. Typically, an emergency grant is between $500 and $1,000 and is designed to help the student overcome these unforeseen and temporary obstacles related to unanticipated health or family situations, temporary job loss, auto repairs and more. The ultimate goal of an emergency grant is to prevent the students from interrupting, delaying or abandoning studies at Ursinus College

Examples

• Academic-related charges outside of standard bill (books, supplies)
• Death in the immediate family
• Transportation for family emergency
• Unexpected, short term food insecurity
• Uninsured losses caused by fire, crime, flood or other disasters
• Unforeseen and uncovered medical expenses related to self, spouse or immediate family member.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply for a grant, students must meet the following criteria:

• Your student conduct record will be reviewed and evaluated
• You must have accepted all federal financial aid you are eligible to receive (includes Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans)
• Students can only apply for Bear2Bear funding twice a school year and the total grant amount cannot exceed $5,000. Summers will count towards the upcoming school year.
• Provide documentation of the emergency or crisis situation that has created financial hardship (e.g., medical bills, receipts, copy of eviction notice, etc.)
• If you have any questions about the process or to determine if you are eligible, please reach out to Shawn Caven scaven@ursinus.edu for assistance.

Complete the Bear2Bear Application Here

Award Process

Applications for support from the Bear2Bear Student Emergency Fund will be reviewed on a rolling basis.  A committee of both faculty and staff members will review and make decisions on all applications. Applicants must meet with a representative of the committee prior to receiving the grant. Applicants will then be notified of approval/denial of the application as well as the amount of any corresponding grant award. Emergency funds will be either paid directly to the appropriate third-party vendor or directly to the student in cases where a third-party vendor cannot be paid directly.

All applications are considered on a case-by-case basis.  The maximum award amount from the Bear2Bear Fund is $5,000 per student per year and is subject to the availability and the extent of the financial need caused by the hardship.