Staff and Faculty Emergency Fund

The Staff & Faculty Emergency Fund (SFEF), has been created to provide support for SJSU staff and faculty in need. The SFEF provides limited financial assistance to eligible staff and faculty who are experiencing a temporary hardship due to a significant unforeseen life event. Awards in the form of grants, will vary according to the needs of the individuals, but will not exceed $1000. Grants do not need to be repaid.

The SFEF is managed by University Personnel, and awards are determined by an SFEF Committee appointed by the Senior Associate Vice President. Payments from the SFEF are limited and not intended to provide ongoing relief for recurring expenses.

The SFEF is possible due to the generous donations of caring San José State colleagues and community members. Longevity of the SFEF is dependent upon continuous donations. Your contributions are critical and appreciated!

• Donate

  • Many of us have experienced an emergency expense that can create emotional and financial stress. By making a donation, even a small one, you can help San José State employees who may find themselves in need of support. All donations are tax-deductible. Please consider making a donation today.

    Flexible donation options are outlined on the University Advancement website and include the following:

    • Making a one-time gift or multi-year pledge
    • Donating with a check, credit card or payroll deduction
    DONATE TODAY!
• Eligibility

  • To be eligible, you must:

    • Be in an active, benefit-eligible, staff, faculty or Management Personnel Plan (MPP) position*
    • Have at least one year of continuous employment at San Jose State
    • Have an annual base salary that is not greater than $90,000
    • Have experienced within the past six months, a temporary financial hardship, defined as one caused by a time-limited, unforeseen, specific event. This includes, but is not limited to:
      • Disaster (fire/flood/earthquake/COVID-19, or other Qualified Disasters per IRS Code Section 139)
      • Serious illness or critical injury
      • Death of an immediate family member
        • "Immediate family member" is as defined by the applicable collective bargaining agreement for the staff or faculty member. For non-represented staff, immediate family member includes the following:
          • The employee's spouse or domestic partner
          • The employee’s parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, children, grandchildren, and siblings (may be biological, adopted, foster, or step)

    Note: Only one application per household will be reviewed. If two immediate family members in the same household work for San José State, only one can submit an application for assistance.

    *Applicants must have an appointment with a timebase that would be eligible for benefits if their timebase and duration of appointment qualify for standard benefits in the CSU Employee Benefits Summary [pdf]. Faculty positions include instructional faculty, lecturers, counselors, librarians and coaches.

• How to Apply for Assistance

  • Complete the Staff & Faculty Emergency Fund application (SFEF application PDF version [pdf] or SFEF application DocuSign version) if you are in need of temporary emergency assistance. If you do not have access to or have difficulty utilizing the forms, please contact our Employee Relations/Equal Opportunity office at staff-fac-emerg-fund@sjsu.edu.

    • Provide as much detail as possible when completing the application and attach supporting documentation for the financial hardship. The type of documents will vary depending on individual circumstances but should confirm that you have a financial hardship AND verify the amount of money you are requesting (e.g.,a utility bill or invoice). Personal information should be redacted or blacked out (e.g. social security numbers, patient IDs, account numbers, etc.) on your supporting documents.

    Please Note: Given the limited amount of funds, all requests may not be approved even though there may be a clear need for assistance. This fund may be insufficient in the case of widespread disasters, community crisis, or war/terrorism.

• Expenses Covered/Not Covered by the SFEF

  • Applicants can request funds to be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses that were incurred as a result of the emergency. Examples of expenses, include but are not limited to the following:

    • Emergency temporary housing assistance
    • Unexpected medical expenses not covered by insurance
    • Unplanned critical travel and transportation costs
    • Temporary assistance with food insecurity
    • Emergency personal or "incidental" expenses, such as clothing, hygiene items, etc.
    • Unplanned or additional child and adult care expenses

    Applicants can request up to $1000 in financial assistance. Requests cannot be made for anticipated future expenses.

    The following expenses are not covered by the SFEF:

    • Items covered by insurance or other sources.
    • Nonessential items, luxury items, decorative items, and services (e.g., Netflix subscription).
    • Payments for lost income or compensation (e.g., wages, sick pay, family medical leave pay, etc.) or credit card debts.
    • Penalties, fines, parking or other tickets.
    • Non-essential expenses.
    • Expenses due to a lack of planning or overspending.
• Decision Process

  • The SFEF committee will review and approve requests in the order in which they are received. The committee will not be given the names of the applicants, only the reason(s) for the request and supporting documentation (redacted to remove the name and other personal information). If the committee requests additional information, University Personnel will reach out to the applicant and relay the information back to the committee.

    Applicants will be notified in writing of the SFEF Committee's decision. In most instances, applicants will be notified within seven working days of receiving all necessary and required information.

    Approved funds will be paid via check, mailed to the address specified on the application.

Frequenty Asked Questions

• Is there an appeal process if my application is denied?

  • There is not an appeal process for this program. Decisions by the SFEF Committee are final.

• Is there a limit on the number of grants someone can receive?

  • Applicants are limited to one grant in a rolling 24-month period, up to a maximum of $1000. Funds are limited to the amount of money available.

• Do I need to repay money received from the fund?

  • No. Funds are awarded as grants and repayment is not expected.

• Are awarded funds treated as taxable income?

  • In some instances, yes. However, for hardships due to Qualified Disasters such as COVID-19 (per Internal Revenue Service Code Section 139), grants will not be reported as taxable income.

• How long will the fund be available?

  • The fund will be available until contributions are exhausted.

• Am I eligible to apply if I'm on a leave from the university?

  • Yes, if the leave is approved by the University.

• Are my dependents eligible to apply for the fund?

  • No. Only active employees are eligible as outlined above in the Eligibility section.

Questions/Contact

Please review the Frequently Asked Questions for additional details on eligibility criteria and the application process. Inquiries may also be sent to staff-fac-emerg-fund@sjsu.edu.