Dr. Rosie Phillips Bingham Student Emergency Fund

The Dr. Rosie Phillips Bingham Student Emergency Fund was established to assist UofM students facing financial hardship which would otherwise interfere with their success at UofM. The fund provides limited emergency awards to currently enrolled students who experience unexpected or temporary expenses.

Donations

Unexpected life events, personal crises, mental health struggles, or academic difficulties are all examples of challenges that can interfere with college success. The number of students helped by this emergency fund is limited by the resources available. We welcome donations from faculty, staff, students, families, community members, and others who have the ability. Your generous donation will allow this important support program to remain and grow.

Donate to the Dr. Rosie Phillips Bingham Student Emergency Fund at supportum.memphis.edu/emergency

Eligible Expenses

Special Anouncement: As of 6/17/22 the maximum request amount is $500.

*This fund is not meant to be used on an ongoing basis for routine expenses, or for tuition expenses. The average award amount ranges from $100 to $300, with a limit of $500 for extreme situations. Applications to this fund should include documentation of the expense.

Types of expenses covered include but are not limited to:

Assistance with utilities
Housing needs (e.g. securing short-term housing, security deposits, etc.). Cannot be used for on-campus housing.
Replacement of lost personal items (due to fire, theft, flood, etc.)
Emergency expenses related to dependents (e.g. childcare)

Requests for more than $500 will be denied.

Ineligible Expenses

Tuition, fees, room and board at the University of Memphis
Ongoing and recurring financial needs that will continue to be an issue in the future
Non-emergency travel and non-essential expenses
Food and groceries (for help with food, toiletries, and household items, please visit Tiger Pantry)

Student Eligibility & Requirements

Applicants must be a degree-seeking students enrolled for the current semester.
Applicants must have completed 12 credit hours at the University of Memphis.
Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.0
Applications must be for an amount of $500 or less. Applications for amounts over $500 will be denied.
Students must be able to demonstrate financial hardship due to emergency, accident, illness, natural disaster, or another unforeseen event.
Students should have a plan for future financial stability. Students without a plan for future financial stability will be referred for further assistance.
Students are only eligible to receive funding from the Dr. Rosie Phillips Bingham Student Emergency Fund once per academic year and twice overall at the University of Memphis.
Students applying to to the fund for help with eviction notices or utility shutoffs should apply as soon as possible. Applications should be submitted as soon as a student knows they will be at risk for eviction or utility shutoff. If possible, utility assistance requests should be submitted two weeks prior to the shutoff date, and housing assistance requests should be submitted one month in advance of an eviction date.
Applications submitted without supporting documentation will be denied.

How to Apply

Students must complete BOTH of the following forms. Failure to complete BOTH form may result in the application being denied.

There is an option to attach supporting documentation at the bottom of the Dr. Rosie Phillips Bingham Student Emergency Fund application form. All applications MUST include supporting documentation. Applications submitted without supporting documentation will be denied. Examples of supporting documentation include but are not limited to:

Invoices
Bills (e.g. utility bill)
Rental leases
Receipts
For books or online access codes, attach a screen shot from the on campus Tiger Bookstore (must be on campus bookstore only)

Please note: your supporting documentation does not need to prove your financial situation. Bank statements, texts from family/friends, etc. will not be used in the review process.

Supporting documentation must be relevant to the issue that you are requesting funding for. For example, if you are requesting funds to help with a utility bill, you must attach your utility bill. If you are requesting funds to help with car repairs, you must attach an invoice, bill, or some other documentation of the cost of the repairs. If you are requesting funds to purchase books, you must attach proof of their prices. Documentation supplied must be in the name of the applicant.

Other Information

Once you have applied to the Emergency Fund, the committee will reply to you within 5 business days regarding your application. If approved, funds can take up to 7 to 10 business days to be disbursed to you.

Applications received on University holidays will be considered on the next business day. A list of University holidays is available on the Human Resources Website.

Please register for E-Refunds through TigerXpress to receive your funds faster once they have been awarded.

If you have questions about the fund or application process, please contact us at rpbemergencyfund@memphis.edu or 901.678.2187.