Graduate Student Financial Support Resources

Hoo Needs Help is a partnership between the Division of Student Affairs and Student Financial Services, designed to provide emergency financial support to students in need. Aid may come in a variety of forms, including grants, loans and/or university and community resources. Hoo Needs Help exists to support students who need assistance with unexpected, unforeseen, and unavoidable emergency expenses. 

The Textbook Access Office is a program for low-income and first-generation students to request specific titles and check out textbooks free of charge. Students can receive grants for loanable textbook purchases and/or borrow textbooks that should be returned at the end of the semester. Textbooks are now open for requesting and reserving for the duration of the spring semester. For more information, please visit the website here and contact studco-textbook-access@virginia.edu.

UVA Engineering has a food pantry at Thornton A121, directly across the hall from the Center for Engineering Career Development. 

The UVA Community Food Pantry (CFP) a student-run pantry open to UVA undergraduate and graduate students, and staff. The CFP provides essential food and hygiene products and is located in the Student Activities Center on the 1st floor of Newcomb Hall, across from the Bank of America.

The Accommodations Access Fund (AAF) is a fund for low-income students who are applying for SDAC Accommodations and are unable to cover the cost of testing or specialists. This fund can be applied to and used in a spectrum of ways such as learning disability support, tutoring fees, and administrative fees for specialist testing and other resources. For more information, please contact the AAF Director, Sarah Abdulali at studco-accomodations-access@virginia.edu. More information on SDAC and services they offer can be found on the SDAC website.

UVA Mutual Aid is a collective of community members working to support students by offering modest no-strings-attached grants. We open grant distribution rounds in $5,000 increments, and during active rounds, students can request aid.

The Next Steps Fund provides up to four fully subsidized therapy sessions for University of Virginia students with counselors outside of the University’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) department.

Student Legal Services provides low-cost, confidential, legal assistance to UVA undergraduate and graduate students. We provide legal help on a wide variety of legal matters, including representation in the Charlottesville/Albemarle area. No fee is charged for consultations. All fees are minimal.

In addition to serving all eligible students through financial aid, Student Financial Services provides an array of financial wellness and personal finance resources, including Peer Financial Counseling and other resources.

The Emergency Loan is a short-term, interest-free loan available to undergraduate and graduate students for up to $1,250 per loan. The loan is due on the last day of the month after it is taken out (e.g. a loan taken out any day in February will be due March 31). As long as it is paid on time, there is no fee or interest. If it is paid late, there is a one-time late fee of $10. While students may take out more than one loan per semester, a new loan may not be taken out until the previous loan has been repaid in full.

The GradBridge loan provides support to graduate students transitioning from fellowship stipends to wage assistantships or other related employment statuses.