Things happen. Especially when you're an adult student trying to balance work, family, community, and your education. If you are a currently enrolled student at Peirce and find yourself unable to continue your studies because of an unexpected financial hardship, we can help.

Emergency aid grants are available on a limited basis to students in need for things like utility bills, rent, food, medical/dental bills, childcare, and transportation. Guidelines are as follows:

• Applicants must be a degree-seeking student at Peirce College
• Have a GPA of 2.0 or above, as of the date of the award
• Be enrolled during the academic term in which the Emergency Aid grant is awarded
• Complete an Emergency Aid application using the Scholarship America portal and include documentation of their expenses following these guidelines:
  • Eligible expenses include but are not limited to utilities, housing/rent, food, medical/dental, transportation and childcare.
  • Not eligible are expected school expenses such as parking, fines, tuition, books, supplies and required tools/equipment.
  • Examples of documentation: For a car repair, a student should provide a mechanic’s estimate. For backup childcare, a student should provide a bill from the backup childcare provider. 

The program is designed to assist with things like overdue utility bills and rent, food, unexpected medical/dental bills, backup childcare, and transportation. Detailed guidelines are available here. Please keep the following in mind:

• Documentation of your request for assistance, including copies of bills or estimates, is required at the time of submitting your application. 
• Students who request food money must provide copies of their register receipts showing that they used the gift card as requested or they will not be considered for aid in the future.
• Students should check their Peirce email frequently; award emails are sent there as well as requests for additional information. In previous grant periods, students have not been awarded because they did not respond to requests from the committee in a timely manner.
  

Students who have already received an emergency aid grant are allowed to apply again, but priority will be given to students who have not received an award in the past.

If you do not receive an Emergency Aid grant, you may qualify for an additional upcoming financial assistance opportunity through the American Rescue Plan (CARES). More details about this program will be provided soon.

If you have any questions, please contact Tracey Thomas, Assistant Dean, Student Support Services, directly at tathomas@peirce.edu or 215.670.9423.