Established through a generous gift from an anonymous foundation and matched by the Dean’s Excellence Fund, the Emergency Scholarship Fund provides CPS students who are enrolled in a degree program (bachelors, masters, doctorate) who are experiencing a one-time financial crisis to apply for emergency financial support. Emergency Scholarships cover the cost of one course.   

The Free Application for Federal Scholarship Aid (FAFSA) form collects data on financial resources derived from federal income tax returns from the two years prior to submission. The majority of financial assistance available to CPS students is awarded using a combination of FAFSA results and individually reported facts. We recognize that a student’s financial circumstances are not always consistent from one year to the next, and that circumstances beyond a student’s control may inhibit the ability to contribute to educational expenses.  International students will not have FAFSA results, but this does not disqualify them from applying for this aid. 

 We welcome the opportunity to consider substantial changes in your or your family’s financial status since filing the FAFSA. Such circumstances may include, but are not limited to, separation/divorce, loss of income, high medical and/or dental expenses (not covered by insurance), or a documented catastrophic expense. 

Please be advised that this limited resource is awarded to students who are nearing degree completion.  It is very uncommon for students in their first year to be eligible for these scholarships as this award was designed to enable students to persevere through a crisis that would otherwise prevent them from continuing/finishing their studies.  Please consider that this scholarship is not intended to mitigate persistent need – this is for crisis intervention.