The Student Success Fund Portal is Closed for the 24-25 Academic Year.
SSF cannot provide funding for the summer. The portal will reopen in Fall 2025.
Overview of funding
WashU is committed to ensuring our students can experience a transformative and equitable experience regardless of their financial circumstances. The Student Success Fund offers access to additional funding for enrichment opportunities or emergency needs as they arise and serves as a valuable resource.
WashU is dedicated to providing all students with a transformative, inclusive experience that fosters belonging—regardless of financial circumstances. The Student Success Fund supports academic and personal enrichment as well as emergency needs as they arise. This essential resource empowers students to deepen their learning, develop valuable skills, and ensure that financial hurdles don’t disrupt their path to success.
Student Success Fund eligibility
To be eligible for the Student Success Fund a student must:
| Be a full-time enrolled student | |
| Have demonstrated need, as identified by Student Financial Services | |
| Provide supporting documentation of the expense or need to receive an initial payment. This must be followed with the submission of an itemized receipt to show proof of purchase. | |
| Provide an itemized receipt of each purchase to receive a reimbursement |
Deadlines & important information
Monday, September 8, 2025: Student Success Fund Application Portal Opens
Monday, December 1, 2025: Student Success Fund Application portal closes for submitting new applications at 5 p.m.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025: Deadline to upload itemized receipts for all payments received during the fall semester
Supporting documentation
Acceptable supporting documents and receipts must include the itemized cost for each item or service purchased. A list of acceptable supporting documents and receipts can be found in the Student Success Fund List of Acceptable Documentation.
If you apply with supporting documents other than a receipt (e.g. letters, estimates, screenshots, etc.), please upload a copy of your itemized receipt within (2) two weeks of receiving your award/payment to confirm your actual purchase or use of the SSF funds provided.
Failure to submit the missing itemized receipt will cause you to be ineligible for future SSF funding.
Financial aid impact
It is important to note that due to federal regulations, all non-emergency requests (excludes request for emergency events and veteran’s education benefits) will undergo a review by Student Financial Services to determine if your requested funds will be considered additional financial assistance for the enrollment period and impact your current financial aid offer.
If Student Financial Services determines that an adjustment is required to your financial aid, you will receive a notification from the SSF Manager with detailed information before any changes to your aid or payments are processed.
Emergency events
- Unexpected and urgent medical expenses including emergency dental care, replacement of broken eye glasses, ambulatory/emergency room visits, and mental health crisis. Excludes care outside of the St. Louis metropolitan area.
- Unexpected and urgent trip home due to the death or critical illness of an immediate family member (defined parent, stepparent, guardian, grandparent, step-grandparent, sibling, stepsibling, spouse, or child.)
2025 – 2026 walk-in hours
- Tuesdays: 1-3 p.m.
- Wednesdays and Fridays: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- Appointments are also available upon request; please email ssf@wustl.edu
- Student Success Fund Manager office: DUC, room 330 in the TFCSS
Fund restrictions
We cannot pay for the following:
| Tuition | |
| Housing deposits/damages | |
| Housing/Rent | |
| Clothing (seasonal, shoes, etc.) | |
| Technology (including computers/laptops, phone repairs, software, etc.) | |
| Recurring bills including utilities, and cell phone bills (excludes mental health prescriptions) | |
| Recurring subscriptions | |
| Textbooks, course fees | |
| Meal plans | |
| Taxes | |
| Study abroad (all costs except passport and visas) | |
| Bear Bucks | |
| Parking or parking tickets | |
| iPads and AirPods |
Cost of Attendance Items
All requests for textbooks, course fees/materials, seasonal clothing, non-emergency travel, non-emergency medical expenses, and other Cost of Attendance items must go through Student Financial Services.
Additional Information
Our funds
| Fund name | Allowed expenses |
| Sherman Rohrbach | Travel stipends, medical expenses not covered by insurance, fees for graduate and professional school admissions tests and other expenses for experiential learning opportunities and emergency needs of undergraduate students with financial need |
| Emily and John Chen | Expenses related to the support for undergraduate students who have emergency needs and/or students who are pursuing educational experiences in China |
| Student Union Opportunity Fund | Support co-curricular expenses for students with financial need |
| Mental Health Fund | Expenses to support student mental health |
| Stephanie Brooks Dains and John Dains | Expenses in support of student emergencies and educational enrichment |
| Varsity Athletic Fund | Qualifying student-athletes can access the full student-athlete experience by removing financial barriers as allowed by the NCAA |
| Black Alumni Emergency Fund | Expenses for graduate school applications and graduate fees, emergency travel, and as a resource to support other such academic needs |