Purpose

The UNT Faculty and Staff Emergency Relief Fund provides limited financial assistance up to $1,000 for eligible faculty and staff who are unable to meet immediate, essential expenses because of a temporary hardship related to an emergency situation. Funds granted are counted as income and subject to federal taxes. This service is funded through the generosity of the UNT faculty and staff community.

Eligibility

To be eligible, an individual must:

  • Be an active, benefits- and retirement-eligible faculty or staff member.
  • Have full- or part-time continuous employment for at least 12 consecutive months prior to the date of application.
  • Have a temporary financial hardship because of an emergency situation.
  • Have an annual base salary of less than $60,000.
  • Have not received a Faculty and Staff Emergency Relief Fund award in the past two years.

A temporary financial hardship is one caused by a specific event such as but not limited to:

  • Serious illness or critical injury.
  • Loss of livable housing due to structural damages caused by fire or other natural disaster.
  • Death of a family or household member.
  • Significant loss of household income affecting the employee’s ability to pay for basic needs.

Temporary financial hardship means a hardship event rather than pre-existing financial concerns. Emergency relief funding is not guaranteed and is based on demonstrated need, short-term nature of the financial hardship, committee approval and available funds. Given the limited amount of funds, all requests cannot be approved even though there may be a clear need for assistance. This fund may be insufficient in the case of widespread disasters, community crisis or war/terrorism. Car repairs and transportation expenses resulting from damage to automobiles do not qualify as emergency expenses.

Application Process

  1. The requesting employee must complete the Faculty and Staff Emergency Relief Fund Application. All applications are treated as confidential and shared only with individuals directly involved in award administration.
  2. Attach copies of all bills and relevant supporting documentation related to the temporary hardship. Documentation may include items such as: death certificate, letter from medical provider on letterhead, police or fire report and any other information the applicant believes may be necessary to thoroughly evaluate the request. Do not attach documents containing personal health information related to diagnoses, treatment of medical conditions or other medical information. Any information provided is voluntary, and the applicant releases the information for review by the Faculty and Staff Emergency Relief Fund Committee. Applicants may be contacted by the committee for additional information and/or missing documentation which may delay the review process.
  3. Submit the application to fsemergencyfund@unt.edu or deliver the printed document to the Office of the President, Hurley Administration Building, Room 201. Alternate arrangements to submit an application may be made by contacting fsemergencyfund@unt.edu.
  4. Applicants may be contacted by the committee to review the application and to discuss other available resources or services.
  5. Applicants will be notified by the committee of approval or denial in writing within 10 business days of a determination. Award decisions of the committee are final and are not subject to university employee grievance procedures.
  6. If the application is approved, the employee will be issued a payment for the award on the next available regular or supplemental payroll. The payment will be issued according to the employee’s normal payroll payment method. Internal Revenue Service regulations require that the award be reported and taxed as income.

Note: An application found to contain incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading information will be considered invalid and will not be forwarded to the committee for review.

Application Review and Award

The UNT Faculty and Staff Emergency Relief Fund Committee was established to administer the fund and manage the application process. The committee is intentionally small and shall be comprised of one committee chair, to be appointed by the president, and two representatives from the Wellbeing Advisory Board.

The committee will:

  • Ensure all applications are treated as confidential and information is shared only with committee members directly involved in award administration.
  • Receive and review completed Faculty and Staff Emergency Relief Fund applications to ensure applications and supporting documentation are complete. The committee may request clarifying or additional information necessary to review the request. Documents containing personal health information related to diagnoses, treatment of medical conditions or other medical information shall not be accepted.
  • Track applications received, fund balance and award amounts and frequency.
  • Meet on a regular basis to review completed applications and determine whether to approve or deny requests for assistance. The committee will initially meet once per month but may meet more or less frequently based on volume of requests and fund balance.
  • Make award determinations based on demonstrated need illustrated through the application and supporting documentation provided, short-term nature of the financial hardship and available funds. The committee may not consider other information in their review.
  • Committee members must inform the committee of potential conflicts of interest, including but not limited to being the direct supervisor of an applicant, living in the same household as an applicant or being related to an applicant in any capacity, including step- and in-law relationships. In such circumstances, the committee member shall recuse themselves from the review and award process.
  • Notify applicants of approval or denial in writing within 10 business days of committee determination.
  • Follow established payroll procedures and schedules to administer disbursement of approved awards, overseen by the committee chair.
  • Collaborate with the UNT Foundation and its procedures and record-keeping requirements regarding donation and disbursement of funds.
  • Ensure adequate fund balance is maintained and awards issued do not exceed one half of the total fund balance at the time of award.
  • Maintain and retain records in accordance with state law, university policy and the university’s record retention schedule as approved by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Relief Fund Contributions

Contributing to the UNT Faculty and Staff Emergency Relief Fund is an opportunity to show your appreciation for the dedicated faculty and staff who work hard every day to make our university the best place to work and learn.