Stay Mason Student Support Fund

Thank you for your interest in the Stay Mason Student Support Fund.  The Spring 2025 application is now closed, and we are no longer accepting funding requests for Spring Term 2025 due to lack of available funding.

As we previously stated, funding through this process is not guaranteed and is subject to availability; and the University may discontinue the funding process at any time. 

If you are experiencing a true unexpected emergency, you can email the Stay Mason Student Support Fund at smfund@gmu.edu to meet with a member of the Financial Well-Being Team and discuss your financial options.

Applications for Summer Term 2025 emergency assistance, and updated criteria for funding, will be available through our website starting July 1, 2025, and continuing during summer term, subject to the availability of funds.

Please keep in mind that this emergency assistance is not guaranteed funding and is designed to provide temporary, short-term financial assistance to students who face an emergency or unexpected financial hardship during the term. Emergency funding should be considered a last resort for students and should not be considered part of a student’s financial planning for the future.

More financial aid options can be found here:

  1. Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans: The Subsidized/Unsubsidized loans for undergraduate level students have a current interest rate of 6.53% fixed, and 8.08% fixed for graduate level unsubsidized loans for 2024-2025 academic year.
  2. Parent PLUS Loans: Dependent Undergraduate students can have a parent apply for a Parent PLUS Loan. The current interest rate on these loans for 2024-2025 academic year is 9.08% fixed. If a parent’s Parent PLUS loan application is denied, a dependent student can request an additional unsubsidized loan by contacting the Office of Student Financial Aid.
  3. Graduate PLUS Loans: Graduate students, who have already received the maximum unsubsidized loan, can apply for a Graduate PLUS Loan with a 9.08% fixed interest rate. In addition, if you have already received one Graduate PLUS Loan, you can apply for an increase to the loan and receive additional funding up to the Cost of Attendance.
  4. Private Loans: Students who are not eligible for federal aid, or students who want to look at different interest rate options, can look into Private Loans. These might require a US co-signer but are still an option to look into.
  5. Prodigy Finance: Prodigy Finance is a private loan lender option for International, DACA and undocumented students as it does not require a U.S. co-signer. However, interest rates are higher without a U.S. cosigner. More information can be found here: https://prodigyfinance.com/.
  6. MPower Financing: MPower Financing offers student loans for international students that can cover past, current, and future semesters and do not require a cosigner. More information is available here: https://www.mpowerfinancing.com/.
  7. Mason Scholarship: Consider completing the Mason Scholarship Application for the upcoming academic year.
  8. Outside Scholarships: Outside scholarships can be found through www.fastweb.com or www.scholarships.com.
  9. Mason Schools/Colleges/Units: Some of Mason’s schools and colleges administer separate emergency assistance funds for their respective enrolled students which may have different criteria for funding consideration. Check with your particular school or college.
  10. Patriot Pantry: If you are enrolled at Mason, you can access the Patriot Pantry on campus to help with food and other personal items. If you have questions, please email Patriot Pantry at pantry@gmu.edu.

If you have questions, please contact Stay Mason Student Support Fund at smfund@gmu.edu.