altAid Hardship Grant Application

altAid Hardship Grant Application
Please note: Applications cannot be saved in progress. This application will take up to 10 minutes to complete. Additionally, altAid cannot award funds to individuals who are listed in the OFAC sanctions list. Contact altAid@areterising.org for further assistance.

Before you begin, please have the following documents ready:

1) Proof of enrollment in your program or institution.

Proof of enrollment must include your full name, institution name and courses enrolled in, showing total credit hours for students enrolled in Associates, Bachelor or Graduate Degree programs. Examples include: a screenshot from your student portal, current transcript, or letter from our altAid partner organization verifying your enrollment. Confirm the upload is clear and legible in order to avoid delays in processing your application.

2) Documentation to support your grant request.

Supporting documentation is required for all requests except for food or gas funding requests. An itemized summary can be provided for food and gas fund requests. Documentation may include copies or screenshots of bills, invoices and/or screenshots of items you intend to purchase showing the price.

3) Your previous Areté Rising ID number, if applicable.

You will have an Areté Rising ID number if you have applied for an altAid grant previously, you participate in the altPath program, or you are a LOC Scholar.

Background Information:
Your First Name*
As it appears on government documentation.
Your Preferred First Name
If you prefer to be addressed differently from legal first name, list it here. Otherwise, leave this field blank.
Your Last Name*
As it appears on government documentation.
Which altAid partner are you affiliated with?*
We are currently unable to fund rent or tuition. Please confirm your financial need is not to cover rent or tuition costs.*
If paying for rent or tuition has caused other financial challenges to emerge, consider requesting funding to address those needs.
Have you receive an altAid grant from Areté Rising within the last 12 months?*

YesNo
Did your current financial need arise within the past 60 days?*

YesNo
What degree or educational outcome are you seeking?*
What is your current enrollment status?*
Full-time enrollment is typically defined as a minimum 12 credit hours.
Good News! You are eligible to apply. Please confirm your email address.*

Confirmation EmailOur primary method of communication with you will be through email.
Let us know the best phone number to reach you at.*

Area CodePhone Number
May we send text messages to your phone number?*

YesNoThis phone cannot receive text messages.
Do you have an ID number from any Areté Rising programs?*
altAid, altPath, and LOC Scholars are all Areté Rising programs.
Have you applied to altAid before?*

Yes, I have applied to altAid before.No, this is my first time applying to altAid.
Enter your altPath or LOC Scholars ID number:*
It will be in the formatted with your month and day of birth and first and last initial as the first 6 characters, followed by a dash and three more characters: MMDDFL-XXX
Enter your altAid ID number to expedite your application:*
It will be in the formatted with your month and day of birth and first and last initial as the first 6 characters, followed by a dash and three more characters: MMDDFL-XXX
Do we have permission to share information about your application with your partner organization?*
The partner that referred you to altAid may be able to provide additional support and resources if altAid is unable to meet your needs. Additionally, to evaluate the impact of altAid, it is helpful to have open communication with altAid partners about the outcome of student applications and their program enrollment.
What is your date of birth?*

MonthDayYear
Please upload a photo, screenshot or copy of a government-issued ID that verifies your name and date of birth.*

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Zip Code:*
Gender:*
Please tell us how you identify in terms of your gender.
Ethnicity:*

American Indian or Alaska NativeAfrican American or BlackAsianHispanicNative Hawaiian or Other Pacific IslanderNon-Hispanic WhiteOtherPrefer Not to State
Please tell us how you identify in terms of your ethnicity:
What is your current field of study?*
How did you learn about this program?*
Please tell us what other source informed you of the program.
Do either of your parents have a Bachelor's Degree (4-year college degree)?*

YesNo
Is the Bachelor's degree from a college or university in the United States?*

YesNo
Do you have a child/ren that you are currently financially supporting?*

YesNo
Are you eligible to apply for federal financial aid?*

YesNo
Does your financial aid package include a Federal Pell Grant?*

YesNo
The next field asks you to upload proof of enrollment at your program or institution. Proof of enrollment must include:
- your full name
- institution name
- courses currently enrolled in, showing total credit hours for students enrolled in Associates, Bachelor or Graduate Degree programs.
Examples include: a screenshot from your student portal, current transcript, or letter from our altAid partner organization verifying your enrollment. Confirm the upload is clear and legible in order to avoid delays in processing your application.

Applications submitted without proper proof of enrollment will cause a delay in processing.
Please upload proof of enrollment for your program or institution. *

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When do you expect to graduate or complete your program?*
Financial Need Information:
Which of the following best describes the cause of your current financial hardship?*
What category/ies does your current financial need fall into?*

1) Food/Groceries2) Utility Bills or Housing Supplies3) Childcare/Caretaking4) Personal Hygiene/Care5) Transportation6) Medical/Dental/Mental Health7) Safety or Security Needs8) Learning/School Resources9) Emergency Housing/Moving
Within the last two weeks, have you skipped any meals due to lacking resources for food?*

YesNo
How often do you feel you are unable to eat a nutritious meal due to lack of resources?*
Do you anticipate skipping any meals in the next two weeks due to lacking resources for food?*

YesMaybeNoNot Sure
In the past month, have you attended events and/or relied on friends for meals?*

YesNo
In the past month, have you reduced the amount of food you ate at meals to stretch your groceries?*

YesNo
In the past month, have you accessed groceries through a food pantry or food bank?*

YesNo
Which of the following, if any, do you have access to or have you attempted to access?*
Please describe the other resource/s you have attempted to access for food support.*
What is the total amount of your specific financial need?*
Round to the nearest dollar.
Share an itemized summary for how the funds will be used.*
List all expenses the funds will be used for and ensure your summary adds up to the total amount you stated above. In the next field you will be asked to upload supporting documentation for this need. If the amount you need does not match what will be shown in the supporting documentation, please explain that here.
Upload a screenshot or photo of documentation associated with your financial need.

Documentation is REQUIRED for all requests, except for groceries or gas requests. Documentation must show the need arose within the last 60 days. Examples of documentation include: medical or utility bills or screenshots of items you need to purchase or have already purchased showing the cost for each item.
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Is your financial situation impacting your academic performance or participation in your program?*

YesNo
Which of the following statements best describes the impact on your academics or program participation?*
As a result of this financial need, do you anticipate your course load or participation in your program to be affected this term?*
On a scale of 1-5, how likely are you to reduce your course load, withdraw, or take a leave of absence this term due to this financial challenge?*

1

2

3

4

5

1 is Very Unlikely, 5 is Very Likely
Explain the impact this financial need is having on your academic performance or enrollment. *
Please keep your answer concise, but include a minimum 2 sentences to help us best understand your circumstances.
On a scale of 1 to 5, how time sensitive is your financial need? *

1

2

3

4

5

1 is Not Time Sensitive, 5 is Extremely Urgent
Explain your rating for time sensitivity of this need.*
Please keep your answer concise, but include a minimum 2 sentences to help us best understand your circumstances.
The need I have is*
Is this need related to food/groceries, or health (physical or mental)?*

YesNo
Is this a recurring expense?*

YesNo
altAid grants are only able to cover a recurring need once. What is your plan for covering this expense in the future?*
Will receiving this grant resolve your problem or do you anticipate this problem recurring in the future?*
If this expense is recurring, please explain how you plan to meet this need again in the future.
Have you explored other ways to meet your financial need, including jobs or internships, loans or other debt?*

YesNo
What is the status of the other funding options?*
If you have sought out or accessed other resources to address your financial need, tell us about them here. Include information about any debt you are planning to take on, and how it may impact you, in order to meet this need. If your request is only partially funded, do you have other resources you could utilize? What are they?
Please keep your answer concise, but include a minimum 2 sentences to help us best understand your circumstances.
Payment Information & Grant Terms
Choose the payment method for your grant, if approved.*
Paypal, and Venmo payments are received within 2 days of application approval. Checks are received 7-10 business days after application approval.
Please share your Paypal or Venmo payment information.*
**Paypal: please provide the email and phone number associated with your Paypal account. **Venmo: please provide your username AND phone number and email associated with your Venmo account.
Please provide: (1) the payable name (if different from you) and (2) the physical mailing address to receive your check.*
Terms of altAid Participation:

Unfortunately, we are not able to fund every grant request. Submitting this application does not guarantee that you will be approved for funds. If your application is not approved, you may apply again in the future. However, applicants who submit false or misleading information will not be eligible to apply again. Each year altAid applicants are invited to participate in an evaluation survey ro research purposes. We request that you participate in this survey to help us learn about the effectiveness of the program.

By accepting the terms below, you acknowledge that:
1. Your answers in this application are truthful.
2. You understand that not all applications are approved for funding.
3. If approved, you must used the funds as outlined in your application.
4. You may be contacted by email for evaluation purposes in the future.
Do you accept the terms above?*

I acceptI do not accept
Unfortunately, we cannot accept your application if you do not accept the terms.
When you are ready to accept the terms you can return to submit your application.
I acknowledge I have accurately represented my situation and I understand that inaccurately representing my circumstances negatively impacts funding available for students who may be experiencing financial challenges that are truly impacting their enrollment.
Type your initials in the box to acknowledge the statement.
Should be Empty:

altAid Hardship Grant Application

Background Information:

Financial Need Information:

Payment Information & Grant Terms