The Kientz & Patel HCDE Student Emergency Support Fund aids HCDE students facing near-term financial hardship.

The fund was established in 2020 by a donation from Julie Kientz, Professor and Chair in the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering, and Shwetak Patel, Professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering and the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering. Learn more about the fund here.

The Kientz & Patel HCDE Student Emergency Support Fund provides aid for unexpected situations including, but not limited to, health care costs, car repairs, legal fees, travel for family emergencies, stolen goods, and housing insecurity. Students requiring tuition assistance should instead consult the UW Financial Aid office at uw.edu/financialaid.

Note: This fund is for actively enrolled HCDE students only. Please see here for additional information regarding federal tax. Please note that this funding may impact your financial aid; for questions about this, please contact the UW Office of Student Financial Aid.

Request amounts

The Department has a set amount of funds available each academic year on a first-come, first-served basis. The maximum amount a student can receive from this fund is $1,000. Students may submit a request with a brief explanation of financial need.

To apply for the funds, students need to provide their name, Student ID number, one-paragraph explanation of the request, and the amount requested using the link below. Students will be contacted via their UW email address.

How to apply

Please submit the required information using the online request form: HCDE Emergency Fund Request.

Application requests will be shared with the review committee for confidential review. This committee consists of three HCDE staff and faculty members.

Applicants will receive notice that their request is funded in full or in part within two business days. Over summer students can expect a response within seven business days of submission.