Current faculty and staff employed by the University of Florida may apply for financial assistance through Aid-a-Gator. For purposes of this program, this encompasses faculty, staff, OPS employees, medical/veterinary residents, and post-doctoral associates. This program does not apply to volunteers, faculty on emeritus (i.e., unpaid) status or student employees.
Undergraduate students and graduate students, including graduate assistants, and post-doctoral fellows who are experiencing financial hardship should contact the Office of Student Financial Affairs at (352) 392-1275 or visit the office in S107 Criser Hall (8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday) for support.
Aid-a-Gator funds are intended to be a temporary life-preserver, not an income supplement or an alternative to insurance, FEMA or other types of aid. Aid-a-Gator offers support to colleagues facing unexpected, temporary financial hardship as a result of a natural disaster (hurricane, flooding, or tornado).
When an emergency is declared within the State of Florida, the Aid-a-Gator application will be made available for employees to submit requests for relief funds. The application will remain open for a total of 8 weeks from the date of the event.
Typically, you will not have to repay the amount awarded to you. The Aid-a-Gator program is designed to be a grant and not a loan.
The maximum amount an employee can be awarded is $1,500 in a calendar year. If you are awarded an amount less than the maximum and another crisis arises, you may submit a new application. However, the total cap of $1,500 per employee per calendar year remains.
No. This program is not intended to supplement income or cover lost wages due to missed work, as Aid-a-Gator is not a leave program or a salary replacement program.
This will depend on the individual claim. However, you should provide any documentation that is relevant to the specific financial need and hardship you experienced as the result of a natural disaster or other weather-related emergency. Consider submitting copies of bills, letters, paid invoices, receipts, photographs of home damage and proof of ownership of damaged items for those items to be considered for relief funds.
Applications will be reviewed as received. Awardees will be notified via email whether their application is accepted or denied, or if additional information is needed. Email notifications will contain additional details specific to each award. Payments are made via direct deposit and, consequently, processed during the pay period in which the application is approved.
Awards are processed through the payroll system and will be directly deposited into the bank account on record with Payroll Services.
Generally, Aid-a-Gator awards will be taxed as income and applicable payroll deductions will be made.
UF Human Resources operates the Aid-a-Gator program, with a committee in place to review requests, make determinations, and coordinate funds.
Aid-a-Gator for faculty and staff is administered through UF Human Resources. For questions related to Aid-a-Gator, please email AidaGator@hr.ufl.edu.
No. Applications could be denied for a variety of reasons, including lack of funding, untimely submission, improper requests, refusal to provide additional information, etc. There is no right to appeal and no appeals process. To best secure your chances of being awarded a grant through Aid-a-Gator, make sure your application is complete, clear and detailed and provides as much relevant supporting documentation as possible.
Aid-a-Gator is completely dependent upon donations. Unfortunately, some applications may be denied due to a lack of funds.
For undergraduate students, graduate students, including graduate assistants, and post-doctoral fellows experiencing unanticipated expenses due to an emergency situation, the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships accepts requests for Aid-a-Gator relief funds for UF students. For more information, please visit https://www.sfa.ufl.edu/aidagator/.
Provides a range of services, including employee evaluation, referral, and support groups. For more information, visit http://eap.ufl.edu or email eap-help@ufl.edu.
The Hitchcock Field & Fork Pantry is a free resource for members of the UF community. The Pantry offers supplementary pantry staples such as, bread, nonperishable canned items, frozen meats, and seasonal produce from the Field & Fork Farm and Gardens. https://pantry.fieldandfork.ufl.edu/
Forms may be filled out at disasterassistance.gov, or by calling 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-745-0243. https://www.fema.gov