ISS Emergency Assistance

International Student Services (ISS) offers emergency funding support to international students on F-1 and J-1 visas. Funding is either through scholarship or loan and is intended to support students experiencing a financial hardship. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, you may be eligible for assistance from one of the ISS funds.

Examples of unforeseen financial circumstances include:

• Loss of financial support or on-campus employment
• Substantial fluctuations in the value of home country currency or exchange rate
• Drastic increases in living expenses (rent, food, etc.)
• Unexpected changes in your financial support (loss of family sponsorship)
• Excessive medical bills
• Substantial and unexpected expenses
• A family crisis requiring an unexpected round-trip airfare home
• Fire or other destruction or theft of property

Eligibility Requirements:

• You must be in active F-1 and J-1 student visa status
• You must be in good academic standing
• You must be enrolled in a current or future semester at UW-Madison
• You must have demonstrated financial need

Students in their first academic year are ineligible to receive a loan from ISS, but you may be eligible for scholarship funds.

What is the difference between a scholarship and a loan?
Loan funds can be awarded immediately to your UW-Madison student account but require repayment and accrue interest. Scholarships do not require repayment but may be taxed. Scholarship funds may take longer to be disbursed due to administrative processing and international tax considerations.