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The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) was created by the NCAA to provide direct benefits to student-athletes with special financial needs. It is the policy of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, that the fund is utilized to enhance the welfare of student-athletes, make the student-athlete experience more enjoyable, assist student-athletes in times of emergency or great need, and to help contribute to the academic success of a student-athlete.

It is the responsibility of the Student Assistance Fund Committee to oversee, administer, and distribute funds fairly and equitably. Additionally, the SAF committee will take all reasonable steps to publicize the existence of the SAF to all Rutgers student-athletes such that as many eligible student-athletes as possible can utilize the fund. While it is at the committee's discretion to decide who is eligible to receive SAF monies as well as the circumstances that warrant the approval of SAF funding, demonstrated financial need through qualifying for the Pell Grant will be a significant consideration. Student-athletes who do not qualify to receive a Pell Grant are not barred from applying for funds.

Examples of permissible uses of SAF funds include, but are not limited to:

• Health insurance premiums;
• Medical procedures and surgeries (both general and emergency in nature);
• Family travel, housing, and food expenses associated with medical procedures, surgeries, or other emergencies;
• Dental treatment;
• Vision treatment;
• Costs related to child care;
• Summer school;
• Recommended academic/educational expenses;
• Professional program testing;
• Graduate school exam fees;
• Educational testing;
• Emergency travel expenses;
• Post-eligibility athletic aid; and
• International student fees/taxes.

Examples of impermissible uses of SAF funds include, but are not limited to:

• Salaries and benefits for employees;
• Grants-in-aid for student-athletes with remaining eligibility;
• Capital improvements;
• Stipends for student-athletes;
• Expenses associated with participation in a camp or clinic;
• Expenses related to private sports-related instruction; and
• Expenses associated with a foreign tour.

Allocation of Funds:
Each year a representative from the Athletic Business Office will recommend an allocation of funds from the general SAF budget into the following categories:

1. Summer School
2. Post-eligibility Athletic Aid
3. Clothing
4. Medical
5. Dental
6. International Student-Taxes/SEVIS
7. Health Insurance
8. Graduation
9. Travel
10. Academic Support Services
11. Educational Supplies
12. Winter Session
13. Other Personal/Family Expenses
14. Championship travel and awards

The allocation of SAF monies will be voted into certification by the SAF committee at the start of each academic year and can be modified at any time with a subsequent unanimous vote.

Application for SAF funds:
All requests for SAF funds must be formally submitted by completing and submitting the 'NCAA Student-Assistance Fund Application' (along with any supporting documentation) to a member of the SAF committee. If the request does not fit into the automatic approval policy below it will then be circulated via email to the rest of the committee to vote on for approval or denial.

Within 10 business days of the request the applicant will be notified via email if the funds have been approved or denied. It is up to the discretion of the Athletic Business Office representative on the committee as to how approved funds are disbursed; whether that is via paying the bill directly, reimbursing the student-athlete for an expense already paid for, requiring receipts are returned, or any other administrative processes they deem necessary. All information on how to accept approved funds will be outlined to the applicant in the approval email and the requesting student-athlete is required to abide by any steps laid out in said email or risks losing the funding.

Automatic Approvals:
All Pell eligible student-athletes (as well as international student-athletes with demonstrated financial need) need not receive formal approval from the entire SAF committee if their request falls into one of the following categories:

1. International Taxes/ SEVIS for Full Scholarship Student-Athletes (no application necessary)
2. Health Insurance (no application necessary)
3. Graduation
4. Educational Supplies
5. Medical co-payments*

The representative on the committee from the Office of Athletic Compliance and the Athletic Business Office will be responsible for quickly approving and properly disbursing these funds.

*Unless injury was the result of action considered to be a breach of the Rutgers student Code of Conduct.