UCSF COVID-19 Relief Program

Updated December 12, 2020

Applications for the program have now closed. We will keep you updated if additional resources become available for a third round of COVID-19 relief support.

The UCSF COVID-19 Relief Program provides up to $1,000 in aid to assist those who have experienced unexpected financial hardship resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Funding for the Program

The UCSF COVID-19 Relief Program was established with philanthropic funding given to support UCSF’s response to COVID-19.

All gifts to the UCSF COVID-19 Qualified Disaster Relief Fund will immediately support members of our UCSF family who have experienced significant financial challenges during the pandemic. You can donate here.

For questions about the program, please email [email protected].

For Employees

UCSF employees (and those on temporary leave or approved Leave of Absence) are eligible to receive up to $1,000 for critical, temporary, and unforeseen financial hardships that result from the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds are for needs over and beyond prior, baseline expenses and priority will be placed on those with the greatest need.

Financial grants do not need to be repaid and are not taxable, since COVID-19 is a federally declared disaster by the President, and the payments are therefore considered “qualified disaster relief payments” under section 139 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Applicant Eligibility Guidelines

UCSF employees of all appointment types (including Staff, Postdocs, Residents and Fellows, Faculty and Non-Faculty Academics) who meet the criteria below are eligible to apply to the UCSF COVID-19 Relief Program:

  • Have a current, total base salary or stipend of $95,000 and less;
  • Are either (1) currently employed by UCSF in a position of 0.5 FTE or greater, or (2) on temporary layoff status or approved Leave of Absence from a position of 0.5 FTE or greater; and
    • Per Diem hours and percentage of time is calculated by the hours worked in a 6-month period; and
  • Have a temporary financial hardship because of the COVID-19 situation;

Each employee can request up to a cumulative total of $1,000 in financial assistance from the COVID-19 Relief Fund annually. An employee who submitted an application that received less than the total $1,000 amount, may submit another application to receive the remainder. An employee who received $1,000 in the first round cannot apply at this time.

An individual cannot receive funding from both the UCSF COVID-19 Relief Program and a donor-restricted source of funding for COVID-19 qualified disaster relief at UCSF.

Eligible Expenses

The UCSF COVID-19 Relief Program was established to address critical, temporary, and unforeseen financial hardships that result from the COVID-19 crisis. Funds are for needs over and beyond prior, baseline expenses and priority will be placed on those with the greatest need.

Funds will ONLY be approved for the following expenses:

  • Childcare and dependent care
    • For example, the incremental cost of a camp or babysitter used during the pandemic because schools are closed versus the cost of before-care and after-care school programs used previously
    • For example, a dependent is now living with you as a result of the pandemic and you need to pay for in home care support for the dependent
  • Transportation and parking
    • For example, the incremental cost of paying for UCSF daily parking or parking permit used during the pandemic versus a monthly MUNI pass and BART fare used previously.
    • For example, travel to care for a close relative that has/had COVID-19.
  • Temporary accommodations for quarantine or isolation
    • For example, the cost of a hotel room needed by staff to be close to a UCSF work site or for staff who are required to be in frequent direct contact with other people at work, which causes increased risk to their family members if together in one residence.
  • Housing payments
    • For example, needing to pay a higher amount of the household rent or mortgage since household members are out of work due to COVID-19.
    • For example, rent increased because you need to move to be closer to work or family.
  • Uninsured medical expenses of a close relative related to COVID-19
    • For example, testing for COVID and co-pays for COVID treatments.
  • Funeral expenses for a close relative that has died as a result of COVID-19
    • A close relative is defined as a partner, child, parent, sibling, or grandparent. Other relatives will be considered if a pattern of dependent care is established.

Eligible expenses must have been incurred on or after March 13, 2020.

Applying for COVID-19 Relief

Applications are submitted online and require the following information:

  • Personal information, including your employee ID, UC Path ID and contact information.
  • Confirmation of your eligibility for the program.
  • Description of your critical, temporary, and unforeseen financial hardship resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Clearly articulate how needs are over and beyond prior, baseline expenses.
  • Confirmation of the accuracy of your application information and attestation that you will use the funding to cover the expenses for which you have applied, and will return any funding if the expenses are paid for or reimbursed by another party.
  • Receipts/documentation need not be submitted, but you must be able to provide such records showing how the funds were used if asked to do so.

Please consult with your supervisor for assistance if you cannot access the online application or contact [email protected] for assistance.

Application Review and Funding Process

The UCSF COVID-19 Relief Program Review Committee, which is appointed by the Senior Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration, will review applications in the order they are received, with the goal of providing each recipient a meaningful amount of funding while stretching the resources as far as possible.  Each employee or learner can apply for up to a cumulative total of $1,000 in financial assistance from the UCSF COVID-19 Relief Program annually.

Only one application may be submitted per household. For example, if two members of the immediate family both work for UCSF, only one can submit an application per year.

Funding is not guaranteed to all who apply. Funding is awarded on a case-by-case basis and is contingent upon availability of funds in the UCSF COVID-19 Relief Program account. Given the limited amount of funds available, requests may be fully funded up to a $1,000 limit, partially funded, or not funded at all.

Frequently Asked Questions