Graduate Cash Advance

Overview

A cash advance is a University resource available to graduate students to assist them with expenses before their graduate financial support is posted to their student account and/or TA/RA salary is paid.

For Autumn Quarter 2020 only, the amounts that graduate students can request as an advance have been increased to $2,000, $4,000, or $6,000.

The funds will arrive in their bank account generally within 3 business days. Once requested, a Cash Advance charge will be posted to the student’s University bill. No interest or fees will be charged and, generally, the Cash Advance is not taxable.

Repayment options

The Cash Advance will be repaid automatically once the expected financial support is posted to the student’s University account, or through Payroll Deduction (Housing & Fees or Pay All Charges options).  

If financial support or salary is not provided, or is insufficient to repay the Cash Advance received, the student must repay the full Cash Advance or any necessary difference by making a University bill payment via Stanford ePay by the due date stated on the University bill.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for a Cash Advance, a student must:

• be an active graduate student in a degree program

• be enrolled in courses if requesting a Graduate Cash Advance for the Summer term

• be signed up for Direct Deposit with valid banking details

• have no financial or enrollment hold

• have not already received a cash advance for the term requested.

Additionally, the student will need to make the following attestations in the request process:

▢  I am expecting graduate financial support for the requested term,

▢  I am fully responsible for repayment of the cash advance regardless of whether such financial support is provided,

▢  I agree that any financial support I receive will be used to repay the cash advance.

▢ Once I submit this request, I cannot make any changes

Request instructions

To request a Graduate Cash Advance:

1. Log in to Axess

2. Click on the Cash Advance link in the Student Menu

3. Follow the stated instructions.

Students can view their submitted request(s) by clicking “View Cash Advance Request” under the “Other Financial” drop down menu in the Finances section of the Student page.

Dates when students can submit requests**

**Dates subject to change

Mind Over Money Financial Literacy Note: Graduate Cash Advance vs. Payday Loans

A Graduate Cash Advance is not to be confused with a payday loan. A Cash Advance under this University program is a bridge for student expenses to minimize issues related to the timing of expected financial support from the University. No interest or fees will be charged in requesting and receiving a graduate cash advance.

Conversely, payday lenders charge high interest rates for loans that are intended to be repaid with the borrowers’ next paycheck. Generally, financial experts warn against using payday loans because borrowers can easily get trapped in a long-term cycle of debt and high costs.