While the wildfires in Southern California are slowly coming under control, the University has taken a number of financial and emotional steps to help students affected by the blazes that have drawn national attention in the past week.

To help with various unexpected expenses such as insurance, medical bills, travel, car repairs and other critical needs that may have come up due to the disaster, Student Financial Services is offering cash advances to all students in need.

“Because cash advances are necessary for critical living expenses, we are sensitive to the fact that time is of the essence for disbursing the funds,” said Teresa Janeway, director of Student Financial Services. “Therefore, a cash advance is typically approved and posted to the student’s account the same day it is requested.”

These emergency funds are added as a receivable to the student’s University bill, she said, and the repayment time is negotiable.

“Cash advances under normal circumstances are usually payable back to the University by the end of the current or subsequent term,” Janeway said. “However, during a time of emergency, we recognize each student’s situation is unique. We will work one on one with the students that come to us for assistance to establish a repayment time for the advance.”

If a student does not have the resources to repay a relief loan within a few months, they can work with the Financial Aid Office, said Director of Financial Aid Karen Cooper. The Office will assist them with long-term student loans or scholarship funds as appropriate.

“We are in a position to evaluate requests from students as soon as they are ready to submit them,” Cooper said. “Essentially what we will be doing is re-evaluating all of the factors that go into calculating an expected parent contribution as clearly this tragedy will potentially affect family incomes and assets as considered in the financial aid formulas.

“We will be working with families to gather information about how the data they originally submitted has been changed as a result of the fires,” she added. “Any decrease in expected parent contribution would be met with an increase in scholarship funds. I also expect we may hear from some students who had not previously applied for aid. We are still in a position to be able to help those families as well.”

In addition to the financial burden caused by the fires, the University recognized that students may be mentally affected by the strain of going to classes during such an unstable time at home.

For students who wish to speak to professionals, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is the first point of call.

“We give priority access to students who may be in crisis,” said CAPS Associate Director Alejandro Martinez. “We will see students the same day if need be.”

While professional help is available, Stanford students have banded together amidst the chaos to support friends and share anxieties.

“When I first heard about the fires, I was very worried and thought of my family and what I wanted to save,” said Alif Khalfan ‘08, a student from the San Diego suburb of Escondido, whose family was evacuated from his home. “But then I instantly thought of my friend in my hall and went straight to her. We consoled each other and sat and watched the news together.”

The blaze came within 200 yards of Khalfan’s house, which was saved by the efforts of state firefighters.

“I was worried for a whole day and found it harder than usual to focus in classes, although I think that I handled it fairly well,” he said.

Emily Hulme ‘11, a student from Poway, a town near San Diego, said she knew a number of people whose houses were destroyed by the fires, and added that her family was evacuated from their home.

“It was very surreal in the respect that when you hear about fires or floods and people getting displaced, it doesn’t really affect you personally,” she said. “But this time for us, it was very real.”

While Hulme’s house was not burned down, she acknowledged that many students like herself were indirectly affected by the fires.

“My parents told me there was ash everywhere in the house and everything smelled of smoke,” she said. “It is also really bad because the area I live in is a very scenic place with nature preserves, which has now been charred.”

In an email sent to students last Tuesday, Vice Provost for Student Affairs Greg Boardman listed resources for those affected by the fires. He also encouraged unaffected students to reach out to their friends with relatives in Southern California.

“One of the many strengths of our community is the compassion and care we show others in need,” he said in the email. “Let’s make sure we demonstrate this concern in our daily interaction with each other.”

Students in need of immediate financial assistance can request funds through Student Financial Services by calling (650) 723-2181. Students in need of longer-term financial solutions can contact Hilda Bravo at the Financial Aid Office at (650) 725-6088. Counseling is also available for urgent situations through CAPS, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (650) 723-3785.