Khalid Nassar was eighteen months into his PhD program in Electrical Engineering at the University of Toronto when his phone rang at 2 AM. His father had suffered a serious heart attack in Irbid. The surgery went well, but the recovery would be long — and the medical bills were not small.
Khalid's stipend covered his rent and food, with almost nothing left over. His family had been helping him bridge the gap. Now that support was gone overnight. Within days, he faced a choice that no student should ever have to face: pay rent, or buy food.
A Crisis with No Warning
Khalid had never heard of JANA's emergency fund. He found out about it through a WhatsApp group for Arab students in Toronto. A fellow student — someone who had received JANA support two years earlier — posted the link. "I was embarrassed," Khalid says. "I had never asked anyone for help before in my life." But he was also desperate.
He submitted a JANA financial aid request on a Wednesday evening. By Friday morning, he had received a call from a JANA team member asking to understand his situation. By the following Monday, JANA had processed an emergency disbursement that covered his rent for two months.
"I don't know what I would have done. I think I would have had to go home. Two years of work, gone. JANA gave me back my future."
— Khalid Nassar, PhD Electrical Engineering, University of Toronto '24What the Emergency Fund Actually Covers
JANA's emergency fund is designed to respond within 48–72 hours for students facing acute financial crises. It is not a scholarship — it's a safety net for students who are already enrolled and in good standing, facing sudden hardship through no fault of their own. Common cases include: family financial emergencies, sudden loss of funding, unexpected medical costs, or gaps in visa processing that delay access to normal income.
JANA Emergency Fund — What It Covers
- Rent or housing costs (1–3 months)
- Grocery and food insecurity bridge support
- Unexpected medical or dental expenses not covered by student insurance
- Emergency flights home for family crises
- Visa renewal or immigration fee emergencies
- Utility bills and basic living costs during funding gaps
Getting Back on Track
With the immediate crisis resolved, Khalid was able to focus again. His thesis advisor — who had noticed a drop in his output but hadn't understood why — was relieved to learn the situation and offered an extension on an internal deadline. "She was incredibly understanding," Khalid says. "I just couldn't tell her I was choosing between rent and food."
Khalid completed his PhD defense in April 2024. His dissertation — on low-power wireless sensor networks for smart grid infrastructure — received a commendation from his committee. He now works as a research engineer at a telecommunications company in Ottawa.
He donates to JANA's emergency fund monthly. "It's not a lot," he says, "but it matters. Because I know exactly what it means to the person receiving it."
"Every dollar in that fund is a decision someone doesn't have to make. That's what it means."
— Khalid Nassar, now a monthly JANA donorSupport the Emergency Fund
Your donation goes directly to students like Khalid who are one crisis away from leaving school. 100% of emergency fund contributions are disbursed to students — no overhead.
Donate to the Emergency Fund