We have put together some commonly asked questions and answers to give you more information about the Access and Opportunity Portal Process.
If you have questions that you cannot find the answers to, please email us at aop@rice.edu.
- Who is eligible to apply for financial support?
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Any currently enrolled, domestic, or international undergraduate student is eligible to apply and be considered for financial support
- How do I determine which source of funding (Residential College Accessibility Funding, Access and Opportunity Portal, or Emergency Funding) to apply for?
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The Residential College Accessibility Funding, the Access and Opportunity Portal, and Emergency Funding each fund different things. Consult this list for more specific examples of items that each funding source will consider.
- What if I need funding for something that is not listed?
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If you are requesting non-emergency funding for something that is not listed, submit your funding request to the Access and Opportunity Portal. All true urgent, emergency requests, in which an undergraduate student is actively in crisis, should be directed to the Dean of Undergraduates.
- What if I need to borrow a laptop?
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A short-term laptop loaner program is available to current Rice students. Students can submit a request by emailing OIT Help Desk, help@rice.edu, or by completing the OIT Help Request form here. Please visit this page for more information on how to complete a request.
Undergraduate students who need to request a loaner laptop for longer than six weeks in total should submit a request through the Access and Opportunity Portal.
- Will I receive the entire amount of funding that I request?
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Undergraduate students could receive 100% of their request, a partial amount, or none of their request.
- Can I request reimbursement through AOP?
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If you are requesting reimbursement for any item, please note that this is not guaranteed approval. In very few cases, reimbursements are granted. Decisions for reimbursements for any item you purchased are decided case by case.
In the event that you are reimbursed, you must submit an itemized receipt. Reimbursements will not be processed through any mobile payment services (i.e. CashApp, Gift Cards, PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, etc.)
Students cannot elect to receive a reimbursement if it was not mentioned in the AOP application or meeting.
Reimbursements will be dispersed in the amount approved by the AOP Committee. No changes will be made after the decision has been communicated.
Lastly, a student cannot be reimbursed for something they did not pay for.
- I don’t currently live on campus. Am I still eligible to apply for Residential College Accessibility Funding?
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Yes. Residency in the residential college is not a requirement to apply for and to receive funding.
- I have a question about the application process. How can I get answers?
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Questions related to the Access and Opportunity Portal should be e-mailed with the subject line of AOP Request Question. Questions related to the Residential College Accessibility Funds should be directed to your residential college’s Magister
- Is there a limit to the number of times that I can request support from the Access and Opportunity Portal?
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No, there is no limit to the number of requests that an undergraduate student can make to the portal. It is important to note that funds are limited and the goal of the Access and Opportunity Portal is to provide support to as many students as possible. As a result, all funding decisions are final.
- What happens after I receive notification of funding?
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Once students receive their AOP-approved funding decision, students must follow up within 3 business days to complete the follow-up outlined in the decision email to keep their request active. Funded requests do not transition into the next semester. Failure to follow up within the window could result in funding being revoked. If you miss your follow-up timeframe contact aop@rice.edu immediately.
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