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Funding Details:

Astera Foundation provides up to $1500 in financial assistance for household bills – in doing so, we hope to alleviate the burden associated with your cancer care and enhance your quality of life.  Astera Foundation does not provide assistance with medical bills, credit card bills, co-payments, or subscriptions.  Astera Foundation sends a check directly to the creditor; payments are not made directly to the applicant.  All bills must be in the applicant’s name.  All awards are single payments and will be paid in full with no option for installments or recurring payments.  All bills must be currently owed or in arrears; no payment can be made in advance.  Astera Foundation is not considered an emergency fund and cannot guarantee that payments will be made by a certain date*.  Astera Foundation reserves the right to suspend grant allocations based on available resources.   

Eligibility:

• Must be 18 years of age or older
• Must be a legal resident of New Jersey (out-of-state assistance may be available on a case-by-case basis)
• Must have a cancer diagnosis and either be undergoing active treatment or completed treatment within the most recent six months at the time of referral, such as chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, or stem cell therapy. Families who have had a recent bone marrow transplant or recent cancer surgery, or who are receiving hospice care can be referred for assistance.
• Must have an annual household income at or below 400% Federal Poverty Limit

2024 POVERTY GUIDELINES FOR THE 48 CONTIGUOUS STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

 For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $5,380 for each additional person.

• Household must have no more than $20,000 total in bank accounts (checking, savings)
• Patient or spouse must not own a secondary investment property

* Astera Foundation is not liable for any late fees as a result of a missed or late payment. 

Required Documentation:

• Completed and signed Astera Foundation application
• Government-issued photo ID
• A current letter from oncologist stating that you have a cancer diagnosis
• Three (3) most recent bank account statements (to include deposits, withdrawals, charges, beginning and ending balance for the period).  All pages of each statement are required (ex: if page says “2 of 4”, all four pages are required).
• Proof of income - please provide documents for all applicable sources of income (see examples of approved documents):
  • Two (2) most recent pay stubs
  • Copy of Social Security payments for any/all household members (retirement, SSD, SSI)
  • Copy of Workman’s Compensation benefits
  • Copy of short-term, long term, or temporary disability benefits
  • Pension account statement
  • Copy of a complete record of Unemployment benefit payments
  • Copy of Veteran benefits
  • Rental income
  • Alimony/Child support
  • Proof of student status (unofficial transcript or current class schedule)

Remember to attach completed and signed application, along with all documents to:

Download PDF Application