10 Background: Financial barriers may prevent cancer patients from enrolling into clinical trials. This financial burden has yet to be fully explored. The goal of this study is to establish the feasibility of a financial assistance program for cancer patients enrolled in clinical trials and to analyze patient characteristics associated with financial aid requests. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of cancer clinical trial patients who registered for a financial assistance program at a tertiary cancer center. This program is designed to fund non-clinical expenses related to clinical trial participation (e.g. travel, lodging). Patients were referred to the program by their provider and enrolled if they expressed interest. After registration, applicants were required to request reimbursement monthly in order to receive funding. Descriptive statistics and univariate analyses compared characteristics of patients who requested funding vs. those who did not. Results: From November 2013 to April 2014, a total of 86 participants enrolled into the financial assistance program; 43 received funds and 43 did not. Most patients were <65 years old (73%), female (70%), white (86%), married (67%), and enrolled in a phase 1 trial (69%). Patients with lower incomes were more likely to request funds than those with incomes > $75,000 (61% vs. 38%, p=0.01). Patients currently employed were more likely to pursue funds than disabled or unemployed patients (58% vs. 21%, p<0.01). Out-of-state patients were more likely to ask for funds than in-state patients (64% vs.19%, p<0.01). Patients who requested funds were less likely to have disease progression after enrollment than those who did not request funds (19% vs. 42%, p=0.03). Conclusions: Enrolling clinical trial participants onto a financial assistance program is both feasible and informative. The patients who requested financial aid in our program were more likely to have lower incomes, remain employed, and reside out of state. Those who requested funding were less likely to have disease progression after program enrollment. Future efforts should continue to explore and improve interventions aimed to alleviate the financial burden experienced by cancer patients enrolled in clinical trials.