CARES Act: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund – Student Aid

Overview

$15.4M has been allocated to the University of Arizona for student emergency relief through the CARES Act. The University has signed and returned the Certification and Agreement form necessary to access the funds, and intends to use 100% of these funds to provide emergency financial aid grants to students, within one year of the application date. Funds may only be provided for student expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus. Funds cannot be granted on need alone or due to financial loss because of COVID-19. Recipients must be chosen from among the approximately 22,000 Arizona students who are fully eligible for federal financial aid.

Process

The University is awarding the emergency relief as follows: a) approximately $5M in direct grants to students, b) approximately $5M via an application process embedded in the current Student Emergency Fund process, c) and approximately $5M during summer session and the fall semester. All payments will be refunded directly to students and will not pay toward any balance they may currently owe in their student account. All students are encouraged to log in to UAccess and either set up direct deposit or update their mailing address.

Through March 31, 2021, a total of $15,476,724 has been disbursed to 14,057 eligible undergraduate, graduate, and professional students based on the following criteria:

a. Direct grants were awarded to students who experienced disruption and were displaced from campus housing, lost funding for meal plans, had graduation plans delayed, likely had to unexpectedly travel long distances, and/or live in rural areas of Arizona. Each student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) was also considered when determining eligibility and award amount (ranging from $150 to $1,500).

b. The Student Emergency Fund application can be completed by any University of Arizona student. Students who were not initially awarded a direct grant, or need additional funds, are able to apply for funding. This application process allows the review team to determine if emergency relief may be awarded from the CARES funds or the University of Arizona Foundation funds.

c. Given the significant disruption in spring 2020, it is expected that students may need emergency funding in summer session and the fall semester. To ensure the emergency funds are available, a portion will be held as this emergency relief may be provided for one year from certification. 

This is the final report that covers all remaining HEERF fund expenditures for Section 18004(a)(1) Student Portion funds.

Review our CARES Act Funding FAQs for more information.