App State is distributing federal higher education emergency grants — in the form of the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the 2021 Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA), and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 Public Law 117-2 Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III — to students to help cover expenses related to unanticipated travel, additional technology requirements, or other needs related to an emergency situation.
The federal CARES Act provided grant assistance to the university and direct aid to students. As part of CARES, the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grants were distributed in 2020 to students with financial need who met the minimum U.S. Department of Education criteria to be eligible. HEERF I distribution was completed in January 2021. The HEERF II grants, which App State distributed in spring 2021 to all eligible enrolled students who are U.S. citizens, were part of the CRRSA passed Dec. 27, 2020.
The first HEERF allocation (HEERF I) was $15,927,932. Of that amount:
App State’s HEERF I distribution was completed in January 2021.
The second round of HEERF funding (HEERF II) included approximately $8 million for direct payments to students. It was distributed by March 31, 2021, to approximately 18,000 eligible students as follows:
Students eligible for the second round of HEERF assistance had to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who were enrolled in classes at App State for the spring 2021 semester.
The third round of HEERF funding (HEERF III) included $21,393,658 plus some HEERF III institutional funds for direct payments to students.
As of June 2021, 8,487 eligible students have been awarded $6,144,588.
The university distributed the remaining $15,400,910 HEERF III funds on Sept. 16, 2021, as direct payments to 20,046 eligible students as follows:
Students eligible for this award had to meet U.S. Department of Education eligibility requirements, and had to be degree-seeking students at App State who were enrolled at least half time during the fall 2021 semester.
The legislation specifies HEERF grant allocations must be used to cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus and a student’s cost of attendance, such as: