CARES Act emergency grants for students

Federal CARES Act emergency grants are available for App State students. Allocations must be used to cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus. Students must meet minimum Department of Education criteria to be eligible to receive CARES Act emergency grants. Learn more about eligibility and how to apply.

Federal funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, provides grant assistance to the university, direct aid to students. App State’s allocation is $15,927,932. Of that amount, 50%, or $7,963,966, will be provided directly to students in the form of Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grants.

The legislation specifies HEERF grant allocations must be used to cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus. Qualifying expenses include a student’s cost of attendance, such as:

Food
Housing
Course materials
Technology
Relocation expenses
Health care
Child care
Transportation

These funds must be paid directly to students by the university and cannot be used to refund the cost of reimbursements already paid to students by the university.

HEERF grant allocations will vary based on students’ individual situations, but our distribution plan is designed to help the most students with the greatest financial need.

Am I eligible?

Students must meet the following minimum Department of Education criteria to be eligible for a CARES Emergency Grant:

If you were enrolled as a degree-seeking, main campus (not online) student in at least one Spring 2020 course on or after March 13, 2020.
Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements. Read about these requirements here.
Meet federal financial aid eligibility requirements.

Note that most students have been pre-qualified. Please read more information about this under “How can I apply?” below.

How can I apply?

To apply for CARES Act emergency grant funding, complete these three steps:

Log into AppalNet.
Click here for instructions on how to find your notification in AppalNet.
- Eligible students who have been pre-qualified will have a notification in AppalNet indicating they are eligible to apply for CARES grant funding.
- Those who have not been pre-qualified will have a notification in AppalNet indicating they are currently not eligible for CARES grant funding and directing them to complete the 2020-21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible. We will continue pre-qualifying currently not eligible students through July 31, 2020, so once you complete the FAFSA, check back to see if your eligibility status changes.

Complete the CARES Act emergency grant application.
Enroll in direct deposit. This step is not required, but is recommended for the fastest processing.
- Enroll, update or check your direct deposit enrollment.
- View instructions for setting up direct deposit.
- Those who do not enroll in direct deposit will receive a check mailed to their permanent address.

What is the application deadline?

The application will be open through July 31, 2020. Graduating seniors in particular should apply as soon as possible.

If I am not eligible but need financial assistance, what do I do?

The Mountaineer Emergency Fund offers assistance to students who are facing financial challenges that are significant barriers to their academic success.

When will I receive my grant funds?

Processing begins immediately upon the submission of your application. Your grant will be called a “refund.” Refunds are typically awarded within 3-5 business days, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The fastest way to receive your grant money is via direct deposit.

**Note that when CARES funding is approved, it may appear to decrease your current outstanding bill. This is a temporary accounting effect of processing your grant funds through Student Accounts, and the CARES funding will be refunded directly to you in the next refund cycle in 3 to 5 business days.**

Is CARES funding part of my financial aid package?

No. This is not Financial Aid and will not count toward or be included in any financial aid package or college loans you receive.

Do I need to pay CARES funds back?

No. This is an emergency relief grant from the US Department of Education to help enrolled students cover expenses they experienced due to the campus disruption caused by COVID-19.