Federal Higher Education emergency grants for students

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.

App State’s HEERF I distribution 

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:

• $7,963,966 (50%) was provided directly to students;
• $7,963,966 (50%) was provided to App State, and was issued as housing and dining refunds to students.

App State’s HEERF I distribution was completed in January 2021. 

App State’s HEERF II distribution 

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:

• Undergraduate students receiving the Pell Grant in the 2020-21 academic year received $525.
• Eligible graduate students and undergraduate students NOT receiving the Pell Grant during the 2020-21 academic year received $400.

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.

App State’s HEERF III distribution 

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.

• Students eligible for this award must have attempted at least 24 total credits at App State during the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters but completed less than 30 credits.
• These students also had to be enrolled in classes at App State for the spring 2021 semester and eligible to attend in the fall 2021 semester.
• Based on institutional priorities, eligible students received assistance and were encouraged to use distributed funds to take a summer course in order to graduate on time.

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:

• Undergraduate students receiving the Pell Grant in the 2021-22 academic year received $875.
• Eligible graduate students and undergraduate students NOT receiving the Pell Grant during the 2021-22 academic year received $735.

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.

• Undergraduate students had to be enrolled in at least six credit hours.
• Graduate students had to be enrolled in at least five credit hours.

About 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 and a student’s cost of attendance, such as:

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