As stimulus checks roll out across the country for the third time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it feels as though many college students keep getting left out. Several factors, such as income, identifying as a dependent on your parents and/or guardian’s taxes and more have left college students without chances of any relief from the government. For many students, their college and universities are where they look to, to provide them with any type of relief. Under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grant program, the US Department of Education only allowed funds to be received under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA), however, you may now be eligible to receive assistance from your school’s COVID-19 relief funds.
The Department of Education recently created a new policy that’ll allow colleges and universities to use the stimulus funds they receive from HEERF for new benefits, flexibilities, and assistance to students. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced that this new guidance “will enable colleges and universities to better address the academic needs of their students, as well ensure that institutions of higher education have the financial support and resources needed to support their students and mitigate the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 emergency. Our latest actions will help campuses address those challenges.” So how could this new guidance benefit you?
Financial aid grants
Your university can use the stimulus money they received from the government to create grants for students. In a press release, the Department of Education announced that colleges and universities can create “financial aid grants to dual enrollment, continuing education, non-degree seeking, non-credit students, as well as to a broad range of students with exceptional needs, such as certain refugees or persons granted asylum.”
While this seems amazing, it’s only optional for colleges and universities. Reaching out to your school’s financial aid office would be a good idea to see if your school has recently created any new grants or scholarships that you might be eligible for. If not, and you know your school has recently received money from the government, try sending an email to the administration stating a need for new grants and scholarships for students, especially given the pandemic we’re currently in and how it’s affected you and your fellow peers (because it has).
Discharge student debts
Many students in the past year have been directly affected by the ongoing pandemic, which has caused financial problems preventing them from continuing their education normally. If you currently owe your college/university money that’s preventing you from continuing or completing your education, receiving your official transcript to transfer, etc., your school might now be able to discharge unpaid institutional balances so you can resume your studies. However, this only applies to student debts or unpaid bills owed directly to the college, and doesn’t apply to outside student loan programs.
This has to be the best news to come out of this new guidance. There are so many students across the country who were really hit hard the past few years financially and haven’t been able to return to college because of the debt they owe to the university from previous semesters. If you or someone you know is currently in debt to the university, contact the administration or your school’s financial aid office to see if they are discharging student debts or possibly can start.
Lower childcare service costs for student parents
Institutions can also use their COVID-19 relief funds to subsidize child care services for any student parents out there.
Supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits for eligible students
If you’re eligible to participate in a work-study program during the academic year according to your school, have an expected family contribution (EFC) of 0 in the current academic year, and are eligible for a maximum Pell Grant, you may receive SNAP benefits.
While the Department of Education has allowed schools to use their COVID-19 relief funds to further help their students, the question is if they actually will. Reach out to your university financial aid advisors, and be on the lookout for more information from your school regarding student relief and assistance in the new few weeks to see what opportunities you may be eligible for! Be on the lookout for another CARES Act check, too, because I think I speak for all college students when I say it would be ~greatly appreciated and long overdue~.