In response to the continued need for emergency financial support as a result of COVID-19, the Office of Financial Aid has been hard at work reviewing Student Emergency Relief applications and ensuring funds get to students who need them most.
For students, this support can make all the difference in being able to pay next month鈥檚 rent, afford food, or get access to the technology needed to support a remote-hybrid learning environment.
As of April 15, 10,815 students were awarded an emergency grant during the past year, totaling over $26,230,531 in emergency assistance provided directly to students. On average, students received a total of $2,425 in emergency grant aid.
Over the last year, emergency funding has been made possible from a combination of sources, including the federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), CU System funding and 彩民宝典 institutional funds. Of the $26,230,531 awarded:
- 70% of funding came from federal HEERF funds
- 16% came from CU System funds
- 14% came from 彩民宝典 emergency funds
- A portion of this funding was provided through contributions from more than 870 donors totaling $165,000.
It takes a village
With that much funding, there were thousands of student applications; 21,633 to be exact. Each application was thoughtfully reviewed by a staff member in the Office of Financial Aid.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had more than 20 staff members help review applications throughout this last year and have hired three temporary employees to help with the volume of applications,鈥� said Financial Aid Director Ofelia Morales. 鈥淚 also want to acknowledge staff for the countless hours needed to plan, implement and continuously pivot as new funds and regulations arise. I鈥檓 constantly reminded of the passion our staff has for supporting students.鈥�
The Office of Financial Aid has been reviewing emergency applications since May of last year and will continue through 2021.
But wait, there鈥檚 more
An additional $25 million in federal HEERF funding has been approved for student emergency grants next academic year. The Office of Financial Aid is looking into the best way to award these funds going forward.