CARES Act Student Emergency Grant Program – FAQs
What is the HEERF CARES Act Emergency Student Grant?
The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) is part of the federal government’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. It provides emergency grants from the U.S. Department of Education to eligible students to help cover education-related expenses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act directs recipients to use the funds they receive for unexpected expenses, unmet financial need, or expenses related to the disruption of campus operations resulting from the coronavirus. These include expenses for food, housing, course materials, technology, health care or childcare.
Who is eligible to receive CARES Act Emergency Student Grants?
The U.S. Department of Education requires colleges and universities to confirm that students receiving CARES Act emergency grants meet basic eligibility for federal “Title IV” financial aid. These eligibility criteria include having a demonstrated financial need certified by the family-income information provided on the student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); being a U.S. citizen or national, permanent resident, or other eligible noncitizen; and being enrolled in a degree or certificate program and making satisfactory academic progress. For a complete list of federal student aid requirements, visit the Department of Education’s Student Financial Aid Eligibility Criteria page.
Is there an application process?
No. Eligible students will receive an email notifying them that they meet the emergency grant criteria based on their FAFSA and academic information and that their grants will either be deposited directly into their bank accounts or sent to them by check.
How much money is CUNY receiving for student emergency grants and how many students qualify?
CUNY’s total allocation from the program is $118 million. About 190,000 undergraduate and graduate students are potentially eligible to receive grants.
How did CUNY determine the amount that students will receive?
The University used a number of factors in calculating individual grant amounts. These factors centered on financial need based on the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) calculation that students reported in their FAFSA filings; whether they are enrolled as full-time or part-time students; and whether they claimed dependents on their FAFSA. Because the federal government determined the total allocation for each CUNY college, the base amount of a student’s grant varies depending on which college they attend.
When will qualifying students be notified of their selection status and the amount of their grants?
Qualifying students who filed a FAFSA for the 2019-20 academic year will be notified of their status around May 20 and the amount of their grants will appear in their CUNYfirst Student Center. (See below for navigation instructions.) Funds will be disbursed between May 22 and 29.
How can students view their CARES Act grant status and amount?
Each qualifying student’s information can be found in their CUNYfirst Student Center by following these steps:
- Login to CUNYfirst at https://home.cunyfirst.cuny.edu.
- Go to Student Center from the left menu. (Click here or visual help finding Student Center.
- In the Finances section, click the View Financial Aid link.
- On the Select Aid Year to View page, you may see listings for multiple years and multiple colleges. Click the Aid Year link for the college and aid year you wish to view.
How will students receive their grants?
Funds will be electronically deposited into the bank accounts of students enrolled in direct deposit between May 22 and 29. For students who are not enrolled in direct deposit, checks will be mailed to the address in their CUNYfirst account. Students can verify if they are set up for direct deposit by going to Manage My Direct Deposit in their CUNYfirst account. To confirm bank account information, visit Manage My Account. To verify your mailing address, visit Addresses. If you would like to sign up for a direct deposit account, visit www.cuny.edu/studentrefunds.
What if a student didn’t file a FAFSA application? Are they still eligible to receive a grant?
Students who haven’t completed a FAFSA for this school year may do so by June 15 to find out if they qualify for a CARES Act emergency grant. Applications can be found at FAFSA.ed.gov and can be completed in about one hour. Once they submit their form, students may check their CUNYfirst Student Center and review their To Do List for any pending items. Students will be informed whether they qualify for a CARES Act grant within two weeks of submitting their completed FAFSA.
Are international or undocumented students eligible to receive funds from the CARES Act Federal Emergency Grant?
Unfortunately, the CARES Act is restricted to U.S. citizens or nationals, permanent residents or other noncitizens who are eligible for federal student financial aid. But CUNY students who do not qualify may be eligible to receive assistance from the Chancellor’s Emergency Relief Grant Program and may contact their campus Financial Aid Office to see what other assistance may be available. A list of the offices and the contact information for each is available here.
Will receiving a grant through the CARES Act HEERF Student Emergency Grant affect my student financial aid?
No. Recipients of the CARES Act HEERF Student Emergency grants will see no impact on the calculation of their full financial need. You may receive this grant in addition to other aid awarded.
Will receiving a grant through the CARES Act Emergency Student Grant affect a student’s regular financial aid?
No. Recipients of emergency grants will see no impact on the calculation of their full financial need.
Are students who were enrolled exclusively in online programs prior to the national coronavirus emergency eligible to receive emergency financial aid grants?
The formula provided by Congress for calculating the distribution of funds to institutions excludes students who were enrolled only in online education programs prior to March 13, this is because the emergency financial aid grants are for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations; students who were already enrolled exclusively in distance education programs would not have expenses related to those disruptions.
Are CARES Act Emergency Student Grants taxable?
No. The grants are not included in gross taxable income. For that reason also, students who use some of their grant to pay for course materials required for online learning cannot claim that expense as a qualifying tax deduction or credit.
Can CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds Be Used To Pay a Student’s Outstanding Balance?
No, the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grants to students are intended to go to students for their expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus pandemic, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child-care expenses. The disbursement of the emergency student grant must remain unencumbered by the college; debts, charges, fees, or other amounts owed to the college may not be deducted from the emergency financial aid grant.
Can students appeal decisions regarding their eligibility or the amount of their grant?
Students’ eligibility for a CARES Act grant is determined by the rules set by the federal Department of Education. Their grant amounts are calculated based on the allocation to each CUNY college and the individual criteria described above. There is no process for appeal. However, students can contact their campus Financial Aid Office to find out if they are eligible for other assistance. A list of the offices and the contact information for each is available here.
If a student receives a CARES Act Emergency Grant and subsequently withdraws from the spring semester, will they have to return the grant?
No. The CARES Act Emergency Grant funding is to provide one-time relief to mitigate the disruption caused by COVID-19. In no circumstance will recipients of this grant will have to return any portion of the funds.
I did not file the 2019-2020 FAFSA but did file 2020-2021 FAFSA. Is this acceptable?
Students that had not file the 2019-2020 FAFSA and met the basic eligibility criteria were sent a letter requesting that they file the 2019-2020 FAFSA by June 15th, 2020 so we may assess their complete eligibility. Eligibility is based on their spring 2020 term enrollment.