CARES Act

Eligibility

The University recognizes that all its students have been affected by the COVID-19 emergency, whether due to having to purchase new equipment and/or invest in technological upgrades to successfully shift from an on-campus to a virtual campus environment; or due to loss of employment, resulting in difficulty in paying for rent, food, or other living expenses; or due to other unforeseen circumstances. Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds provide a grant to the University to provide direct financial assistance to students.

CARES (HEERF I)

The University was allocated $768,293 in HEERF I funds to disburse to students. The University issued grants to students that met the following criteria:

• Student must have been enrolled at least part time in a degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate program during the Spring 2020 semester
• Student must be eligible to receive Title IV aid as determined by the 2020-2021 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Students who did not complete the FAFSA were reached out to via their university email addresses and given a deadline of May 15, 2021 to file

A one-time grant in the amount of $ 1,250 was issued automatically in the form of a check and mailed to all students who met the previously mentioned criteria.  Students did not need to submit anything to receive it.

CRRSAA (HEERF II)

The University was allocated $768,293 in HEERF II funds to disburse to students.

The University established the eligibility criteria to issue grants to students based on information provided by the US Dept of ED. This information suggests that the University is to prioritize students with exceptional need and undergraduate students. All undergraduate students were eligible, regardless of citizenship or Title IV eligibility status. The grants were issued to students as follows:

• Student must have been enrolled at least part time in a degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate program during the Late Fall 2020 or Spring 2021 semester

A one-time grant in the amount of $ 1,500 was issued automatically in the form of a check and mailed to all Pell eligible students who met the previously mentioned criteria. Non-Pell eligible were similarly issued $ 1,000.  Students did not need to submit anything to receive it.

ARP (HEERF III)

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology was allocated $ 2,484,220 in HEERF III funds to disburse as grants to students. These funds were disbursed directly to students in December 2021 and April 2022.

The University established the eligibility criteria to issue grants to students based on information provided by the US Dept of ED. This information suggests that the University is to prioritize students with exceptional need and undergraduate students. All undergraduate students were eligible, regardless of citizenship or Title IV eligibility status. For the December 2021 disbursement, the grants were issued to students as follows:

• Undergraduate Pell students enrolled for the Fall or Late Fall 2021 terms in a degree seeking program received an emergency grant of $ 2,000. As Pell recipients, we designated these students as having the highest need level.
• All Undergraduate Non-Pell students enrolled for the Fall or Late Fall 2021 terms in a degree seeking program will receive an emergency grant of $ 1,500.
• Any domestic (US Citizen or Permanent Resident) graduate or doctoral student enrolled for the Fall or Late Fall 2021 terms in a degree seeking program will receive an emergency grant of $ 1,000.

For the April 2022 disbursement, the grants were issued to students as follows:

• Undergraduate Pell students enrolled for the Spring or Late Spring 2022 terms in a degree seeking program received an emergency grant of $ 2,400. As Pell recipients, we designated these students as having the highest need level.
• All Undergraduate Non-Pell students enrolled for the Spring or Late Spring 2022 terms in a degree seeking program will receive an emergency grant of $ 1,900.
• Any domestic (US Citizen or Permanent Resident) graduate or doctoral student enrolled for the Spring or Late Spring 2022 terms in a degree seeking program will receive an emergency grant of $ 1,215.

ADDITIONAL NEED?

Students who can demonstrate expenses directly related to the COVID-19 emergency that exceeds the amount they received may submit an appeal for additional funds by sending an email to FinancialAid@HarrisburgU.edu. The appeal must state the student’s name, student ID, the reason for the appeal, the amount requested, and documentation of expenses. Since students are already receiving an allotment from this grant, all documentation must show expenses that exceed the amount previously granted. Requests that do not provide the preceding information will not be considered.

In addition, if you have suffered a financial hardship due to the pandemic, such as a job loss, it is possible that you could qualify for additional financial aid. Contact the Financial Aid Office to see if you qualify:

Phone: 717.901.5100 Ext. 1672

Email: FinancialAid@HarrisburgU.edu