Student Financial Services

CARES Act emergency grant funds still available

The deadline to apply for CARES Act emergency grant funding is August 22, 2020.

icon of a calendarJuly 8, 2020

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CARES Act emergency grant funds still available
Student at computer

Oakland University students who incurred qualifying expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the pandemic can still apply for additional Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) emergency grants. 

The additional grants are limited to a maximum of $500 each to cover certain student expenses related to the campus disruption due to the coronavirus. 

Students who already received an initial CARES Act emergency grant and who have additional financial need or hardship due to the coronavirus may apply for additional grants to help cover certain expenses.

Students who did not receive an initial CARES Act emergency grant and who filed a 2019-2020 FAFSA by the June 30, 2020 federal deadline may also submit an application. 

Students must meet eligibility requirements for Title IV federal student aid; therefore, they must have completed a 2019-20 FAFSA. The deadline for submitting the CARES Act emergency grant application is August 22, 2020.

To be Title IV aid eligible under Section 484 of the HEA, the student must:

  • Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a degree, certificate or other recognized educational credential
  • Not be enrolled in elementary or secondary school and have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent
  • maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) if the student is a currently enrolled student
  • Not owe an overpayment (refund) on Title IV grants
  • Not be in default on a Title IV loan
  • File with ED “as part of the original financial aid application process” a certification (Statement of Educational Purpose) that includes:
    • A statement of educational purpose, and
    • The student’s Social Security Number (SSN)
  • Be a U.S citizen or national, a permanent resident, or an eligible noncitizen
  • Have returned any fraudulently obtained Title IV funds, if the student is convicted of or pled guilty or no contest to charges
  • Not have fraudulently received Title IV loans in excess of annual or aggregate limits
  • Have repaid any Title IV loan overpayment amounts in excess of annual or aggregate limits, if obtained inadvertently
  • Have his Selective Service registration verified (the Title IV aid ineligibility for failure to register is in the Selective Service Act §3811(f))
  • Have a valid SSN, except for residents of the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau
  • Not have a federal or state conviction for drug possession or sale, with certain time limitations

Eligible students will be selected for emergency grants on a rolling basis until the $1 million in funding designated for this purpose is exhausted. Recipients will receive an official notification with directions on how to sign up for non-payroll direct deposit, so they can safely and easily secure the grants in a timely manner.

Students not eligible for CARES Act HERFF grant funding may apply for assistance from other  institutional emergency funds, such as the OU COVID-19 Special Relief Fund. These funds have different eligibility requirements than the CARES Act HEERF grants. Students are also encouraged to discuss other financial options with Student Financial Services at [email protected] or (248) 370-2550.

Prior to this process, 10,681 Oakland University students were automatically selected (no application required) to receive an emergency grant of $500 for a total of $5.3 million, which was disbursed from May 15-22. This initial group of students met the following criteria: 

1) Title IV aid eligible (2019-20 FAFSA)
2) Registered for Winter 2020 in at least 1 credit hour as of March 13
3) Not attending 100 percent online courses/program prior to March 13 

The new application process yielded an additional 822 awards, from $50 to $500, for a total of $405,263 disbursed to students.

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