USU Begins Second Round of Fall Student Relief Grants

Utah State University will award a second round of student relief grants to students enrolled for fall 2021 semester. Students will begin receiving award notifications Nov. 2, 2021.

The university has slightly more than $27 million in federal relief funding it will distribute to continue to support students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the second round of awarding, approximately 10,000 students will be notified through their USU email accounts that they have automatically qualified for awards of $800 or $1,000. Automatic awards are determined by students demonstrating “exceptional need” in their completed 2021-2022 FAFSA.

“Relief funding has been extremely important in helping our students stay on track with their education during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said James Morales, vice president for student affairs. “We’re happy to be able to continue this support with another set of awards for fall semester.”

Awards may be used for emergency costs due to coronavirus. These costs may include food, housing, transportation, health care (including mental health care), or child care. Students must accept their award when they are notified, and they have the option of applying it to their outstanding university balance or getting it sent directly to them.

Students who do not receive automatic awards, but who have experienced significant unexpected expenses such as loss of employment, reduced income, or food or housing insecurity, can apply for a grant of up to $800. This includes international and undocumented students who do not fill out the FAFSA. The application deadline is Nov. 15, 2021.

In March 2021, the federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) was allocated $39.6 billion in funding by the American Rescue Plan. This funding is available to institutions of higher education to serve students and ensure learning continues during the pandemic. As of Sept. 30, 2021, USU has disbursed a total of $22,668,673 of federal relief funding to 17,732 students. For more information on USU’s student relief grants, visit usu.edu/covid-19/cares.