Georgia State University students were informed by email, texts and website messaging that the U.S. Secretary of Education, in response to the CARES Act, notified colleges and universities that financial resources are available to provide grants to students for expenses related to disruptions to their educations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students were also notified in accordance with recommendations from the U.S. Secretary of Education, Georgia State has distributed funds received through the CARES Act by prioritizing students with the greatest levels of financial need using established processes that the university has developed to distribute need-based institutional aid.
Georgia State University requested resources from the CARES Act and created two distribution methods for providing this additional support to our students. The CARES Act provided Georgia State University $45,243,852.00 in additional support. Of which, 50%, or $22,621,926, of this amount is earmarked for student relief. This relief is provided in two direct distributions and through an emergency grant application process.
The first direct-grant distribution occurred at the end of April 2020 when 22,877 students were awarded grants ranging from $200 to $700. The total amount of the distribution was $13,305,250. Students selected for this grant had EFC that fell below $5,577, were enrolled in the Spring 2020 term, were not previously taking online courses and met all eligibility criteria for CARES Act funding. These direct grants were provided to both graduate and undergraduate students.
The second direct-grant distribution occurred at the beginning of June when 11,847 students were awarded grants ranging from $400 to $700. The total amount of the distribution was $7,136,900. Students selected for this grant had EFC that fell below $5,577, were enrolled in the Summer 2020 term, were not previously taking online courses and met all eligibility criteria for CARES Act funding. These direct grants were provided to both graduate and undergraduate students.
In addition to the direct grants, students may apply for CARES Act assistance through the Emergency Assistance Application link located on the Coronavirus Update page on the Georgia State University website. Students who are experiencing financial hardship resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic may apply for assistance regardless of their EFC. Students must have completed a 2019-20 or 2020-21 FAFSA and be otherwise eligible to receive Title IV financial aid. Awards are granted up to $1,500 per application with a maximum lifetime award not to exceed $6,195. Approximately $3 million dollars has been reserved to provide support to students though this channel. To date, 2695 students have received awards with a total amount disbursed of $1,335,192. Fund distribution may change as a result of student needs and enrollment patterns. An update may be provided at that time.
As of July 2, 2020, 34,724 grants have been awarded from CARES Act funds.
Update (October 22, 2020) In this update, we referenced a total award of $1,335,192 in assistance to 2,695. This amount represents our total distribution of emergency assistance grants to students from all resources. It includes funds from the CARES Act, but is not limited to those funds.