Georgia State University students were informed by email, texts, and website messaging that the U.S. Secretary of Education, in response to the HEERF III 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 HEERF III 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 HEERF III Act and created two distribution methods for providing this additional support to our students. The HEERF III Act provided Georgia State University $142,477,982.00 in additional support. Fifty percent of this amount is earmarked for student relief. This relief is provided in two direct distributions and through an emergency grant application process.
Original estimates indicated approximately 38,000 students might be eligible to receive support from the HEERF III Act funding. This estimate is decreased to 26,000 students based on the remaining fund availability. This assistance is provided through a direct-grant distribution method determined by EFC and Financial Aid eligibility or an emergency assistance application process, as described below.
The first direct-grant distribution occurred in August 2021. Students were awarded grants ranging from $200 to $700 based on EFC. Students selected for this grant had an EFC that fell below $5,577, were enrolled in the Fall 2021 term, and met all eligibility criteria for HEERF III Act funding. These direct grants were provided to undergraduate students. The second direct-grant distribution was provided to graduate and undergraduate students in September 2021, and the grants ranged from $200 to $600 based on EFC. The third direct direct-grant distribution was provided in November 2021, and the grant amounts ranged from $200 to $600 based on EFC. A fourth and fifth direct disbursement was completed in January 2022 and March 2022. We did not directly disburse funds to students for the 2022 summer semester. We completed a sixth direct disbursement in November 2022 for approximately $5 million and a seventh direct disbursement in March 2023 for approximately $5 million. We will complete eight direct disbursements for the remaining funds in the Summer of 2023.
Students experiencing financial hardship from the COVID-19 pandemic may apply for assistance regardless of their EFC. Students must have completed a 2021-22 FAFSA and be otherwise eligible to receive Title IV financial aid. Students may apply for HEERF III Act assistance through the Emergency Assistance Application link located on the Coronavirus Update page on the Georgia State University website. Awards are granted up to $1,500 per application, with a maximum lifetime award not to exceed $6,495. Approximately $3 million has been reserved to support students through this distribution method.
Students may also request assistance for tuition and fees. Approximately $1.3 million have been reserved to assist students with Tuition and Fees. Students applied for this assistance through email confirmation or the emergency application.
HEERF III Act Distributions as of 04/06/2023
| Quarter | Students | Amount |
| July 2021 - September 2021 | 16,645 | $11,300,776.35 |
| October 2021 - December 2021 | 25,651 | $13,957,363.33 |
| January 2022 – March 2022 | 24,957 | $24,335,959.34 |
| April 2022 - June 2022 | 1,185 | $1,517,067.83 |
| July 2022 - September 2022 | 2,711 | $1,744,237.36 |
| October 2022 - December 2022 | 22,838 | $5,554,246.45 |
| January 2023 – March 2023 | 23,140 | $7184880.56 |
| Total Disbursed | $65,601,736.22 |
Note: Disbursement data is organized to comply with the quarterly reporting requirement. Students might be included in multiple quarters if a disbursement was received each quarter.