UF students who qualify for emergency financial aid were notified of their eligibility in an email Monday.
The U.S. Department of Education provided UF with about $31 million through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act. More than $15.5 million will be dispersed in the form of emergency financial aid grants.
Details about the additional financial aid can be found on students’ One.UF page, a student portal for class and financial information, the email stated. In order to receive the aid, students must prove their need for aid is “related to the COVID-19 pandemic” by filling out an online form through their One.UF page.
Students must report their expenses, such as housing, food and technology and describe how they have been affected by COVID-19. Documentation, such as bills or receipts, to support claims will also need to be submitted, according to the application.
The application process opened early Monday to students who filled out FAFSA and had an expected family contribution of $7,500 or less, according to the UF Office for Student Financial Affairs. It opened to other students later in the day.
Students qualify for the aid if they are up to date on their Title IV federal financial aid loan payments and if they are not owed a refund on a Title IV grant. Other requirements include having a high school diploma and being a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or an “eligible noncitizen.”
International, online and DACA students do not qualify for the emergency grant, according to the UF Office for Student Financial Affairs. These students can, however, apply for emergency funds from the Aid-a-Gator program.
The amount allocated to each student will vary by need, but the maximum is $1,000, UF spokesperson Steve Orlando wrote in an email to The Alligator. The application and certification review process began Tuesday, and money will be awarded as quickly as possible.
As for the other $15.5 million that UF received from the CARES Act, Orlando wrote that it will go to the campus. UF is waiting on instructions from the U.S. Department of Education on how exactly it will be spent.
Contact Meghan at mmcglone@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @meggmcglone.
Meghan McGlone is a UF junior majoring in journalism and English, and this year she’s the City and County Commission reporter. In past years, she’s served as the University Editor, the Student Government reporter, and other positions. Her favorite past time is eating gummy worms and reading a good book.
