CARES Act: Emergency Financial Aid Grant Request
About CARES Act Funding
In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Government has enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act which provides institutions of higher education with funding to provide emergency assistance to students experiencing expenses related to the disruption of campus operations from the coronavirus, including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care.
The CARES Act instructs universities to distribute the money to current, on-ground undergraduate and graduate students and encourages us to give special attention to students with unmet needs, and those who are eligible for Federal (Title IV) Financial Aid. Limited funding is available and emergency grants will be provided to eligible students on a first come, first served basis.
What Does This Funding Cover?
The following is a list of expenses that can be considered for emergency grant assistance if they were related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus.
- Food
- Housing
- Course materials
- Technology
- Health care
- Child care
Eligibility
Consistent with U.S. Department of Education requirements, students who meet all criteria below are eligible to receive an emergency financial aid grant:
-
- Working towards a degree or certificate at Maryville.
- Enrolled in Spring 2020 in at least one course, while in an on-ground program on March 13, 2020, even if that course moved to an online format due to the pandemic.
- Have a valid 2019-20 FAFSA on file with Maryville University’s Financial Aid Office or are eligible for Federal (Title IV) Financial Aid. Title IV eligibility requires that student is meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
- Students must complete an online request form and acknowledge they have incurred qualifying expenses related to the disruption of Maryville University’s operations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Per the U.S. Department of Education, international students, DACA students, and students enrolled exclusively in online courses are not eligible to receive CARES Act funding.
How to Apply
Maryville University’s available CARES Act Funding have been disbursed.
FAQs
A: Students who meet all of the following criteria are eligible to apply: (1) working towards a degree or certificate at Maryville; (2) enrolled in Spring 2020 in at least one on-ground/in-person course on March 13, 2020, even if that course moved to an online format due to the pandemic; (3) have a valid 2019-20 FAFSA on file with Maryville University’s Financial Aid Office or is eligible for Federal (Title IV) Financial Aid, and meet federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements. (4) Students must complete an online request form and acknowledge they have incurred qualifying expenses related to the disruption of Maryville University’s operations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A: Per the US Department of Education, only students who are eligible or could be eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, may receive emergency financial aid grants. If a student has filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), then the student has demonstrated eligibility to participate. Students who have not filed a FAFSA but who are eligible to file a FAFSA also may receive emergency financial aid grants. The criteria to participate in programs under Section 484 of the HEA include but are not limited to the following: U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen; a valid Social Security number; registration with Selective Service (if the student is male); and a high school diploma, GED, or completion of high school in an approved homeschool setting.
A: Maryville is working to distribute emergency financial aid grants as broadly as possible and to prioritize distribution based on financial need; however, funding is limited and will be distributed to eligible students on a first come, first served basis.
A: No, money received through this fund does not need to be repaid. This fund does not impact nor replace any financial aid you may currently receive, and it is a one-time grant.
A: Once.
A: The University is continuing to explore options for students that do not qualify for funding through the CARES Act. You can contact the Solution Squad at ssc@maryville.edu or 314-529-9360 to request assistance. Each case will be evaluated to determine if assistance is available.
A: Per the U.S. Department of Education, those students who were enrolled exclusively in an online program on March 13, 2020, the date of the President’s Proclamation, “Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak,” Federal Register Vol. 85, No. 53 at 15337- 38, are not eligible for emergency financial aid grants. The formula provided by Congress for calculating the distribution of funds to institutions excludes students who were exclusively enrolled in distance education courses. Additionally, the emergency financial aid grants to students are for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, and students who were enrolled exclusively in online programs would not have expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.
A: Maryville University’s available CARES Act Funding have been disbursed.
A: Maryville will process applications in the order they are received, prioritizing financial need. To ensure that the funds are distributed as widely as possible, Maryville will award amounts up to a maximum of $1,000.
A: Maryville will process applications in the order they are received, prioritizing financial need. To ensure that the funds are distributed as widely as possible, Maryville will award amounts up to a maximum of $1,000. However, students who have experienced extraordinary circumstances or extreme financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic, may request special consideration for an emergency grant to exceed the $1,000 maximum.
Q: I submitted a request for an emergency financial aid grant. What happens next?
A: Students will be notified if their request is approved or denied through Maryville email. If approved, funds will generally be disbursed within 3-5 business days; however, some requests may require additional review and processing time. To expedite receipt of funds, students are encouraged to establish an eRefund account at https://maryville.edu/epaylogin. Funds will be issued to your designated eRefund account and are typically available within 2-3 business days after the funds have been processed. Students with an eRefund profile will receive an email confirmation once their funds have been processed. Those that do not establish an eRefund profile will recive a paper check that will be mailed to the student address on file.
A: Emergency grants will be processed through direct deposit or paper check based on your existing epay Refund Profile. Funds will be directly deposited into bank accounts for students who are enrolled in the direct deposit option. To speed up your payment, we strongly encourage you to complete your Refund Profile at https://maryville.edu/epaylogin if you have not done so already.
A: The full amount of the emergency grants will be given directly to students and will not pay outstanding balances owed to Maryville. Any outstanding balance owed to Maryville remains the responsibility of the student.
A: While the US Secretary of Education has suggested that individual emergency financial aid grants are nontaxable, this is not clearly stated in the CARES Act. The Secretary has been asked to clarify that individual emergency financial aid grants are in fact nontaxable; if the requested clarification is provided, we will update this FAQ accordingly.
A: Receipt of an emergency financial aid grant should not affect your eligibility for Federal financial aid. The U.S. Department of Education has strongly encouraged universities receiving funds from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to make adjustments on a case-by-case basis to exclude individual emergency financial aid grants from the calculation of a student’s expected family contribution. The U.S. Department of Education continues to refine the rules that apply to emergency financial aid grants provided under the CARES Act, so the answer to this question may change; if it does, we will update this FAQ accordingly.
A: No. U.S. Department of Education guidelines stipulate that only students enrolled in an on-ground program for the 2020 Spring or Summer semesters as of March 13, 2020 are eligible to apply for emergency financial aid grants.
A: Grant amounts will vary and while most students will receive a maximum of $1,000, we recognize that some students may have experienced extraordinary circumstances or extreme financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic. You should contact the Solution Squad at ssc@maryville.edu or 314-529-9360 to request special consideration. Each case will be evaluated to determine if assistance is available.