More than 12,500 Florida State University students will receive emergency federal funding provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to assist them with unexpected costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CARES Act was passed by Congress and signed into law to provide economic relief from COVID-19. It authorized the U.S. Department of Education to provide funding for universities and colleges to award in the form of emergency financial aid grants to eligible students.
FSU received $29.3 million from the CARES Act, of which $14.6 million is designated for emergency grants to students. The university will use the remaining funds to pay for other unexpected expenses due to COVID-19.
To be eligible for FSU’s first wave of CARES Act funding distribution, students must have been enrolled in the Spring 2020 semester, submitted their federal financial aid application (FAFSA) for the 2019-2020 academic year, and must not have already received emergency relief funding from the university.
In the first wave, students will receive grants between $400 and $600, totaling $6.24 million. The group includes students who have no expected family contribution, Pell grant recipients, and graduate and professional students with need greater than $1,000.
FSU confirmed students’ financial need based on their federal financial aid application on file with the university.
Students eligible to receive CARES Act funding were notified by email on May 11 and should receive funding as soon as May 13.
The university will distribute additional CARES Act awards in the future. More information will be available at https://financialaid.fsu.edu/cares-act as those decisions are finalized.
Hundreds of students already have received financial assistance through FSU’s Seminole Emergency Funds, which were created to quickly address a variety of needs. To date, 657 students have received an average award of $607.71. For more information on the Seminole Emergency Funds, visit https://foundation.fsu.edu/fnd-emergency.