NDSU has distributed $3,359,788 to 7,874 students as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Eligible students were able to receive an initial grant up to $600, depending on their financial need. Students are eligible to apply for additional grants due to personal financial hardship.

On March 27, 2020, the CARES Act was passed by Congress and signed in to law. This act included emergency funding to institutions of higher education, referred to as the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). The funds provided students with emergency grants to offset unexpected expenses they may have incurred as campus operations were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unexpected expenses included food, housing, technology, health care, child care and course related material.

“My hope is that these funds help lighten some of the financial burdens that came with the changes endured because of COVID-19,” said Karin Hegstad, associate vice president for finance and administration. “We take pride in carefully evaluating eligibility of each student and distributing the appropriate funds as efficiently as possible. The success and well-being of our students is of utmost importance to us.”

To qualify, students must meet the following requirements:

• Enrolled at least half-time in the spring semester as of March 27, 2020, in a degree-seeking program

• Title IV eligible and qualified to receive financial aid from the federal government

• Not enrolled in an online program for the 2020 spring semester

The initial disbursement of CARES Act funds was received by students starting May 14. Applications will continue to be processed weekly through the month of June, or until funding is exhausted. An additional $500,000 is planned to be distributed yet this summer.

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