Who is eligible to receive assistance?
Under the federal CARES Act, a student may be considered for the emergency aid grant if he/she meets the following criteria:
Under U.S. Department of Education rules for the program, these funds can be awarded to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students pursuing degree programs and enrolled at UT for the fall 2020 semester.
Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Education does not allow these funds to be used for international students, undocumented students, non-matriculated students or students enrolled in distance-only degree programs on March 13, 2020. If you are a student from one of these groups, there may be other types of emergency aid from UT available. Please contact
Student Emergency Services with questions.
UT Austin students must meet these additional criteria to be considered for CARES Act funding in Fall 2020:
- has a verified Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
- has met Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements;
- is either eligible for a federal Pell grant or whose FAFSA indicated a family adjusted gross income (AGI) between $0–$65,000; and
- submitted a CARES Act application
Please contact Texas One Stop at
onestop@utexas.edu with questions.
Are students who are enrolled in distance-only degree programs eligible to receive assistance?
A student who was enrolled exclusively in an online program (a distance-only degree program) on March 13, 2020, is not eligible for assistance and will not be eligible in future terms regardless of his or her online enrollment status in future terms.
A student who was NOT enrolled exclusively in an online program on March 13, 2020, is eligible for assistance and continues to be eligible in future terms regardless of whether he or she is enrolled exclusively in an online program in future periods; this includes continuing and incoming students. For example, an incoming freshman who is enrolled exclusively in an online program for the fall term/payment period is eligible for a CARES Act assistance.
What is the CARES Act Emergency Assistance Fund?
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal program providing financial resources to the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) for emergency grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19. These expenses include food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care. The University of Texas at Austin is a recipient of CARES Act funds and as such, aims to assist as many students as possible in meeting their emergency financial needs during this challenging time.
Eligible students will receive an email in early November with additional information and a link to apply for Fall 2020 CARES Act funding.
How much financial assistance can students request?
The university will allocate funds to students with the greatest financial need (not to exceed the award maximum). Awards are disbursed as long as funds remain available. For Fall 2020, students can receive only one CARES Act award per semester.
Funds awarded in the Fall 2020 semester:
- Students eligible for a federal Pell grant and have not received CARES funding in a prior semester can receive a maximum amount of $750 or the amount requested on the application (not to exceed $750).
- Students eligible for a federal Pell grant and have received CARES funding in a prior semester can receive a maximum amount of $500 or the amount requested on the application (not to exceed $500).
- Students not eligible for a federal Pell grant and have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $0–$65,000 can receive a maximum amount of $500 or the amount requested on the application (not to exceed $500).
Why didn’t I receive a CARES Act emergency fund award?
Under U.S. Department of Education rules for the program, students who are not eligible for federal financial aid programs are not eligible for federal CARES grants. CARES grants are awarded as long as funding is available.
For eligibility criteria, see the “
Who is eligible to receive assistance?” FAQ.
For questions, please contact Texas One Stop at
onestop@utexas.edu.
How many times can I apply?
Students may only apply for CARES Act assistance once for the Fall 2020 semester.
Priority is given to students who have not yet received CARES Act assistance. Students who received a CARES Act award in a previous semester (spring or summer 2020) may be eligible to apply for Fall 2020 per fund availability