Message Sent to Students Ineligible for HEER Fund Grant (but who may appeal)

Dear Student,

You may have heard that the federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA) provided financial resources to colleges and universities. The resources available through the Higher Education Emergency Relief II (HEER II) Fund allow universities to distribute grants to students in need to cover any component of the student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus.

You are receiving this letter to provide you with some information about this fund. Based on criteria and guidance provided by the US Department of Education and on records available to UGA, you did not qualify for financial assistance from this fund.

The federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) provided financial resources to colleges and universities. The resources available through the Higher Education Emergency Relief III (HEER III) Fund allow universities to distribute grants to students in need to cover any component of the student’s cost of attendance or emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus. 

You are receiving this letter to provide you with some information about this fund. Based on criteria and guidance provided by the US Department of Education and on records available to UGA, you did not qualify for financial assistance from this fund.

However, based on special circumstances, a student may appeal their HEER III Fund Grant eligibility. Students may also appeal the amount awarded to them. To request an appeal, you will need to submit a HEER III Fund Appeal Application which can be found by accessing the appeal on the HEER III Fund page of the UGA Coronavirus site. Applications will be reviewed by a committee of university personnel. Appeals should be submitted by February 21, 2022. Priority consideration by the appeals committee will be for eligible students with a valid Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file at UGA by January 18, 2022. Appeals submitted after February 21 will only be considered if HEER III Funds remain available. 

In addition to, and separate from, the HEER III Fund, should you need emergency financial resources, the UGA Student Emergency Fund is available to provide limited, one-time financial assistance to enrolled students who are unable to meet immediate, essential expenses because of temporary hardship related to an emergency situation, such as an accident, illness, death of a family member, natural disaster, or other unforeseen circumstance. This fund is need-based and requires the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Undergraduate students should go here and graduate students should go here for the additional information and the application. Professional students should contact their programs for information on emergency resources. 

Questions

• If you have further questions about HEER III, including the eligibility criteria and details about awards, you may access the HEER III Fund page of the coronavirus site.
• If you have questions about student financial aid, please contact the Office of Student Financial Aid at osfa@uga.edu.
• If you would like to submit an appeal for a HEER III Fund Grant, you will need to submit a HEER Fund Appeal Application. For additional information, please visit the HEER III Fund page of the UGA coronavirus site.