West Texas A&M University students eligible to receive financial grants made possible by the recent coronavirus relief bill must apply for their money by May 29 for the Spring 2020 semester.
Eligible students have been notified by University email. Approximately 1,500 WT students already have applied.
“We have developed an easy process for any qualified student to apply for and then quickly receive CARES Act grants,” said Randy Rikel, WT vice president for business and finance.
WT received $2.88 million to provide direct relief grants to eligible students; 100 percent of funding for these grants come from those federal monies.
Eligible students can receive their grant funds by direct deposit or checks, though disbursement of paper checks may take up to a month.
Eligibility was determined based on Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) filed in either the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school years. Further details on criteria for eligibility and distribution can be found on the WTCARES webpage.
CARES Act grant funds will be given to students to cover coronavirus-related expenses incurred during the spring semester, including food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, childcare and more. Eligibility is determined by standards set by the Department of Education.
More than $1 million will be disbursed in the initial round of grants, with an additional $576,000 planned for summer semesters and another $1.1 million in the fall. Applications open May 30 for summer assistance and Aug. 10 for fall assistance. Further information will be available soon.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed by Congress and signed into law to provide economic relief from COVID-19, including the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund that provides aid to colleges and universities. These funds are used for emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus.
In all, the University received nearly $5.8 million in CARES Act funding, of which a minimum of 50 percent must be used for emergency grants to students. The Texas A&M University System institutions received more than $112 million, and across the state, more than $1 billion was earmarked for institutions of higher learning in the $2.2 trillion act.
Students with further questions about CARES Act funding may contact Mike Knox, vice president for student enrollment and success, at 806-651-2048 or at WTCARES@wtamu.edu.
-West Texas A&M University