CRRSA Act Student Emergency Aid Funding

As of March 2021, USF has received $17.4 million in emergency student funding from the U.S. Department of Education as part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 (CRRSAA).

President Biden recently signed the American Rescue Plan, which may provide additional emergency funding for students. The university will be monitoring the plan’s progress and will provide information in the event funding is made available.

The funds will be distributed in the form of emergency financial aid grants to students. The funds will be provided directly to the student as a cash grant unless the student provides written authorization allowing the funds to be deposited to their university account.

USF’s Office of Financial Aid will begin the grant distribution process starting Monday, March 15, 2021, and will continue through summer and fall of 2021.

These funds, ranging from $1,000 - $2,500, can be used for emergency expenses for any component of a student’s cost of attendance that arise due to COVID-19. Students can opt in to have their award applied to their university account.

Recipients must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents with exceptional financial need as confirmed by filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). They must be enrolled at least half-time as a degree seeking student at USF in spring 2021, and have exhausted all other financial aid options. Students who already received CARES Act funding in fall 2020 and/or spring 2021 may be eligible for this additional grant in spring 2021.  Continuing students enrolled in summer 2021 and/or fall 2021, who meet the criteria above, will also be considered for an award for those semesters.

There is no application process other than having a 2020-21 FAFSA on file. USF will contact eligible students via their USF email address. Students will need to certify that they have emergency costs due to the pandemic before an award will be made. To be considered for a grant in fall 2021, a 2021-22 FAFSA will be required.

Students should visit https://www.usf.edu/financial-aid/ to explore the types of aid available, including scholarships, grants, loans and work study. Contact information for the Financial Aid Office on each campus can also be found there.

Students should contact the Office of Financial Aid. This webpage offers contact information for each campus: https://www.usf.edu/financial-aid/questions/.