Financial Assistance Resources

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III) is authorized by the American Rescue Plan (ARP), Public Law 117-2, signed into law on March 11, 2021, providing support to institutions of higher education to serve students and ensure learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ARP Funds are in addition to the funds authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021. ARP authorized a third distribution of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (called HEERF III) for post-secondary institutions. $6,883,604 of the $13,728,962 allocated to Quinnipiac through this program is designated for financial aid grants to students. These funds will be distributed to eligible students using the criteria described below.

Unlike the first distribution of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds from 2020, these funds are specifically designated for students with exceptional financial need. Quinnipiac University developed a distribution policy based on federal guidelines, with the intent of assisting as many students with high financial need as possible, while ensuring that the awards are substantial enough to be meaningful.

HEERF III funds are available to students at all academic levels who meet the following criteria:

• Active in a degree program and enrolled at least half-time for Fall 2021

• Completed FAFSA on file with Quinnipiac for the 2021/22 academic year.

• Student/spouse/parent (for dependent students) experienced a significant reduction in income since 2019 or COVID-19 related expenses since January 1, 2020.

• Are a U.S. Citizen, permanent resident or eligible non-citizen

• Are meeting the university’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards as required by your program of study.

Tier One: Students with a Total Family Income of not more than 250% of the federal poverty line for a family of four ($66,250), as reported on the 2021/22 FAFSA, will receive $1,800. These grants will be awarded by early December.

Tier Two: Students who meet the above requirements as of November 11, 2021 will be invited to apply for HEERF III emergency funds. Applications will be reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid on a rolling basis. Priority will be given to students with high levels of demonstrated financial need who file before December 10, 2021 and will continue to be awarded until funds are exhausted. 

Tier Three: $1,394-$1,395 grants for every student who meets the following criteria: were enrolled in a degree program during Fall 2021 and received a distribution from HEERF III Tier One or Tier Two, enrolled at least half-time in a degree program during Fall 2022, has a FAFSA on file for 22/23 with a Total Family Income (as shown on the FAFSA) of not more than 250% of the federal poverty line for a family of four ($66,250). No application is required.

We recognize that not all students will qualify for this limited pool of funds. If you are experiencing a financial hardship as a result of COVID, we encourage you to reach out to the Financial Aid Office to discuss your situation.

HEERF III Funds Distribution

This is the university’s ongoing progress report of how funds have been distributed.

Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting Under CARES Act Section 18004(a)(1) Institutional Portion

Pursuant to the Certification and Agreement signed by Quinnipiac University and submitted to the U.S. Department of Education, the university is also eligible to receive up to $6,845,358 in HEERF III Institutional Funds.

The links to the required quarterly reporting are below:

March 31, 2021 report
June 30, 2021 report
September 30, 2021 report
December 31, 2021 report
March 31, 2022 report
June 30, 2022 report
September 30, 2022 report
December 31, 2022 report

The federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 authorized a second distribution of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (called HEERF II) for post-secondary institutions. $2,672,600 of the $7,632,879 allocated to Quinnipiac through this program is designated for financial aid grants to students. These funds will be distributed to eligible students using the criteria described below.

Unlike the first distribution of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds from 2020, these funds are specifically designated for students with exceptional financial need. Quinnipiac University developed a distribution policy based on federal guidelines, with the intent of assisting as many students with high financial need as possible, while ensuring that the awards are substantial enough to be meaningful.

Quinnipiac is using the results from the 2020/2021 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to determine financial need. In addition to having a valid FAFSA on file prior to awarding, students must be enrolled at least half-time for Spring 2021 in a degree program, be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress standards, and be a US citizen, permanent resident, or eligible non-citizen. We are using the following tiered approach to award students:

• Tier One: Eligible students with a Total Family Income from the FAFSA of not more than 250% of the federal poverty line for a family of four ($66,250) will receive $700. We estimate that 2,801 Quinnipiac students meet these criteria. No application is required for students in this population.
• Tier Two: Eligible students with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $15,000 or less, who are not in Tier One, will receive $500. We have identified 829 students in this category. No application is required for students in this population.
• Tier Three: Students who are not awarded through the preceding categories may apply for funding, not to exceed $500. The application will confirm that the student has been financially impacted by COVID. Expenses to be considered must have been incurred on or after December 27, 2020. Applications will be prioritized based on the EFC from their FAFSA and will be considered until funding is expended.
  Apply

We recognize that not all students will qualify for this limited pool of funds. If you are experiencing a financial hardship as a result of COVID, we encourage you to reach out to the Financial Aid Office to discuss your situation.

HEERF II Funds Distribution

This is the university’s ongoing progress report of how funds have been distributed.

Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting Under CARES Act Section 18004(a)(1) Institutional Portion

Pursuant to the Certification and Agreement signed by Quinnipiac University and submitted to the U.S. Department of Education, the university is also eligible to receive up to $4,960,279 in HEERF II Institutional Funds.

The links to the required quarterly reporting are below:
March 31, 2021 report
June 30, 2021 report
September 30, 2021 report
December 31, 2021 report
March 31, 2022 report
June 30, 2022 report
September 30, 2022 report
December 31, 2022 report

The recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was passed by Congress and signed into law, provides funding to colleges and universities through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). The university will utilize no less than 50% of the funding received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students. 

Pursuant to the Certification and Agreement signed by Quinnipiac University and submitted to the U.S. Department of Education, the university is eligible to receive up to $2,672,600 in HEERF Student Share Grant Funds. This include the university's first 30-day progress report, as well as periodic updates for students. Additional reports will be provided every 45 days. 

HEERF Funds Distribution

This is the university’s ongoing progress report of how funds have been distributed.

Quinnipiac University developed a methodology to award funds in a manner that prioritizes students with the greatest demonstrated financial need and that ensured that funds were distributed as widely as possible to students impacted by the campus disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. All eligible students that submitted a completed application by July 30, 2020 were considered for funding. Funding was prioritized based on the amount of eligible expenses and the student's Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) from the FAFSA. 

In addition to the application, students had to meet the following eligibility criteria:

• were enrolled at least half-time in a degree program as of March 13, 2020 (undergraduate, graduate, law or medicine);
• were not enrolled exclusively in an online program as of March 13, 2020;
• filed a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which was accepted by Quinnipiac, for 2019/2020 or 2020/2021. Note: students may still file the FAFSA now if it was not previously completed;
• are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or eligible non-citizens
• are making Satisfactory Academic Progress, as defined by the student's program

We invited eligible students to apply for consideration before July 30, 2020. Funds continued to be awarded after that date if they were not been spent.  

Communications about HEERF appear below

The federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 authorized a second distribution of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (called HEERF II) for post-secondary institutions. $2,672,600 of the $7,632,879 allocated to Quinnipiac through this program is designated for financial aid grants to students. These funds will be distributed to eligible students using the criteria described below.

Unlike the first distribution of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds from 2020, these funds are specifically designated for students with exceptional financial need. Quinnipiac University developed a distribution policy based on federal guidelines, with the intent of assisting as many students with high financial need as possible, while ensuring that the awards are substantial enough to be meaningful.

Quinnipiac is using the results from the 2020/2021 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to determine financial need. In addition to having a valid FAFSA on file prior to awarding, students must be enrolled at least half-time for Spring 2021 in a degree program, be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress standards, and be a US citizen, permanent resident, or eligible non-citizen. We are using the following tiered approach to award students:

• Tier One: Eligible students with a Total Family Income from the FAFSA of not more than 250% of the federal poverty line for a family of four ($66,250) will receive $700. We estimate that 2,801 Quinnipiac students meet these criteria. No application is required for students in this population.
• Tier Two: Eligible students with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $15,000 or less, who are not in Tier One, will receive $500. We have identified 829 students in this category. No application is required for students in this population.
• Tier Three: Students who are not awarded through the preceding categories may apply for funding, not to exceed $500. The application will confirm that the student has been financially impacted by COVID. Expenses to be considered must have been incurred on or after December 27, 2020. Applications will be prioritized based on the EFC from their FAFSA and will be considered until funding is expended.
  Apply

We recognize that not all students will qualify for this limited pool of funds. If you are experiencing a financial hardship as a result of COVID, we encourage you to reach out to the Financial Aid Office to discuss your situation.

Sincerely,

QU Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds working group
emergencyfunds@qu.edu

The application to apply for emergency grants through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act has been extended to Thursday, July 30. Students with expenses related to COVID-19 are urged to apply. The CARES Act provides funding to colleges and universities through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF).

Quinnipiac has $2,672,600 in HEERF Student Share Grant Funds to award directly to students – and approximately $1.2 million of the funds have been awarded to students to date. If there is money remaining after July 30, eligible applicants will continue to be awarded.

To be eligible, students:

• must have been enrolled at least half-time in a degree program (Undergraduate, Graduate, Law or Medicine) during the Spring 2020 term
• must have filed a FAFSA
• may not have been enrolled exclusively in an online program as of March 13
• must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or eligible non-citizen
• must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards

The number of students who will receive awards depends on how many apply and the amount of their awards – which are based on a combination of their expenses and their Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) from the FAFSA. Emergency grants for eligible students range, on average, from about $600 to $1,000 – though some may be more or less depending on the needs of those who have applied. Typically, students are notified of their award decision within three weeks of application submission. Awarded students will receive funds as a refund from their student account.

Apply for an emergency grant

Students should file a FAFSA before applying. This may still be completed for 2020/2021 at studentaid.gov

Though a FAFSA is required to confirm eligibility, students do not have to have received financial aid to qualify for this award.

Quinnipiac University recently received $2,672,000 in Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds, as authorized by the Federal CARES Act. These funds will be awarded to eligible students who incurred expenses as a result of COVID-19 during the Spring 2020 semester. In accordance with federal regulations and guidance, the following students may be eligible to apply for funds:

Students who:

• Were enrolled at least half-time in a degree program as of March 13, 2020
• Were not enrolled exclusively in an online program as of March 13, 2020
• Filed a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Form, which was accepted by Quinnipiac, for 2019/20 or 2020/21. Students may still file the FAFSA now if it was not previously completed.
• Are US Citizens, Permanent Residents, or Eligible Non-Citizens
• Complete a certification of expenses, via the application
• Are making Satisfactory Academic Progress, as defined by your program

We invite students who meet these criteria to apply via the application before July 15, 2020. Funds will be awarded to eligible students based on their expenses and demonstrated financial need from the FAFSA. Students who apply by July 15 will be considered for funding as long as funds are available.

Current interpretation of the guidance from the US Department of Education indicates that students who have graduated or otherwise withdrawn prior to the award date and are not continuing their studies at Quinnipiac in the Fall are not eligible to receive funds. Quinnipiac is reserving a portion of funds for otherwise eligible students in this situation for consideration if the federal rules change.

We intend to process and render decisions on all applications within three weeks of the submission date. Please see the FAQs available on our website at this link for more information.

Sincerely,

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Working Group
emergencyfunds@qu.edu