May 7, 2020

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act took effect on March 27, 2020, and includes the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. The CARES Act authorizes institutions of higher education to serve as trustees in providing eligible students whose lives have been disrupted as a result of COVID-19 with emergency financial aid grants.

SFA has been diligently working to create an awarding process that applies Department of Education guidelines in distributing CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds to our students. Correspondence will be sent directly to each student’s SFA email address with eligibility information and directions regarding applying for funding. SFA will coordinate three phases of awarding CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds, beginning with Spring 2020 enrolled students, followed by Summer 2020 students, and then Fall 2020 students.

We ask that students monitor their SFA email regularly. If you have any questions, contact the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships at finaid@sfasu.edu

CARES Act Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund?

A. Federal funding that has been entrusted to higher education institutions in order to provide emergency grant funds to eligible students who experienced a financial hardship caused by the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19. View our HEERF Reporting information.

Q. Who is eligible to receive emergency funds?

A. Per the U.S. Department of Education, eligible students are those who filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or who are eligible to file a FAFSA.

Q. Who is not eligible to receive CARES Act emergency funds?

A. Per the U.S. Department of Education, international, dual credit, non-U.S. citizen students and students enrolled exclusively in online courses prior to March 13, 2020, are not eligible for CARES Act funding.

Q. How does a student apply for these emergency funds?

A. Students must complete an online application to be considered for CARES Act funding. Access to the application is available to eligible students on their mySFA account, under the Important Notifications tab. The U.S. Department of Education guidelines require documentation indicating that a student has experienced a financial hardship caused by the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19. A CARES Act introduction letter is being sent to students' SFA email with information on eligibility and directions on how to apply.

Q. How much will eligible students receive?

A. The amount provided to each student will vary depending on his or her need and funding availability.

Q. How long will it take to receive my funds after the application is completed?

A. Students will receive an email notification once the application is received and another once funds have been released. It could take up to five business days after funds are released to receive the funds.