CARES Act funds and Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds II (HEERF II) are no longer available. 

Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds II

VCU received $20,288,998 in HEERF II funding, of which $10,144,499 was designated to provide student grants for financial assistance related to the coronavirus pandemic. While the online application process has concluded, we had a great response from students requesting funds. 

HEERF II funds were used to assist VCU students with the following:

• Providing financial assistance to students with COVID-19 financial disruptions to help pay higher education expenses such as: tuition, fees, room, board, miscellaneous personal, transportation, internet connectivity, laptop or desktop purchase for online education classes.
• Providing financial assistance to needy Federal Pell grant recipients. 

The estimated total number of students at the institution who were eligible to participate in programs under Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and therefore eligible to receive an emergency financial aid grant was 48,280.

Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds III

VCU received $57,078,300 in HEERF III funding, of which $28,586,363 was designated to provide student grants for financial assistance related to the coronavirus pandemic. 

HEERF III funds were used to assist VCU students with the following:

• Providing financial assistance to students with COVID-19 financial disruptions to help pay higher education expenses such as: tuition, fees, room, board, miscellaneous personal, transportation, internet connectivity, laptop or desktop purchase for online education classes.

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) made funding available to colleges and universities to assist eligible students who were impacted by on-campus COVID-19 financial disruption. The estimated total number of students at the institution who were eligible to participate in programs under the American Rescue Plan of 2021 and therefore eligible to receive an emergency financial aid grant was 56,545.

CARES Act funding

The Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act made funding available to colleges and universities to assist eligible students who were impacted by on-campus COVID-19 financial disruption. VCU received CARES Act funds in the amount of $20,288,998. $10,144,499 out of $20,288,988 was allocated for emergency financial aid grants to students. The estimated total number of students at the institution who were eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and therefore eligible to receive an emergency financial aid grant was 14,293. 

For select students meeting Section 484 of the Higher Education Act, CARES Act funds were used to assist VCU students with the following:

• Purchasing personal computers and technology needs for online education classes.
• Providing financial assistance to students with COVID-19 financial disruptions.
• Providing financial assistance to needy Federal Pell grant recipients. 

Consumer information

The Federal CARES Act, Section 18004, Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, allowed schools to consider students for federal emergency financial aid grants for: expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus including eligible expenses under a student's cost of attendance, such as food, housing course materials, technology (including the purchase or replacement of a personal computer), health care and child care.

Federal funding for the Emergency Relief Grant was limited and awarded to eligible students meeting the consideration criteria.

The Federal Emergency Relief Grant program may likely not meet your full financial need.

This was a one-time grant and is not renewable.

VCU has signed a Certification and Agreement with the Department of Education to use no less than 50 percent of funds under Section 18004(e) of the CARES Act and will submit an initial 30-day Fund Report, then every 45 days, and then finally every quarter until funds are fully expended. Whichever occurs first.  

VCU will update HEERF II and HEERF III reporting every quarter or until funds are fully expended. Whichever occurs first. 

CARES Act allocation report*

Date	Undergraduate students awarded	Undergraduate grants awarded ($)	Graduate students awarded	Graduate grants awarded ($)
5/21/2020	292	448,380	49	73,331
6/30/2020	5,952	7,398,584	116	170,703
8/14/2020	6,559	8,277,238	215	318,101
9/30/2020	7,261	9,200,672	374	540,831
1/5/2021	7,857	9,593,368	380	551,131
4/9/2021	7,396	9,593,368	371	551,131
10/8/2021	7,381	9,593,368	371	551,131
4/8/2022	7,380	9,593,368	371	551,131

*April 9, 2021 was the institution's final quarterly posting and covered all remaining HEERF fund expenditures.

**April 8, 2022 was the institution's final quarterly posting and covered all remaining HEERF I fund expenditures. Both 10/8/21 and 4/8/22 reporting periods saw the reallocation of returned HEERF I funds.

HEERF II allocation report*

Date	Undergraduate students awarded	Undergraduate grants awarded ($)	Graduate students awarded	Graduate grants awarded ($)
6/30/2021	4,206	8,229,021.89	759	1,454,981.13
7/9/2021	330	452,495.98	4	8,000.00
10/8/2021	2	1,631	0	0
1/6/2022	16	24,364.50	1	1,000
4/8/22	1	2,000	0	0
10/10/22	0	0	0	0
Total	4,532	8,679,248.87	764	1,463,981.13

*This information will be updated every quarter or until funds are fully expended. Whichever occurs first.

HEERF III allocation report*

Date	Undergraduate students awarded	Undergraduate grants awarded ($)	Graduate students awarded	Graduate grants awarded ($)
7/9/2021	2,275	5,482,466.12	802	1,949,138.82
10/8/2021	8,492	15,963,096.90	2,245	4,459,511.82
1/6/2022	8,876	21,608,266.41	2,260	4,677,105.13
4/8/2022	9,012	23,696,507.66	2,275	4,790,951.40
7/7/2022	9,000	23,739,513.56	2,277	4,807,242.40
10/10/22	8,999	23,731,536.53	2,288	4,855,521.37
1/3/23	9,001	23,732,110.63	2,288	4,855,521.37

*This information will be updated every quarter or until funds are fully expended. Whichever occurs first.