Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III FAQs

Emergency financial assistance has been made available through a third federal stimulus bill called the American Rescue Plan (ARP). This provides Higher Education Emergency Relief Grants (HEERF III) to students.

Any student enrolled at the University of Dayton on or after March 13, 2020 is eligible for HEERF III federal assistance. Federal guidelines stated that schools are required to “prioritize grants to students with exceptional financial need, such as those who receive Pell Grants or are undergraduates with extraordinary financial circumstances.” Initial funding was made available to Undergraduate students by appeal beginning in the summer of 2021. Undergraduate students or families who experienced loss of income or expenses due to Covid-19 could complete a Special Circumstances Appeal form, and submit appropriate documentation, to describe how they were impacted financially by the pandemic. During the Fall semester, students were awarded emergency assistance based on an application or from FAFSA information already submitted. As of December 6, 2021, all HEERF III emergency assistance has been exhausted and no additional awards will be made. If you have immediate financial concerns, please contact the Office of Financial Aid to explore all options available to you at finaid@udayton.edu or (937)229-4311.

Students who have been enrolled on or after March 13, 2020 are eligible for consideration for HEERF III assistance. The American Rescue Plan does provide eligibility to International students and students who are undocumented or have a DACA status. HEERF III emergency grants were awarded to help students cover expenses related to the cost of attendance (i.e., food, housing and utilities, health insurance including mental health care, transportation, or child care) and for emergency costs that arose due to coronavirus. For students who are eligible to complete the FAFSA, the HEERF III eligibility was determined based on the FAFSA in order to determine financial need. For students ineligible to complete the FAFSA, the HEERF III application was used to determine financial need.

These funds could be used to support your needs for emergency costs that you have experienced due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental), and child care. Alternatively, this assistance could be used to support any educational expenses including those related to the fall semester or spring semester.

If you are in need of essential items for the semester (i.e., computer, books, lab materials, etc.), you may complete the Student Assistance Request Form.

No, money received from the HEERF III emergency assistance and support from the institution, like the Student Crisis Fund, does not need to be repaid.

HEERF III grant assistance is not treated as taxable income or untaxed income for Title IV federal student aid purposes. Funds received from the Student Crisis Fund are taxable. International students may also have tax applied from their respective country (A W-8BEN will need to be completed for international students).

Staff in Flyer Student Services can be reached via email at finaid@udayton.edu. We ask for your patience and understanding as we respond to your questions as quickly as possible.

In addition to the emergency grants, the University of Dayton has taken other steps to address financial challenges facing students and their families, including providing need-based assistance for families who have had disruptions to their financial circumstances due to Covid-19 and lowering the cost of summer tuition.