COVID-19 Student Emergency Funds

COVID-19 Student Emergency Funds

Franklin University understands that many students are facing unexpected financial hardships due to COVID-19 and wants to reassure you that we are here to help.

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II and III (HEERF II and III) are authorized by the recently enacted Federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) and The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act to provide emergency relief funding to colleges and universities. These funds are considered the second and third round of COVID-19 emergency funding which replaces the criteria of CARES Emergency Funding (HEERF I) that was made available to schools in April 2020.  The purpose of HEERF II and HEERF III funds are to assist eligible students with emergency costs such as food, housing, course materials, tuition, health care, or childcare that have been incurred as a result of COVID-19. 
 

In This Section

HEERF Quarterly Report

Learn More

Eligibility

Eligible students must meet ALL the following criteria: 

  • Be a U.S. Citizen or an Eligible Non-Citizen
  • Priority given to students enrolled in an eligible Title IV program for the current (Spring 2021) semester. If funding is still available after the Spring 2021 semester, enrollment in Summer 2021 will be considered.

How to Apply

At this time, applications have been placed on hold due to having awarded all available emergency funds Franklin has received to distribute to date. Should additional funding be made available to Franklin by the U.S. Department of Education, the reopening of the application will be reviewed based upon the allotment of funds received in relation to requests received prior to 4/29/2021.

FAQs & Additional Information

When can I expect to receive my grant funds if I’m eligible?
Due to the volume of emergency grant applications, application decisions will take up to 15 business days. We will work very hard to get decisions made as soon as possible. Please monitor your student email account for a decision notification or for additional document requests. For questions, please contact covid19@franklin.edu. 

How much will I receive?
The University received a limited amount of HEERF Emergency funds. Applications will be reviewed to verify eligibility and funds will be awarded based upon exceptional need and available funds. Grant awards are not guaranteed for every application submitted nor is it guaranteed that students will be able to receive the full amount requested.

Why did I receive HEERF II funding without applying?
As part of the determination of exceptional need, Franklin University identified students who had an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) on the 2020-21 FAFSA of $0 as a recipient of a HEERF II award to help with internet and technology needs. Students who received this award are still able to apply for additional funding if there are other COVID-19 related expenses.

Will HEERF Emergency funds impact my financial aid?
No. This is an emergency grant for COVID-19 circumstances; it will not impact your eligibility for other federal Title IV or state funds.

How will funds be distributed?
Emergency grants will be issued by direct deposit into bank accounts for students who are enrolled through Bank Mobile. Students without direct deposit will receive their grant check in the mail. We strongly encourage these students to enroll in the direct deposit option so funds can be received quickly. There will also be an option on the application to have emergency funds awarded for tuition and courseware fees applied directly to your semester balance. 

What if I owe the University for tuition or other expenses?
We are not permitted to apply any HEERF emergency funds directly to a student account for an outstanding balance owed unless we have the consent to do so from the student. The full amount of the emergency grant will be given directly to the student through direct deposit or check unless otherwise noted on the application.

Why does Franklin require an application when other schools do not?  
The U.S. Department of Education has left the responsibility to schools to determine how to distribute emergency funding and how to identify students with exceptional need. Franklin University has determined the best way to do this is by an application and the student certification statement.

What is the difference between HEERF II and III funds and the CARES Act/HEERF I Emergency Funding? 
HEERF II and III funds eligibility requirements are different than the CARES Grant funding or HEERF I that was made available in 2020 for the first round of emergency COVID-19 funding. New regulations open up the eligibility criteria and allows us the ability to help more students with emergency funding.

I received a CARES Emergency Grant previously, am I still eligible to apply for new HEERF funds? 
Students who were previously approved for a CARES Emergency Grant/HEERF I may still apply and receive the new HEERF funding 

What if I lost my job or had a reduction in income due to COVID-19?
Job loss or reduction of income has unfortunately been very common during the pandemic. If the student, student’s spouse, or student’s parent (if dependent) has lost their job or had a reduction of income due to COVID-19 or any other circumstances we highly recommend students to applying for a Special Circumstance review to accurately adjust the financial impact of the loss of income on the FAFSA. The Special Circumstance Appeal is available on the Special Circumstance webpage.

Who do I contact if I have additional questions about the application, decision, or other COVID-19 related situations?
Please direct all questions related to COVID-19 or the HEERF emergency fund to covid19@franklin.edu.