May 14 COVID Update

May 14, 2020May 15, 2020 COVID-19

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided The Citadel with $1.249 million in Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds for student grants. The funds are being issued to give students cash to cover their expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare.

The CARES Act Grants were awarded to students based on guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education. To be considered, students had to be eligible for federal student financial aid as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and have satisfactory academic progress. Additionally, students had to be enrolled in Spring 2020 in a degree program that was not exclusively online prior to the closure of campus. The Citadel has approximately 3,600 students that completed the FAFSA form and were enrolled at least half time for the spring semester.

Approximately 75 percent of the initial CARES Act funding is being disbursed directly to about 530 eligible students (@$937,000) in the form of grant aid to help with financial hardships as a result of COVID-19. There is a second disbursement to an additional 32 Pell Grant recipients today (@$58,000). The remaining 20 percent (@$250,000) will be available to other students who apply for and are eligible for emergency financial assistance. The application is available on the Financial Aid page.

Following the federal government’s recommendation to prioritize students with the greatest need, The Citadel made the first awards to Pell Grant recipients of $1,758 which equaled 75 percent of the available funding. The next round of grants will allow students who did not already receive a CARES Act grant to apply for up to $1,000 in emergency grants.

The Treasurer’s Office will issue the entire grant amount as a direct payment to the student. The grant will not be applied toward any outstanding tuition and fee balances. Students enrolled in electronic refunds through Lesesne Gateway will receive grants through direct deposit. All others will receive a paper check that will be mailed to the student’s home address on file.