Wright State distributing $14.5M in federal funds to help students affected by COVID

FILE PHOTO

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Credit: JIM NOELKER

FILE PHOTO

Wright State University is issuing $14.5 million in federal funds to help students with emergency costs due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The university will distribute $766,975 to more than 1,600 students enrolled in the summer 2021 semester and the remaining $13.84 million to students enrolled in the fall 2021 and spring 2022 semesters.

WSU began administering the first round to funding to summer 2021 students on Monday and will issue the remaining funds after the start of each semester.

“We believe these funds will provide some financial relief to a broad range of our students who have experienced hardship as a result of COVID-19,” said Kim Everhart, director of financial aid.

The funds can be used to help students with tuition, food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and child care.

Undergraduate and graduate students as well as students enrolled in the Boonshoft School of Medicine and the School of Professional Psychology are eligible for the grants. WSU will allocate funds based on students’ FASFAs and will prioritize students with the greatest financial needs.

The money will automatically be distributed to eligible students. Those receiving funds will get an email from the university explaining the details.

Students who did not file a FASFA can apply for the emergency grants by applying online. More details are available on WSU’s COVID-19 emergency financial aid website.

Students enrolled at Wright State on or after May 13, including degree- and non-degree-seeking students, DACA students, refugees, asylum seeks and international students, are eligible for the grants.

Wright State is using funds from the Higher Education Relief Fund III, which provided emergency grants to students continuing to experience financial hardships due to the pandemic. The university received $14,508,548 from HERF III to help students facing challenges due to COVID. WSU also will distribute $104,156 remaining from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.

Wright State also received another $14.2 million to help with university expenses resulting from the pandemic.

This is the third round of emergency grants the university has distributed to students.

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